Tackling the Georgia Tech tackles
As the competition continues to win the two tackle positions on Georgia Tech’s offense, assistant coach Todd Spencer said it puts his mind at ease to know that each of three candidates — Phil Smith, Nick Claytor and Austin Barrick — have experience in games that have shaped the Paul Johnson era in Atlanta.
“Most of those kids have played in some big games, ACC championship game, Orange Bowl game, rivalry games, the Chick-fil-A bowl,” Spencer said. “All three of those guys have been in big games, played in big games and done good things in big games.”
A mostly experienced group, Smith, a redshirt sophomore, is the youngest, Spencer said the trio understands the nuances of the positions and are able to better understand and apply what he and assistant Mike Sewak are teaching them in the classroom and correcting during practices. Between them, Spencer and Sewak have worked with or for Johnson for 25 years. So they understand what needs to be done.
The challenge has been the three players have missed time during the spring or August practices because of class or injuries. Because of that, Spencer said they haven’t been able to develop as consistently as the coaches had hoped. Smith missed the spring because of a broken ankle and Barrick missed some practices in the spring because of class. Claytor has missed time in August because of an undisclosed injury.
“Like any of our guys, it’s hard to miss practice time because of those three components: speed of the game, pad level, the precision, maniacal precision that we try to play with up front,” Spencer said.
The evaluations will continue at today’s practice and Friday’s scrimmage. Johnson said on Wednesday that all three will play during the games.
“I’m looking forward to seeing those guys play,” Spencer said. “We’ve had a lot of practices. It’s time to play somebody else. It’s time to go play.”
A look at the tackles
Nick Claytor 6-6, 283 Played in 12 games last season; started five in 2008
Phil Smith 6-6, 276 Started four games last season and played in nine more
Austin Barrick 6-3, 279 Started nine games last season; started five in 2008
Zach Krish 6-5, 279 Played in four games last season
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33 comments Add your comment
phil
August 26th, 2010
11:44 am
Doug seriously, will you give us a reason why Carter wasn’t “able” to do Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers, where it is offered, yet for whatever reason he’s magically able to do it at a more respected institution like GT? Thanks.
maker mah
August 26th, 2010
11:55 am
@ phil,
Yep, it totally reeks, but you know good and well a yechie like Doug won’t further investigate this obvious criminal activity.
Doug Roberson
August 26th, 2010
12:03 pm
Phil, I have no idea. He gave his reasons why.
Systemic
August 26th, 2010
12:04 pm
Great to finally have some quality depth along the offensive line. Man I can’t wait for the opener!
Go Jackets!
Systemic
August 26th, 2010
12:06 pm
What’s criminal about transferring? Give me a break doggies.
KCR
August 26th, 2010
12:11 pm
@ Phil Not that your query is in any way on topic, but according to the 2010 US News rankings Georgia Tech had the #4 Biomedical Engineering program in the country. Rutgers had the #51 ranked program. Perhaps Carter could’ve spoken more precisely but going for the best regarded degree is a legitimate reason for anyone to transfer.
phil
August 26th, 2010
12:17 pm
@ Doug – Don’t you think that deserves a little more attention? It doesn’t add up.
@ KCR – Stop deflecting. In nowhere in Doug’s original piece did Carter say he DIDN’T want to do it at Rutgers, it said he COULDN’T do it at Rutgers. So the question remains, why is he able to do it at Tech and not Rutgers? If a kid doesn’t know the difference between those two words then I suspect he shouldn’t even be anywhere near an Engineering school.
?
August 26th, 2010
12:17 pm
Phil,
I’ve seen you post similar responses on several tech blogs recently. I was unsure of what you were referring to so I did some research. From what I can find, Carter saw limited playing time at Rutgers last year and transferred to Tech, which happens to offer his major. You seem to be inferring that he transferred because he could not cut it at Rutgers or either his major was not offered at Rutgers (it is) and Tech manipulated the system to get him down here illegally. 10 minutes researching on the net and I find nothing to support these allegations. The overwhelming sentiment seems to be that he transferred because a: he was seeing limited playing time and b: Tech offered an opportunity at more playing time as well as being the highest rated engineering school in the nation for African-American students. What evidence do you have that there was anything untoward regarding this transfer?
Burdell
August 26th, 2010
12:19 pm
For the last time….DOUG IS NOT A “YECHIE”!!! He is a Dawg (Sorry Doug, UGA Journalism grad) working the Tech blog…
phil
August 26th, 2010
12:20 pm
@ ?
Thanks for the response, but again I go back to the original piece by Doug. It sounded as though he hasn’t even started the major at Rutgers since he said he COULDN’T do it there. So why would he be able to do it at a more regarded and better respected institute like GT where he appears will have even less time on his hands, than he did an easier school like Rutgers? You honestly don’t think this seems odd? Take off your gold and black glasses for a minute and give it some thought.
CoolBreeze
August 26th, 2010
12:26 pm
Well, y’see, boys, the NCAA is obviously in cahoots with GT, and looks the other way whenever the Jackets want to bend the rules a bit. It really makes me mad that this kid wants to work for a better degree. Why doesn’t he just go drive drunk or something………. ?
Systemic
August 26th, 2010
12:29 pm
Phil, please. It seems pretty clear the kid is interested in the more prestigious degree because it will open more doors post-grad. I’m sure the kid, when interviewed, couched these reasons in the terms that you find so controversial so as not to openly disparage the Rutgers program.
The Dude
August 26th, 2010
12:29 pm
The kid is sitting out a year, just like every other FBS to FBS transfer. Who cares why he’s transferring? And why be so concerned with the semantics of the sentence structure? The detractors are having a hard time finding things to pick on these days it seems…
Systemic
August 26th, 2010
12:33 pm
I’ll say…it’s like the Clinton impeachment hearings or something: “Well that depends on what your definition of the word ‘is’ is.”
This is all more evidence it is high-time for the season to start.
Go Jackets!
Delbert D.
August 26th, 2010
12:33 pm
Part 1:The Rutgers program just got their accreditation, according to their web site. He thought that was a factor in not being able to get an internship (interpreting what he said.)
Part 2: Players transfer to get playing time. 8 of the 2 top-10 (pro and dual-threat) Rivals class of 2007 QBs have transferred; one of them is on his 3rd school. The stats charts available for 2008 and 2009 on the Scarlet Knights’ site did not list Carter.
Part 3: Carter was familiar with Paul Johnson because he had been recruited by him at Navy.
Part 4: Join the MUFON network. There is a lot more strange stuff going on there.
?
August 26th, 2010
12:33 pm
No gold and black glasses here, unfamiliar with this situation, just trying to get the facts. Like I said, I find nothing to indicate that there was anything fishy about this situation. I suggest you take off your red and black glasses, as you say in your response that it “sounded” like he could not do the program at Rutgers. “Sounded” like is your interpretation. I’m not saying there is nothing here, I just do not know enough about the situation to make a decision. It sounds like you need to do some research and hold off on the conclusions based on your (possibly flawed, or perhaps a misquote by a student-athlete) interpretation of what was supposedly said.
bb
August 26th, 2010
12:36 pm
Phil,
Take off your ‘black-and-red’ glasses. Doug reported the reasons the player stated. Whether those are the real reasons or not is frankly NO ONE’S BUSINESS but his. The young man, for whatever reason, decided he would rather be at GT than Rutgers. There is nothing ‘criminal’ about that.
Frankly, it sounds like he was a average player at Rutgers and I don’t expect that he will be much more than an average player at Tech. It’s not like he’s a all-conference player. Why would GT do something illegal (I assume that is what you’re implying) to get an average player?
Okeefe/Bob
August 26th, 2010
12:38 pm
Phil 1 Whats with the gold and black glasses?Do G&B glasses see better?
2 Are you really a woman? Only a woman would get wound up over something so insignificant as why this guy is at Tech. He is a student at GT,so what?
White&Gold
August 26th, 2010
12:47 pm
KCR that is not true at UGA. If it were all the undergrads would be applying for LSU, South Carolina and Florida. You know…schools with better academics! LOL
Delbert D.
August 26th, 2010
12:49 pm
Nobody called for an investigation of Anthony Allen, who transferred from Louisville and sat out a year. Nobody called for an investigation of Preston Lyons, who transferred from Colgate. Nobody called for an investigation of Mario Edwards (VT), Lucas Cox (U Conn), Anthony Egbuniwe (Tulsa), Chris Jackson (Alabama), Ty Rawlings (GMC), or Kevin Cone (Shorter.)
North Ave Killer Beez
August 26th, 2010
12:52 pm
WHO CARES ABOUT BIO SHMIO?? Go watch CSI… Its football season already. On the O-Line and tackle position. Man I wish they were a wee bit bigger. Everytime we play a big D-line iT seems like they are living in our backfield. LSU, UGA, IOWA even CLEMSON last year.
Dr. Phil
August 26th, 2010
12:55 pm
Let’s see…UGA is doctors and lawyers and Tech is DQ management..academics are better at UGA!
jacket backer
August 26th, 2010
1:04 pm
Nice subtle racism there Dr Phil.
Delbert D.
August 26th, 2010
1:05 pm
UGA “doctors” are Doctors of Veterinary Medicine. The Medical College of Georgia in Augusta is the only medical school in the University System of Georgia (35 colleges and universities.)
Captain Obvious
August 26th, 2010
1:28 pm
Phil,
You need to get a life. You seem to be the only dawg that cares about Carter. Let it go! If there is smoke we will find the fire. Let’s play some football!!
Jack this
August 26th, 2010
1:39 pm
because Rutgers sucks, is that a good enough answer for you? Now shut the blank up geez
@WreckBuZZ
August 26th, 2010
1:45 pm
Phil,
What are you implying? You’ve made several posts here with innuendo, but have yet to say exactly what you think Carter did wrong or what GT has done wrong here.
Guy decides he won’t meet his goals at his current school, Rutgers and decides to transfer. He probably sees the writing on the wall that regardless of where he plays football that he will likely be going pro in something other than football and decides to up the ante on what his education will be worth. Thus he goes to GT. And the story says that he considered GT when before he went to Rutgers.
What are you trying to say? Spit it out dawg. Stop beatin around the bush (or should I say hedge?).
1Jacket7
August 26th, 2010
1:50 pm
Doug,
Thanks for the information on the O-Line. Great stuff, keep it up. I like our size, anything bigger starts to get into the less mobile category. The players behind them are actually bigger. Anything under 300 is perfect or a 305 guy that can run would be fine also. It is really about the ability to be aggressive. The more warriors we get up there, the better we will be.
?
August 26th, 2010
2:01 pm
Sorry to disappoint you wreckbuzz, but we will not hear anything else out of Phil in this blog. He got what he wanted, he lit a firecracker and ran out of the room. He won’t be back on this post, I suspect he’ll show up on later posts, with more innuendo, but no facts to back his claims. Best to just recognize him for what he is and ignore him.
collegeballfan
August 26th, 2010
2:05 pm
Phil – apparently you did not pick a college for academic reasons.
I did. I could have gone to UGA to study history, the major I wanted. Instead I went out of state, and paid out-of state tuition, to go to a college that offered a stronger emphasis in Southern History than UGA; three published southern history professors versus none.
You could get a BA with a major in history at UGA but not get an education is Southern History. Which means no Master or PhD in Southern History. So you go to an out of state school and pay the extra money.
If this kid is going to major in Biomedical Engineering I would guess he is picking a school that has an better emphasis in his area of interest than Rutgers. Departments at different schools are not the same just because the department name is the same.
Alabama Jack
August 26th, 2010
2:09 pm
Hey Phil, how about research to find what other species besides dawgs regularly eat their own feces?
?
August 26th, 2010
2:13 pm
Trust me, Phil is long gone. He got called out by a few of us on here for facts and he bolted. I mistakenly assumed he had some sort of information since he was not just some retard on here posting “Tech Sucks” but alas, he turned out to be no different than all the others. Best not to waste any more time and energy on this troll.
Gatorman
August 26th, 2010
3:02 pm
Why is it that when UGA might be going on probation, they say the other schools in area are in cahoots with the NCAA. There is not that many Phil Fullmers around these parts.