Thoughts? Could Collins turn the program around faster than expected?

[wesgt123]

Well taking a look at recruiting since 2008 would indicate we are outside the norm, but hopefully 2020 indicates a new normal. We've always had some restriction (probably not as much as has been widely held), but the recruiting staff is just a lot better now.

I think we're going to be dramatically improved this year. Really looking forward to seeing how much better we're going to be on offense. The widening transfer portal has suddenly become a major net plus for us this year and hopefully will remain so going forward. Seems we used to lose more than we gained, but this year that has turned around for us 180 degrees.

At the risk of being called, literally, a skeptic: would anyone expect a football coach hired at a university with high academic standards to look about and say, well, this really sucks, and we got to change this because there is no way I can recruit 82 young men who can both study and play? So of course they shout advantage. It is not like they have a choice, and maybe they will get lucky with a few. I don't recall a Georgia Tech football coach ever not saying the academic regimen was an advantage. That includes Paul Johnson and his Navy experience. He found a massive difference, in everything from the level of competition to the sudden limits on scholarships. For right brained people, calculus and physics are not an advantage. But I'll believe it if you will.

has any coach said blatantly and outright that it’s an advantage? I don’t recall CPJ saying it. And I’m not sure about anyone before him saying. Our staff doesn’t seem to shy away from it and be so in-your-face about it. I could be wrong though

 

[Ibeeballin]

Why are you talking about regular students?

Continue to die on the “woe is me” mountain and enjoy this “Little Engine that could” mentality

 

[bobongo]

Why are you talking about regular students?

Continue to die on the “woe is me” mountain and enjoy this “Little Engine that could” mentality

If I may...

I think there might be confusion over what you meant by "...35-40 of the Top 50 could get into Tech without being an exception...". I think what you meant was that they could get in as athletes without an exception granted from The Hill, which is probably true enough. Some may have taken your comment to mean they could get in even if they weren't athletes, which I'm sure you will agree is not.

There was at one time a "woe is me" mentality, but that's changing. I think most folks are waking up to the fact that Tech can get a lot more of these kids in here than was previously thought, but it is simply a fact that the playing field, though more level that we previously perceived, is still not quite completely level due to constraints of academics and curriculum.

What I like about Collins is that he's touting academics as an advantage, and for some of the smarter kids, it is.

 

[GoldZ]

Why are you talking about regular students?

Continue to die on the “woe is me” mountain and enjoy this “Little Engine that could” mentality

You are, hence I am.

 

[Ibeeballin]

Huh? This is football discussion in a football forum, why would would i be talking about regular students?

https://247sports.com/Season/2020-F...ankings/?InstitutionGroup=Highschool&State=GA

I’m taking about this top 50

 

[croberts]

Didn't want to quote the whole thing, but I just want to point out again how wrong this line of thinking is for 90%+ of SAs coming in. At least the SAs that are highly rated and feel they

Why are you talking about regular students?

Continue to die on the “woe is me” mountain and enjoy this “Little Engine that could” mentality

We are talking about regular students for several reasons. One being what a blessing it is for a kid that spends 75% of every hour working on his sport can go to a school that generally accepts kids that spent 75% on academics . What a great opportunity and what great examples we can point to for after NFL success. This is no "woe is me".

 

[Skeptic]

40 of the Top 50 couldn't have gotten into Kennesaw State without exceptions. Good grief. 40 of the Top 50 regular students, period, in public South Georgia schools probably couldn't!

So you're saying that schools down there haven't changed since my time, long ago, when they were essentially day care repositories?

 

[Skeptic]

has any coach said blatantly and outright that it’s an advantage? I don’t recall CPJ saying it. And I’m not sure about anyone before him saying. Our staff doesn’t seem to shy away from it and be so in-your-face about it. I could be wrong though

And you are. Johnson said it on several occasions, or was quoted as saying it anyway. I did not hear it personally, but being half a world away sometimes is a hindrance.