Looking Ahead - Defensive Line

[Eric]

I think Whitehead is a big need for us...would help feel a void from day one.

 

[Rodney Kent]

Thanks for the info on Gotsis. I was curious about his weight loss as a NT.

 

[Rodney Kent]

Thanks for the info on Gotsis. I was curious about his weight loss as a NT.

 

[PowderSpringsJacket88]

Thanks for the info on Gotsis. I was curious about his weight loss as a NT.

Yeah, I actually heard he had some bad weight as did other players on the staff. They want leaner/stronger players that are explosive off the ball. Its hard to be explosive when you are carrying some bad weight. However, there is nothing wrong with our DL having some extra pounds. Gotis obviously dropped the weight and put it on some good muscle. He was more explosive this year too...

Hopefully he will eat a lot more protein this preseason and keep packing it on while still staying explosive. Its funny how most fans(including me) just think its about being big/strong/fast but coaches are looking for explosive athletes.

 

[alaguy]

When we speak of our guys getting bigger/stronger,it is a relative thing.The opponents are ALSO getting bigger/stronger/better.To a large degree that is why SRs are better than Sophs and why our DEF played better last yr-we have 6 Srs who not only were smarter/experienced but also at their max in strength,etc There were playing a bunch vs Fr/sophs many times.
If our Def does not have more natural replacement talent now to overcome this loss in exp/size /strength we will be worse. I suggest that our DEf will suffer in comparison -at least til end of next season.If the RS were so good they should have been playing--several teams just ran over us at times.

 

[AE 87]

Cummings and Dieke got snaps in 12 but not a lot. They did fine this year. I feel the same about this year's backups. We also have some exciting rs guys.

These kids aren't pros. I think some undervalue what an extra year can add kids this age. We need better pass rush, but we improved schematically during the year also.

I look forward to seeing who replaces JA.

 

[augustabuzz]

Cummings and Dieke got snaps in 12 but not a lot. They did fine this year. I feel the same about this year's backups. We also have some exciting rs guys.

These kids aren't pros. I think some undervalue what an extra year can add kids this age. We need better pass rush, but we improved schematically during the year also.

I look forward to seeing who replaces JA.

Also, JA improved his pass rushing skills over the course of the season. I think Coach Pelton may have had something to do with that. Given that, I think we will have more athletes ready to play on the DL in 2014.

 

[Boomergump]

Players with potential, who work hard, will progress. I am a pretty strong believer in that, and the general philosophy that red shirting is a good thing. When I look back to my playing days, I was a totally different player my senior season than I was as a freshman. Most players will be. I am of the opinion that a high priority should be placed on red shirting every player possible. The exceptions being the kids that you fully expect to have a major role as a true freshman. Typically, those kids have a good chance of leaving early anyway, so you might as well play them. The argument against this is silly in the long run. Pretty much every kid will be way way way better in their fifth year than their first. Obviously, we need to win NOW (every year), but throwing away a year of eligibility on a true frosh season while having a minor role doesn't make sense. They have to make you decidedly better to play them. Think PJ Davis. He actually made us better, so we needed to play him. He didn't start all the time, but he had a major role and there would have been a drop off going with somebody else.

Having said that, it is hard to know if we will be better or worse along the line next year. I don't think it is wise to assume because, for example, a guy couldn't beat out Cummings as a true frosh, means we can't replace him this coming season. If I had a frosh, who was about equal to Cummings or Dieke, I would shirt him and play the seniors who have the experience. Now, if that frosh WAS equal to them, then I would say that, even though he couldn't unseat them and is wearing a shirt, it bodes very well for the future. Don't forget, kids come here as 18 year olds. They will mature physically and mentally a great deal over the next couple of years and gain experience in the system, not to mention what impact a college S&C program has compared to HS.

The only guy I am worried about replacing is Attaochu. If we had a guy who was anywhere close, he would have played in front of Dieke. We will have our hands full trying to replace JA's production. 10+ sacks and a bunch of other disruptive plays don't just appear out of nowhere.

 

[Leonard Larramore]

I think there are a bunch of changes from this list. ieavis will be somewhere.If Grffin is 1st uit at CB we are in trouble.If stargel is our pass rush guy---shutter.
What is really scary is how you can make an assessment of a players talent or state the condition of the program without seeing the kid play. Now that is scary! Relax and hold your opinion until you at least you see the kid play. SMH

 

[Leonard Larramore]

Players with potential, who work hard, will progress. I am a pretty strong believer in that, and the general philosophy that red shirting is a good thing. When I look back to my playing days, I was a totally different player my senior season than I was as a freshman. Most players will be. I am of the opinion that a high priority should be placed on red shirting every player possible. The exceptions being the kids that you fully expect to have a major role as a true freshman. Typically, those kids have a good chance of leaving early anyway, so you might as well play them. The argument against this is silly in the long run. Pretty much every kid will be way way way better in their fifth year than their first. Obviously, we need to win NOW (every year), but throwing away a year of eligibility on a true frosh season while having a minor role doesn't make sense. They have to make you decidedly better to play them. Think PJ Davis. He actually made us better, so we needed to play him. He didn't start all the time, but he had a major role and there would have been a drop off going with somebody else.

Having said that, it is hard to know if we will be better or worse along the line next year. I don't think it is wise to assume because, for example, a guy couldn't beat out Cummings as a true frosh, means we can't replace him this coming season. If I had a frosh, who was about equal to Cummings or Dieke, I would shirt him and play the seniors who have the experience. Now, if that frosh WAS equal to them, then I would say that, even though he couldn't unseat them and is wearing a shirt, it bodes very well for the future. Don't forget, kids come here as 18 year olds. They will mature physically and mentally a great deal over the next couple of years and gain experience in the system, not to mention what impact a college S&C program has compared to HS.

The only guy I am worried about replacing is Attaochu. If we had a guy who was anywhere close, he would have played in front of Dieke. We will have our hands full trying to replace JA's production. 10+ sacks and a bunch of other disruptive plays don't just appear out of nowhere.

Boomer you are a wise man.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

Players with potential, who work hard, will progress. I am a pretty strong believer in that, and the general philosophy that red shirting is a good thing. When I look back to my playing days, I was a totally different player my senior season than I was as a freshman. Most players will be. I am of the opinion that a high priority should be placed on red shirting every player possible. The exceptions being the kids that you fully expect to have a major role as a true freshman. Typically, those kids have a good chance of leaving early anyway, so you might as well play them. The argument against this is silly in the long run. Pretty much every kid will be way way way better in their fifth year than their first. Obviously, we need to win NOW (every year), but throwing away a year of eligibility on a true frosh season while having a minor role doesn't make sense. They have to make you decidedly better to play them. Think PJ Davis. He actually made us better, so we needed to play him. He didn't start all the time, but he had a major role and there would have been a drop off going with somebody else.

Having said that, it is hard to know if we will be better or worse along the line next year. I don't think it is wise to assume because, for example, a guy couldn't beat out Cummings as a true frosh, means we can't replace him this coming season. If I had a frosh, who was about equal to Cummings or Dieke, I would shirt him and play the seniors who have the experience. Now, if that frosh WAS equal to them, then I would say that, even though he couldn't unseat them and is wearing a shirt, it bodes very well for the future. Don't forget, kids come here as 18 year olds. They will mature physically and mentally a great deal over the next couple of years and gain experience in the system, not to mention what impact a college S&C program has compared to HS.

The only guy I am worried about replacing is Attaochu. If we had a guy who was anywhere close, he would have played in front of Dieke. We will have our hands full trying to replace JA's production. 10+ sacks and a bunch of other disruptive plays don't just appear out of nowhere.

The vast majority of our kids are "projects." They're not "oven ready" to borrow a term from Stonewall. It's a reality, it's who we are as a school more than who we are as a program, but that plays a role, too. The 5 and 4 star kids who want nothing more than a fast and easy track to the NFL want no part of GT and I wouldn't expect them to.

It's not necessarily a bad thing. It can work due to the total number of schollies allowed, 85, and the number that actually contribute each year, about half that. If done right, a team could theoretically redshirt an entire class each year and still have a majority of your contributors 5th and 4th yr guys. The way it works is by not missing on your evaluations, developing them to their fullest potential and keeping them in school - low attrition. This method keeps your class numbers much lower than the factories and factory wannabes so your recruiting rankings will suffer because much of that has to do with numbers. If a team were to do this perfectly - in theory - the most it could sign each and every year is 17. We're not far off that number, btw.

In reality, not every kid works out and it's not always the coaches fault. Kids leave school for all kinds of reasons, many having nothing to do with football. Some kids don't pan out not because their talent was misdiagnosed, but because their work ethic was. Kids also get hurt and have to quit or become less effective.

On the flip side, not all blue chip athletes want the easiest route to the NFL. Some actually value a top notch education and have the work ethic off the field to achieve it. (The name Calvin Johnson rings a bell.) We need to find those few individuals and get 'em here.

 

[Stonewall]

agree, cheese! i certainly don't expect us to be raking in blue chip kids. but, our staff has got to figure out how to land 1-2 of those "oven ready" types a class on both sides of the ball. we're that close! need to get over the hump with some of these kids that will be playing as true freshman and making an impact as sophomores. you sprinkle a few of those in with the "projects" and we'll be making progress, IMO.

 

[dressedcheeseside]

agree, cheese! i certainly don't expect us to be raking in blue chip kids. but, our staff has got to figure out how to land 1-2 of those "oven ready" types a class on both sides of the ball. we're that close! need to get over the hump with some of these kids that will be playing as true freshman and making an impact as sophomores. you sprinkle a few of those in with the "projects" and we'll be making progress, IMO.

Totally agree. And our new additions on the staff may just get us that. Saw this tweet by two of our players who love Joe Hamilton and what he brings to the team:



Not just Lil' Joe, but Roof and Pelton and even the new qb coach who I can't remember his name right now. All those guys are killing it on the trail. Andy Mac has always been a good recruiter and even Sewak has stepped up his game on the recruiting trail this year. I wonder if a little bird spoke in his ear.....

 

[Boomergump]

agree, cheese! i certainly don't expect us to be raking in blue chip kids. but, our staff has got to figure out how to land 1-2 of those "oven ready" types a class on both sides of the ball. we're that close! need to get over the hump with some of these kids that will be playing as true freshman and making an impact as sophomores. you sprinkle a few of those in with the "projects" and we'll be making progress, IMO.

I agree totally. Getting kids who are ahead of their time is great. Every TECH team in my memory needed some kind of immediate help. Having a true frosh Calvin Johnson or Derrick Morgan show up on the field this season would have been very helpful.

 

[Rodney Kent]

There are many, many excellent prospects throughout the United States who have the mental abilities to pass all the courses at GT. I can assure you; if the prospect likes the coach, his attitude, honesty, the way he handles his players, his ability to win, etal, he will go with the coach regardless of the difficulties of the studies he has to endure. It all begins and ends with the coach, not the array of studies he has to master. There is also the bonus of getting the smartest players. If you build the team and its system around both their physical and mental abilities, they will perform better than the teams who have players that are not as smart as those that attend schools such as Tech, Duke, etal.

 

[Mack]

There are many, many excellent prospects throughout the United States who have the mental abilities to pass all the courses at GT. I can assure you; if the prospect likes the coach, his attitude, honesty, the way he handles his players, his ability to win, etal, he will go with the coach regardless of the difficulties of the studies he has to endure. It all begins and ends with the coach, not the array of studies he has to master. There is also the bonus of getting the smartest players. If you build the team and its system around both their physical and mental abilities, they will perform better than the teams who have players that are not as smart as those that attend schools such as Tech, Duke, etal.

Agree with you Rod...........not saying that everybody other than tech players are dumb but if their is no NFL attraction and you have to sell the school book wise and course wise....you need help.We may whistle pass the grave yard but its clear we have to do a better job of coaching (especially with the 30) since Liberal Art schools can certainly make it easy for a guy to follow his NFL dream and even graduate.

 

[UgaBlows]

Defensive line just doesn't seem like a position that many kids are going to be physically ready or able to play as a true freshman......obviously there are a few exceptions

 

[Boomergump]

Defensive line just doesn't seem like a position that many kids are going to be physically ready or able to play as a true freshman......obviously there are a few exceptions

OLeary always used to say, the closer you are to the ball, the harder it is to play early. I believe that to be absolutely true. Some are ready the moment they come to campus, but they are the extreme minority.

 

[Mack]

Was lucky enough to send couple of linebackers to all places....georgie in the early 70s and when they got home for break i asked them what was the way of the big uns.....they said strength is the main sale for freshman.Even though you lift and lift in HS the guy in front of you has been doing it longer.Speed was about the same response.One guy was pretty quick in school and he said all the backers could fly.Yes unless you come from a school with great coaching ,facilities and schdule I agree with Boomer....its hard to crack the shell as a Freshman.By the way one of my guys was 190 and other 215 and they found out quick that they were not in Kansas anymore.Both did graduate and both are wonderful MDs..........

 

[AE 87]

Was lucky enough to send couple of linebackers to all places....georgie in the early 70s and when they got home for break i asked them what was the way of the big uns.....they said strength is the main sale for freshman.Even though you lift and lift in HS the guy in front of you has been doing it longer.Speed was about the same response.One guy was pretty quick in school and he said all the backers could fly.Yes unless you come from a school with great coaching ,facilities and schdule I agree with Boomer....its hard to crack the shell as a Freshman.By the way one of my guys was 190 and other 215 and they found out quick that they were not in Kansas anymore.Both did graduate and both are wonderful MDs..........

Piss on em!

... seriously, you're old; they're doctors ... you could totally get away with it