The Signing Day Event at Georgia Tech included large posters everywhere that read, "Please no talking. Don't wake the recruits. This is a class full of sleepers."
How did Tech fair on the recruiting trail? Not so hot. Their class was ranked all over the place.
- ESPN says 32 (bee serious)
Rivals.com says 56 (that's the unheard of "page 3")
Scout.com says 56 (page 3 again)
Nathan at GoldenTornado reviewed Tech's class for the GSB Crowd stating:
As for this year's class? Eh, it's up and down - as it seems every Tech class is. If you follow recruiting much, you knew months ago it wasn't going to be highly rated because of probation and few graduating seniors - leading to a very small class. We could have only taken 17 players max, and right now that number looks to be 15 - that gets you killed by Scout.com/Rivals.com and leads to idiocy like the current full on melt down on the AJC.com Tech blog. The key was going to be getting quality players in those limited numbers, and we did "OK" on that number.
I like Demaryius Thomas, Laurence Marius and Osahon Tongo. Jamaal Evans intrigues me, but he's so damn tiny for a running back despite his monster numbers in Texas's top level. I'm not enamored with Byron Ingram (he's got a ways to go), but I'm not sure it matters much since Jonathan Garner is the QB of the future and he's only a R-Fr. next year. Sedric Griffin was a kid who flew totally under the radar until he dominated at the Shrine Bowl, he's got the potential to be a nice sleeper in the Keyaron Fox/Vance Walker mode.
Overall, not as bad a class as the "OH GOD THE SKY IS FALLING WE ARE TURNING INTO VANDY" crowd is making it out to be, but not some sort of mammoth class that makes everyone turn around and pay attention. Actually, maybe that should be Chan's motto for his career, "Nobody paid attention".
For another take, we asked Mike Floyd, long time publisher of a great Bulldog e-newsletter, for his off the cuff thoughts on the Yellow Jacket recruiting class.
"First off, Tech got killed. Absolutely, positively ass-smoked. If the beginning of the end for Chan Gailey had not yet begun, then I've got to think that the countdown to his dismissal starts today. Losing recruits to Cincinnati? Are you kidding me? Hell, I saw where one of their kids was offered by Elon, The Citadel and James Madison, for crying out loud. Furman. Troy. UAB. I mean, is there a kid on that whole list who was seriously offered by a legitimate power program? I really don't think so. A truly pitiful haul."
To that review, I reply with "Ouch." But he isn't kidding. Sedric Griffin's other offers were Coastal Carolina, Furman and South Carolina State. Dominique Reese is about the same.
I reviewed the Yellow Jackets commit list, and I can't help but ask..."Where's the Beef?" Tech signed exactly one offensive or defensive linemen in this class. Ben Anderson is 6'1" 260 lb two star defensive tackle with 5.2 speed. Just as a point of comparison, Chan Gailey can run the 40 in 5.1 and he's pushing 60, 30 lbs lighter and he's missing half his ticker.
Gailey used to refuse to recruit kids slower than him, but that was before probation.
Tech only signed 1 recruit rated in the Top 30 in Georgia by Scout.com, Demaryius Thomas, a 6'4" 215 lb WR. A very solid and likely underrated player. Thus continuing Chan Gailey's proud but confusing tradition of ignoring in state talent in favor of turning over rocks in far away distant lands.
Sleeper of this class might be Robert Hall of Hawkinsville. Hawkinsville produces fast, tough kids who know how to play ball and compete. Plus, Old Man Potter (aka Mansfield Jennings Jr.) runs the county, and he's on the board of regents as a GT alum. So that probably doesn't hurt either. BTW - that's not an accusation of corruption. I've met Mr. Jennings, and he was really kind to me early in my career. But he really is Old Man Potter meets Col. Sanders.
All in all, the class is about like the past several tech classes. A few kids with solid potential like Calvin Johnson or Kenny Scott and tons of sleepers.
pwd
