It isn't. I think that uniform, the one the team wore last year and the honeycomb uniform are all possibilities. my suspicion is that the primary one will be last year's. It's odd to me, though, that the throwback has been featured so much. I know both Mason and Nealy really like it, and I imagine they're not alone. I remember Will Jackson said last year he was going to purloin his.
I think Thomas' quickness will definitely help, as it means the linemen won't have to hold blocks for as long as they did with Lee, among other things. They're a losing a boatload of experience, and likely there will be two guys with no college experience in the stating lineup (OT Chris Griffin and C Freddie Burden). but it's a more athletic group, and that's perhaps what you want if you're really going to drill down with the option. we'll see.
I think he got better over the spring, but the thing about the TO is that you can't really practice it over the summer in a meaningful way. one thing that Johnson has said repeatedly is that Thomas (and Tim Byerly) are committed to running the option and like it, which bodes well for Thomas' ability to progress with it.
He'll play, and I think he'll be productive. To go back to the previous A-back question, he is one I forgot to mention. He might have as much big-play potential as any of the returning A-backs. He will be suspended for the first two games of the season, though.
it's my understanding that Ray Rychleski (the new coach) will coach the tackles and Mike Sewak will coach the three inside positions. I've never asked specifically, but I'd think that there'd be times the two groups could be split up to work on different drills. and even if they're working together, you've now got two sets of eyes, with each looking at a specific subset of the group.
To literally answer your question, I'd say there's a chance, but I really don't know. it sounds tempting, though.
These are really good questions. Keep em coming.
I don't know for certain, but I think it takes a lot of different skills - quickness, ability to read a defender, timing and a willingness to sacrifice your body. Maybe only one of those four (and there are other things that go into it) relates to the "measurables."
I think they're seeing a lot of very good defensive players gone, as well as the quarterback, top two running backs and three starting offensive linemen. On paper, Virginia Tech looks solid defensively, North Carolina finished strong (albeit a weak second-half schedule) and Miami always has talent. It's also my pet theory that because there isn't much Atlanta media at the kickoff event (and also voting for things like All-ACC), Tech sometimes gets overlooked. Plus, I don't know that I'd put a lot of stock into what is voted on there.
I would be very surprised. Unless Johnson is trying to smokescreen the ACC, which I highly doubt, he's been adamant about going back to the basics, which is under the center, option, option, option. To Johnson, he gave a more open offense a try last year, throwing more than previously, and it didn't work. He's going to do what he's going to do, I think.
there isn't a designated feature A-back, like Orwin Smith was two years ago, for instance. I'd say it's mostly because no one has grabbed that role yet. When you look at who's in the mix - Synjyn Days, B.J. Bostic, Tony Zenon, Deon Hill, Charles Perkins (I know I'm going to miss someone), etc. - they're all capable, but none has been a consistent playmaker, either running the ball or blocking. If one of them can do it, he can take that role, but until then, it'll be a committee.
Thanks. I really appreciate that. Shoot me an e-mail closer to the season. I'd love to visit if I can.
From what I've heard and seen, I'd say Tyler Marcordes, the linebacker. I don't know if you could count Justin Thomas, but I think (and as we've all seen) that he has the potential to be a big-play threat.
Good question. I think that's probably because he wasn't on the field in spring practice, so kind of an "out of sight, out of mind" situation. It's why he wasn't on the official two-deep after the spring. I would agree that he'll be in the mix as he gets back. i guess part of it is, too, that there's now only two linebacker spots, and it would seem that Quayshawn Nealy and Tyler Marcordes have claimed those, and Paul Davis rose up to become a solid backup.
if you're wondering, the laptop is still at 21 percent. i'm using my wife's powercord, which is for a different brand than mine. the laptop says it's not charging, but maybe it's keeping it from depleting. famous last words, perhaps.
to preface, I haven't watched the team yet. They won't start preseason until next Friday. To me, strengths are safety, A-back depth, linebacker and special teams. Maybe special teams would be first.
I have to think it will be very significant. I think the defense is in pretty good shape with the back seven, particularly at safety. But if the line can't consistently create a pass rush without blitz help or can't stop the run, that's going to be trouble. as i said on the blog, it's conceivable that the starting four will actually be OK. but i've got questions about what's on the second string.
I don't know, but my suspicion is no, at least under Paul Johnson's watch. I think he is very much a believer in only giving out as many scholarships for as there are spaces. He was saying in Greensboro, for example, that if he had his way, the rules would be that you could sign players whenever you wanted (I'm paraphrasing heavily) and you had to stop when you got to 85, and if they didn't qualify or something else happened, too bad for you.
I think at least part (or most) of the answer is that when a donor gives to the school, he or she is most likely specifying where the gift goes - scholarships, facilities, endowments, etc. So the development office can't dole out money as it pleases. further, i don't know the specifics, but the GTAA is a separate entity from the school, so I don't even know if the GTAA could receive gifts meant for the Institute. the GTAA raises its own money.
Sure. good question. I think most (if not all) Tech alumni (and presumably many or most sidewalk fans) would say that Tech is a little (or a lot) different than most FBS-level colleges due to its academic rigor and its limited majors, among other reasons, and they take pride in that, and that it's not a football factory, per se. Most players really do value the education they're receiving. Dean understood (and understands) that and liked that about the place. hope that answers the question.
Boy, I sure would love to punt on that one. I really don't know. If you had to stick a gun (or exploding laptop) next to my head, I'd guess yes. But I really don't know.
missed the second part. It's good in the sense that they can bring in more players, but bad in the sense that your classes get unbalanced. In an ideal world, I think you're bringing in maybe 18-19 players a year and no one is leaving except to leave early for the NFL. But, that's ideally.
I would certainly think the 2015 class will be larger than was thought a few months ago. By my count, there are 77 scholarship players, and so you add eight to the number of seniors and that's roughly what kind of room the staff will have.
OK, let's get started. First, because I am a bit of a dope, this session may be abbreviated. I left my power cord at the tennis tournament at Atlantic Station but only realized it about 15 minutes ago. So I've got about 21 percent of my power left. This is kind of like a James Bond movie where he's got to disable the bomb before the clock runs out, only hopefully my laptop won't explode when power runs down. Thanks everyone for being here, so let's get to the questions.
