Techster
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Sadly, the only people that didn't believe GT could recruit at a higher level were GT fans.
Spring Practice
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Sadly, the only people that didn't believe GT could recruit at a higher level were GT fans.
Whiskey_Clear
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And the fans that think no talent has come through Tech in the last decade are sadly...mostly Tech fans.
RickStromFan
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I've never encountered that sort of fan anywhere.
gt13
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Went to the student practice this morning. Calvin Johnson was there along with a ton of recruits, including Jordan Williams, and old players like Taquon and Cerge Henderson. Jordan Williams is MASSIVE. He looked bigger than most of our big guys and they were all wearing pads.
As for the practice, I never saw a CPJ practice so I cant really compare the two but there's music blasting the whole time and everyone gets really into it. Quez Jackson made an INT and the sideline exploded and he immediately went running to sign the hustle board. They really seem to get into the competitive aspect of practice and it seems like they all have fun out there.
Watched a LOT of passing drills as well as some 7 on 7 and 11 on 11. The main takeaway: there were a LOT of interceptions. Tipped balls, bad throws, great plays - the secondary was everywhere and causing havoc. I think our best athletes on the team at the moment are in our secondary and I think with a good scheme and a good pass rush (Clayton!) they might have great success this year. Quez, Juanyeh, Tariq ("Riq the Freak" is not his nickname just cuz it rhymes - he has gotten huge), Charlie Thomas, Tre, Ajani Kerr, Zamari, Askew, Kaleb Oliver all look great. I really think that's going to be a fun group to watch.
Jalen Camp made some awesome catches including a one handed snag on the sideline. Adonicas Sanders also looked good and made some plays including a really nice catch in coverage thrown by James Graham. Jalen Camp looked like the best receiver to me. These two stood out the most from what I saw. Camp, Sanders, Ezzard (I assume), Carter will be a lot for teams to account for.
Tyler Davis had a good practice. He has good hands and size (hes taller than Malachi Carter). Hes going to be an asset for us this year.
Now to QB. I know it is just one practice, one data point of an entire spring/summer/fall practice schedule, but to my untrained eye James Graham was very impressive. He can throw the ball very well and is an even better runner. Very elusive and great speed. He also has good size. Hes definitely taller and heavier than Taquon was. Shorter than Lucas but more solid and a more confident runner. Lucas appears to be running with "the 1s" but they're switching everyone out so much it's hard to tell.
However.... really cant sleep on Tobias either. I think hes the best runner of the 3 and he really can pass. We didn't see it much last year but he throws a good ball and really can pass pretty well. Patenaude wasnt lying when he said our QBs can throw. When they're in the gun and have 4 or 5 receivers running routes and time to make a throw, it really does make a difference.
In conclusion: no idea who will be at QB. Graham looks the part and definitely passes the eye test. Lucas also appears to be a solid option and can throw well although I felt he missed more of his throws than Graham did. And then of course dont be surprised if Tobias gets the job. Everyone is kinda slotting him in as a #3 QB but this is not the case. He is a playmaker and he can run and throw. And hes the only one who has proven he can play QB in the ACC and win games (the others haven't had the chance yet but still. Hes got the edge in experience).
RB will be very interesting. Howard and Mason are tough runners and are still at BBack size. I dont think we have a speed guy yet though. If a young speedy RB can emerge (Whatley, Jamious, Smith) I think they'll actually have the chance to see the field a good bit. We are fine with Howard and Mason but I think we will need some speed for certain plays.
I dont know anything about OL DL so its hard to evaluate. Didn't see any special teams either.
Overall it was a cool experience. I think the offense will be exciting to watch and a good mix of run/pass. Part of me thinks we may see more run in year 1 to fit our personnel better but we were definitely throwing it a lot today.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
As for the practice, I never saw a CPJ practice so I cant really compare the two but there's music blasting the whole time and everyone gets really into it. Quez Jackson made an INT and the sideline exploded and he immediately went running to sign the hustle board. They really seem to get into the competitive aspect of practice and it seems like they all have fun out there.
Watched a LOT of passing drills as well as some 7 on 7 and 11 on 11. The main takeaway: there were a LOT of interceptions. Tipped balls, bad throws, great plays - the secondary was everywhere and causing havoc. I think our best athletes on the team at the moment are in our secondary and I think with a good scheme and a good pass rush (Clayton!) they might have great success this year. Quez, Juanyeh, Tariq ("Riq the Freak" is not his nickname just cuz it rhymes - he has gotten huge), Charlie Thomas, Tre, Ajani Kerr, Zamari, Askew, Kaleb Oliver all look great. I really think that's going to be a fun group to watch.
Jalen Camp made some awesome catches including a one handed snag on the sideline. Adonicas Sanders also looked good and made some plays including a really nice catch in coverage thrown by James Graham. Jalen Camp looked like the best receiver to me. These two stood out the most from what I saw. Camp, Sanders, Ezzard (I assume), Carter will be a lot for teams to account for.
Tyler Davis had a good practice. He has good hands and size (hes taller than Malachi Carter). Hes going to be an asset for us this year.
Now to QB. I know it is just one practice, one data point of an entire spring/summer/fall practice schedule, but to my untrained eye James Graham was very impressive. He can throw the ball very well and is an even better runner. Very elusive and great speed. He also has good size. Hes definitely taller and heavier than Taquon was. Shorter than Lucas but more solid and a more confident runner. Lucas appears to be running with "the 1s" but they're switching everyone out so much it's hard to tell.
However.... really cant sleep on Tobias either. I think hes the best runner of the 3 and he really can pass. We didn't see it much last year but he throws a good ball and really can pass pretty well. Patenaude wasnt lying when he said our QBs can throw. When they're in the gun and have 4 or 5 receivers running routes and time to make a throw, it really does make a difference.
In conclusion: no idea who will be at QB. Graham looks the part and definitely passes the eye test. Lucas also appears to be a solid option and can throw well although I felt he missed more of his throws than Graham did. And then of course dont be surprised if Tobias gets the job. Everyone is kinda slotting him in as a #3 QB but this is not the case. He is a playmaker and he can run and throw. And hes the only one who has proven he can play QB in the ACC and win games (the others haven't had the chance yet but still. Hes got the edge in experience).
RB will be very interesting. Howard and Mason are tough runners and are still at BBack size. I dont think we have a speed guy yet though. If a young speedy RB can emerge (Whatley, Jamious, Smith) I think they'll actually have the chance to see the field a good bit. We are fine with Howard and Mason but I think we will need some speed for certain plays.
I dont know anything about OL DL so its hard to evaluate. Didn't see any special teams either.
Overall it was a cool experience. I think the offense will be exciting to watch and a good mix of run/pass. Part of me thinks we may see more run in year 1 to fit our personnel better but we were definitely throwing it a lot today.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Gtech50
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Gtech50
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I agree with pretty much everything you said. Today Graham looked like the best QB to me but none of them really set themselves apart imo. All of them are definitely talented runners and our offense will be best when we run the ball and take advantage of the athletes we have. The deep balls seemed like a focus of this practice but I highly doubt that will be a focus/strength of our team this season. Our receivers looked great to me but our OL seems to be a big limitation for us when trying to air it out. We need to play to our steengths which will be running QBs and RBs, jet sweeps with our athletic slot receivers, short passes that move the ball. I know this isn’t the ideal plan for our offense based on Patenaudes plan but I don’t see us being a pass first offense in year 1. We need more consistent pass pro. Camp, Brown, Carter, and Mason really impressed me on offense. Our secondary looks to be the best part of our team and our DL looked better than I expected (could be a bad sign for our OL). I think our defense will get a lot of turnovers this year but could also give up some big plays based on the aggressive style we will play. Should be an exciting season but really hoping for our OL to step up and a QB to emerge as the definite starter.
WreckinGT
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It depends on your definition of higher level. I always thought we could do better than we were doing but if we are now expecting top 15 or top 25 classes every year, I’m still going to need more than 6 recruits to become a full believer. Personally I don’t think Wolken knows what he is talking about. It’s not easy to recruit at GT and it never will be. Collins may be the guy we need to maximize our potential. He brings amazing energy that I’m sure resonates well with recruits. He has put together a great staff. Let’s let them do their jobs for a few years before we accept that history was wrong and they have shown what is right.
UgaBlows
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I bet we jump in and out off shotgun spread and triple-O sets on the fly when the season starts, but we will hear about and see zero about triple-O until after we surprise Clemson
UgaBlows
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Our passing game will probably look a lot like UVA’s last season, lots of scrambling by the QB to pass or run, short and mid-range passes, and almost zero deep game.
YJMD
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I think we will have to throw the ball deep occasionally. Patenaude is on record with the priority of the QB being able to read the defense. Sometimes it will be the right thing to do even if not our strength. And that ability to read and execute the right play is what will probably separate the QBs in the end, although I think we have a package for Graham even if he ends up QB3.
dressedcheeseside
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I’m less worried about our qb’s ability to read defenses than being given the time to do so.
knoxjacket
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I’m worried about the whole deal.
Can our OL pass pro? Can our receivers run a full route tree? Can they get separation when the DBs aren’t thinking run every down? Can our QBs make accurate, timely throws? Can they work through a full progression?
It’s been 17-18 years since we’ve had a truly competent passing game.
I just can’t imagine our offense not being 65-75% rush this year and being effective at all.
stech81
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Ibeeballin
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He looked fine to me. With the departure of Braun, he’s at RG with Defoors to his right. From all accounts, he’s probably just as strong as Parker and has a better feel on what needs to be accomplished.
Techster
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Getting back to actual ball:
From the sound of things, the defensive backfield will be the strength of the team. No surprise as CPJ recruited REALLY well there the last few seasons. There are multiple 4 star guys back there, and there's next level talent in that group. Also, coaching DBs is CGC's specialty. I expect Thacker and CGC to create pressure from packages that emphasize DB blitzes.
Kind of worries me that we don't hear much about the defensive front seven. Nobody flashing on the DL or the LB corps. That's why I think someone like Tariq Carpenter will be moved to LB. CGC isn't shy about moving guys around to help the team, but also maximize talent. That's a big dude with a LOT speed for a LB, but average speed for a safety. He's also a thumper. Big dudes that can bring sledge hammers, and can run make all conference LBs one day.
Offensively, WRs are starting to develop. I think there's a solid 3 with Jalen Camp, Malachi Carter, and Adonicas Sanders. Early enrolee Ahmarean Brown making waves with his speed from the slot. I think we're going to have a LOT of good surprises from the slot position. CPJ recruited some talent that probably fits the traditional slot role better than AB. Gotta build some depth there as we are going 3-5 wide. That's a LOT of collective snaps there.
I'm interested in seeing James Graham operate. Is he running with the 1's/2's/3's? I think he's easily our most talented offensive player. If he's not our starting QB, he needs to play somewhere. He's got a special gear no one else from last year has. And it's effortless speed.
OL should be interesting. Southers came in as an OT, and I believe Defoors came in as a OG...both have switched. Probably the most important group on offense but the also the biggest question mark. Would have LOVED to have Parker Braun back, but gotta play with who you got.
Can't wait for the spring game.
From the sound of things, the defensive backfield will be the strength of the team. No surprise as CPJ recruited REALLY well there the last few seasons. There are multiple 4 star guys back there, and there's next level talent in that group. Also, coaching DBs is CGC's specialty. I expect Thacker and CGC to create pressure from packages that emphasize DB blitzes.
Kind of worries me that we don't hear much about the defensive front seven. Nobody flashing on the DL or the LB corps. That's why I think someone like Tariq Carpenter will be moved to LB. CGC isn't shy about moving guys around to help the team, but also maximize talent. That's a big dude with a LOT speed for a LB, but average speed for a safety. He's also a thumper. Big dudes that can bring sledge hammers, and can run make all conference LBs one day.
Offensively, WRs are starting to develop. I think there's a solid 3 with Jalen Camp, Malachi Carter, and Adonicas Sanders. Early enrolee Ahmarean Brown making waves with his speed from the slot. I think we're going to have a LOT of good surprises from the slot position. CPJ recruited some talent that probably fits the traditional slot role better than AB. Gotta build some depth there as we are going 3-5 wide. That's a LOT of collective snaps there.
I'm interested in seeing James Graham operate. Is he running with the 1's/2's/3's? I think he's easily our most talented offensive player. If he's not our starting QB, he needs to play somewhere. He's got a special gear no one else from last year has. And it's effortless speed.
OL should be interesting. Southers came in as an OT, and I believe Defoors came in as a OG...both have switched. Probably the most important group on offense but the also the biggest question mark. Would have LOVED to have Parker Braun back, but gotta play with who you got.
Can't wait for the spring game.
Dottie1145
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I’ve heard plenty of positive comments about Curry, and Quez.
Techster
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Players look like they're having fun. Coaches look like they're having fun. Ex players look like they're having fun. Recruits look like they're having fun.
Us schmucks on the messageboards making each other miserable. LOL.
Gtech50
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Quez and C. Thomas are turnover machines from what I’ve seen and heard. Thomas might need to get a little bigger though. Curry and BJS also seem to be doing well. We just don’t have any depth after those 4