Red Shirt vs Playing as True Freshman

awbuzz

awbuzz

Helluva Manager
Staff member
Messages
12,104
Location
Marietta, GA
Link
From KS at the AJC -
"Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and assistants have offered hints (or more) of first-year freshmen who will play this season."
The article shows who in the past started as a true freshman.
"Redshirting is not the preferred option for nearly all freshmen, but it has proven a successful route for a number of Yellow Jackets players past and present under coach Paul Johnson."

Tech played nine first-year freshmen last season. The most in Johnson’s tenure was the 10 freshmen who played in 2011.

This is the article mentioned in the link above. Link2 If speculates on "Which members of the Georgia Tech freshman class could play this fall?"
Some interesting snippets -
- "Perhaps the two most obvious are B-back Marcus Marshall and wide receiver Brad Stewart, who have played their way onto the depth chart and may even start. "
-"Safety A.J. Gray and linebacker Victor Alexander have also impressed coaches and are likely to play special-teams roles"
 
Techster

Techster

Helluva Engineer
Messages
18,237
awbuzz said:
Link
From KS at the AJC -
"Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and assistants have offered hints (or more) of first-year freshmen who will play this season."
The article shows who in the past started as a true freshman.
"Redshirting is not the preferred option for nearly all freshmen, but it has proven a successful route for a number of Yellow Jackets players past and present under coach Paul Johnson."

Tech played nine first-year freshmen last season. The most in Johnson’s tenure was the 10 freshmen who played in 2011.

This is the article mentioned in the link above. Link2 If speculates on "Which members of the Georgia Tech freshman class could play this fall?"
Some interesting snippets -
- "Perhaps the two most obvious are B-back Marcus Marshall and wide receiver Brad Stewart, who have played their way onto the depth chart and may even start. "
-"Safety A.J. Gray and linebacker Victor Alexander have also impressed coaches and are likely to play special-teams roles"
Click to expand...

Vicious has been kinda quiet until that article.

If a guy is only going to play special teams and not contribute on the 2 deep to get experience, personally I'd rather him redshirt. Zach was actually a returner on special teams his T-Fr year, but I'd trade that year to have him as our BB this year.
 
deeeznutz

deeeznutz

Helluva Engineer
Messages
2,329
305jacket said:
Those guys were sure fire studs. Dalvin Cook was one of the best players in college football, not a fair comparison to make.
Click to expand...
Fixed that for you...probably won't be playing this year. Dude may have been a good player, but apparently a terrible human being. What part of "don't punch girls in the face at a bar" don't these kids understand?
 

Oldgoldandwhite

Helluva Engineer
Messages
5,768
Back to the RS question? In a perfect world, all would redshirt and stay five years. But if they are good enough to beat out an upper classman, then there is an outside chance they will leave early for the NFL.
 
Boomergump

Boomergump

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
3,281
Techster said:
Vicious has been kinda quiet until that article.

If a guy is only going to play special teams and not contribute on the 2 deep to get experience, personally I'd rather him redshirt. Zach was actually a returner on special teams his T-Fr year, but I'd trade that year to have him as our BB this year.
Click to expand...
Special teams need to be good too. I hear what you are saying, but once a KO goes against us for a TD, it will hurt. In general, I like RSing players but you have to play to win now.
 
Techster

Techster

Helluva Engineer
Messages
18,237
Boomergump said:
Special teams need to be good too. I hear what you are saying, but once a KO goes against us for a TD, it will hurt. In general, I like RSing players but you have to play to win now.
Click to expand...

I agree about Special Teams being important...as we saw early in CPJ's GT tenure what an awful special teams can do (or not do). Here's the rub. If we need to count on true freshmen to run down the field, or block and we have 60+ other guys on scholarship that are more physically developed and can't do it...well, I would seriously question the staff's recruiting.

The caveat being specialists who are game changers like punters, field goal kickers, and return specialists who can score or flip the field on their returns.
 
Ibeeballin

Ibeeballin

Im a 3*
Messages
6,081
Techster said:
I agree about Special Teams being important...as we saw early in CPJ's GT tenure what an awful special teams can do (or not do). Here's the rub. If we need to count on true freshmen to run down the field, or block and we have 60+ other guys on scholarship that are more physically developed and can't do it...well, I would seriously question the staff's recruiting.

The caveat being specialists who are game changers like punters, field goal kickers, and return specialists who can score or flip the field on their returns.
Click to expand...

You also have to remember that:
1) Out of those 60+, 30+ are OL/DL/QBs won't set foot on special teams. We may have few of our 3rd string athletic OL/DL being the on back line being pseudo wall.

2) The other 30, 11-13of those guys will see 60+ plays/ gm. Another group of 5 will play 20-30+, depth is good but could be lost quick sending these guys on kamikaze missions like KO/Punt

3) playing special team is more than what meets the eye. You learn who will give all out effort, who can make a play in the open field, and probably most important toughness
 
GTNavyNuke

GTNavyNuke

Helluva Engineer
Featured Member
Messages
10,066
Location
Williamsburg Virginia
I'm the last one to argue that ST aren't important. And that is why after the nightmare year which culminated in losing the game to AF almost entirely through ST, that CPJ got religion and started putting our best players onto the field for KO/punts and returns. So if a Fr is one of our best players, I'd expect him to be on ST.

I seem to remember someone listing the Fr who only played ST last year. Who were they in the last two years and what positions? (I know, nothing like facts to ruin a good discussion, but I really don't know.)

One last thing on skill positions: The long snapper is definitely a skill position. They can upset everything; just ask VT ;)
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,220
Ibeeballin said:
You also have to remember that:
1) Out of those 60+, 30+ are OL/DL/QBs won't set foot on special teams. We may have few of our 3rd string athletic OL/DL being the on back line being pseudo wall.

2) The other 30, 11-13of those guys will see 60+ plays/ gm. Another group of 5 will play 20-30+, depth is good but could be lost quick sending these guys on kamikaze missions like KO/Punt

3) playing special team is more than what meets the eye. You learn who will give all out effort, who can make a play in the open field, and probably most important toughness
Click to expand...
You need OL's and DL's on the field goal and PAT teams.
 
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,220
GTNavyNuke said:
I'm the last one to argue that ST aren't important. And that is why after the nightmare year which culminated in losing the game to AF almost entirely through ST, that CPJ got religion and started putting our best players onto the field for KO/punts and returns. So if a Fr is one of our best players, I'd expect him to be on ST.

I seem to remember someone listing the Fr who only played ST last year. Who were they in the last two years and what positions? (I know, nothing like facts to ruin a good discussion, but I really don't know.)

One last thing on skill positions: The long snapper is definitely a skill position. They can upset everything; just ask VT ;)
Click to expand...
Just as Clems' son.

In case you forgot, Clem had 3rd and inches and failed to convert before that punt attempt.
Also, watch Reggie's reaction to the catch. He knows as soon as the ball leaves his hand. College football magic!

Also, to just add onto the value of special teams, we let Clemson take the ensuing kickoff all the way to our own 30 and gave them a decent chance to steal the game back. Don't ever say ST's don't matter.
 
Last edited:
dressedcheeseside

dressedcheeseside

Helluva Engineer
Messages
14,220
IronJacket7 said:
Is your avatar Eugene Brandon Stewart II ???
Click to expand...
I thought it was this guy:

opie5.jpg
 
Top