Tech secondary has talent, lacks experience
The seventh in a series of position group breakdowns of the 2011 Georgia Tech football team:
Cornerback Rod Sweeting and safety Rashaad Reid are leading candidates to start. JOHNNY CRAWFORD/jcrawford@ajc.com
Projected starters: CBs Rod Sweeting (Jr., 6-0, 181), Louis Young (So., 6-1, 190), S Isaiah Johnson (So., 6-2, 195), Rashaad Reid (Sr., 5-10, 191)
Others to watch: S Fred Holton was effective on special teams as a true freshman last year and will make a run at a starting job. S/CB Jemea Thomas will be in the mix at both positions after a productive spring and may end up as the nickel. CB Michael Peterson mostly played special teams last season but has experience to his credit. CB Ryan Ayers will also get a look for a spot in the lineup. S Lance Richardson is another possibility. The incoming defensive backs are Jamal Golden and Domonique Noble.
Key losses: Georgia Tech lost all four starters in the secondary, CBs Mario Butler and Dominique Reese and S Mario Edwards and Jerrard Tarrant. The four started a combined 107 games for the Yellow Jackets. Tarrant left Tech early to enter the NFL draft but went undrafted. Edwards and Reese were third and fourth on the team in tackles last season, respectively.
Key fact: The defensive backs have a combined 20 career starts, 15 belonging to Reid. However, it’s a group not entirely bereft of experience. Johnson started three games as a true freshman last year. Young played some corner as a true freshman. Sweeting improved considerably over the course of last season. Thomas played as a true freshman in 2009 and then redshirted last season.
Key fact II: Coach Paul Johnson said he thinks it’s the most talented secondary he’s had at Tech. Seven of the eight players in the defensive backfield two-deep are Johnson recruits. Peterson is the lone exception.
Key question: How much can talent make up for the experience shortage? Pressure will be on secondary coach Charles Kelly to hasten the secondary’s development. Defensive coordinator Al Groh can protect the backfield by using more conservative coverages, but to do so he would have to lessen pressure at the line of scrimmage. The sooner players like Young and Johnson can be entrusted, the more diverse Tech’s defense will be allowed to be.
Key development: The speedy Young has caused a stir with his progress in the spring and over the summer. Holton has been one of the hardest workers in the summer strength and conditioning program. Kelly has said the competition for jobs will be open. Thomas will likely make a strong bid somewhere in the secondary.
Outlook: Worth watching. This is a group that, particularly at the beginning of the season, will be liable to blow a coverage one series and produce a big play the next. Young and Johnson could be stars on the rise.
Your turn: What do you think?
PAST POSITION BREAKDOWNS
Ken Sugiura, AJC
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122 comments Add your comment
GT Fan...
July 20th, 2011
4:13 pm
The word is that there’s lots of speed in DB’field
Maybe this season when WRs get behind our guys (inevitable to happen no matter how good you are) the DBs will have a better chance of catching them from behind? If that happens a few times maybe the D then gets a hold and forces the FG….
Jema Thomas was really good as a FR. I believe he was RS’d last year b/c of how many upperclassmen the YJs had in DB’field??
Just wondering on a different note … Does anyone know where & how Cooper Taylor’s football career is going?
Ken Sugiura
July 20th, 2011
4:22 pm
Juvenal – there’s certain words — you can guess some of them — that, if they’re in a post, will send the post into the trash.
GT Fan – Cooper Taylor transferred to Richmond. He’ll be eligible this fall.
Ken Sugiura
July 20th, 2011
4:23 pm
sorry – comments were directed to Supersize, not Juvenal. I guess e-mail me whatever words you think are a problem.
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 20th, 2011
4:24 pm
I’ve heard thinking fans postulate that we’ve only really needed around two more defensive stops per game to have them go our way. The things I’ve seen this summer about the development of our D-line, LB’s and, now, the DB’s are very encouraging in that regard. Also, more home games can (and should) mean more crowd noise helping create some false starts or missed audibles. I know this is far from a proven fact, and Tech’s crowd is only really rowdy in the endzones. But it’s just one more little piece of help allowing us to maybe do better. I’d be more than happy for us to go 8 wins and maybe 2nd in the Coastal if we can top “the other state school.” Do I hope for more? Cautiously. I think the team’s new attitude could be the X factor that takes away whatever ceiling we forecast them having.
Go Jackets!
GT Fan...
July 20th, 2011
4:25 pm
GT two facts …
Your honesty would be appreciated. How old are you?
I’m really hoping you are either in college or high school, or younger, b/c that would make your comment understandable.
If you are out of college, or worse, over 30 and/or a parent then you should really re-assess your character/maturity. Have you ever heard the saying “the true test of one’s character can be determined by what you do/how you act when nobody else is watching”?
T3
July 20th, 2011
4:53 pm
Ken
As the GT beatwriter, you have AT LEAST be a Helluva lot
more OBJECTIVE in your reporting on the GT issue.
To summarily conclude that GT’s appeal options are dim sounds much like a conclusion.
What I have yet to see from you is…ANY…review, clarification, or consideration offered to GT’s position.
That doesnt mean be a mindless homer, but how about some friggin OBJECTIVITY ??
Certainly cant get any from Bradley or Schultz. But afterall, theyre not the GT beatwriter.
Man-up about your “beat.”
dawgmatic
July 20th, 2011
5:01 pm
tech athletics has cheaters, lacks winners.
kingster
July 20th, 2011
5:09 pm
Dawg in Columbus, you are a real trooper, I thank you for being so honest and straight, I respect you very much as a UGA fan now, what you wrote is deep and straight to the point, but most of all honest, you get a hall pass to say what you want about my beloved Rambling Reck/Gold and Black, if only more of those Dawg honorer up, hope your Dawgs have a great season, Lord knows Teck needs some help, l(”lets change that off.) hope we have a better season than last, maybe we can gets some more good troops, seems like Tech is low on most people list, I’m sorry to say, its killing me.
Gen Sherman Jacket
July 20th, 2011
5:09 pm
The penalties from the infractions during the Joe Hamilton years were reduced a great deal. The appeal is decided by a different group in case the first one showed bias or excess. I am all for appealing.
Ga fans voted up the sports vent that we would be upset if Auburn and Ohio State got off light.
I doubt that will happen but it will be Georgia fans who will be the most upset if Auburn just gets a slap on the wrist after they way they knocked their QB around and beat them.
Gen Sherman Jacket
July 20th, 2011
5:13 pm
Prognosticators never expect anything from us.
It’s a good sign.
I think the fan base is more riled up than it has been in a long time.
I was debating my season tickets and went ahead a few months ago.
I’m glad I did.
Gen Sherman Jacket
July 20th, 2011
5:15 pm
BTW Ken, I think you are doing a very good job.
Right now fans are so pissed off about the unfairness of this penalty that they may occasionally blame the wrong person for what has happened.
schedule
July 20th, 2011
5:16 pm
The lack of experience should benefit from the early soft(er) schedule.
Teams that schedule difficult/ranked teams first take a gamble…win and they will greatly benefit in good pub…and conversely, lose and…
I’m not advocating soft or difficult early schedules…just this year a soft start may be a good thing.
GOLD PANTS
July 20th, 2011
5:20 pm
@T3– I know we are off topic here but the Georgia Tech issue bothers me too.From what I have read, there never was an eligibility problem regarding the two players in question ; they were academically cleared for the ACC championship game in 2009. Then there was the issue of inappropriate gifts.That in itself was unclear on how that went down . I think it was all over $300 worth of clothing that was never used. How that merits 5 years probation and the stripping of the Acc championship is beyond me. So yes, I definitely think Georgia Tech should appeal this NCAA witch hunt.
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 20th, 2011
5:39 pm
kingster, I don’t want to shoot you down since you’re being respectful. But the school colors of the Georgia Institute of Technology are White and Old Gold. Granted, gold and black would make sense for the yellow jacket iconography, but it was the fans wearing of yellow jackets to early football contests which garnered our fans the “Yellow Jacket” name (and the insect imagery followed) – not the other way around. All that to say: black is not a color associated with GT in any official capacity or in the common media/fan nomenclature. Our songs refer to us as the “White and Gold” typically, and so do most fans. Not that you have to conform, but there’s your info if you want to.
PerimeterCenterJacket
July 20th, 2011
5:40 pm
* the fans’ wearing of yellow clothing (including coats, hats and jackets)
Tubby
July 20th, 2011
5:48 pm
Tarrant will have an good to NFL career!!!! He can play S, CB & ST…the man is truly versatile & a big play waiting to happen. Good Luck Tarrant & Go Jackets!!!!!
Gen Sherman Jacket
July 20th, 2011
6:52 pm
Tarrant tried to win the NC State game with his pick six that he really had to make some good moves to score. With that play, he got the crowd back in the game but it didn’t help. NC State may have made a principled decision but I think they are crazy to release their QB. Whoever replaces him cannot be better.
I think our D will be much improved.
They did play very good in the bowl game and decent against Uga.
The schedule sets up nice if we are improved and play with a chip on our shoulders from the NCAA’s vindictive decision.
Stinger 2
July 20th, 2011
7:05 pm
Enter your comments here
alex
July 20th, 2011
7:20 pm
all i know is im glad to see “super” mario gone every play he gets beat makes a leap at the guy like that is good effort and boom touchdown
ACC Forever & FSU Rules
July 20th, 2011
7:28 pm
Funny headline but it should read GT has no talent in the secondary.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
7:34 pm
Ken suggested earlier that I email him. Does anybody know how? I don’t see any way to contact him, other than “Send Feedback” space at the bottom of this page, and that doesn’t go to him.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
7:45 pm
Never mind, I found the email address.
threetrone
July 20th, 2011
8:20 pm
I don’t appreciate my comment showing earlier this afternoon and not showing now this evening. Granted, my comment was a little long, but is that “against the law”? I don’t see how it could have been if it showed here as worthy of promulgation.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 20th, 2011
10:05 pm
threetrone, your comment didn’t appear again tonight, assuming it was the same you posted this afternoon, because it was blatantly racist.
Ken Sugiura
July 20th, 2011
11:16 pm
T3 – you are correct in that i drew a conclusion. frankly, it has little to do with the merits of tech’s case. it’s due to the fact that schools and individuals that have appealed their cases haven’t had much success. i’m going to guess the other schools felt like they got penalized excessively also, otherwise they wouldn’t have appealed, too, but only one out of 13 since the appeals rules were changed have succeeded. it doesn’t mean i think tech deserved the punishment, it just means that, given the rules they have to play by in the appeals procedure, it’s going to be difficult.
gen. sherman jacket – thanks.
threetrone – your comments were out of line.
Harvey @ Docs
July 21st, 2011
7:09 am
Ken, just keep on keeping on. I think you’re doing fine.
Yech is disgusting
July 21st, 2011
8:52 am
Yech has yet again brought shame and embarrassment to the fine state of Georgia. Second time in less than 10 years they are forced to vacate wins for cheating. Between their students making on campus bombs and stabbing each other with swords when is enough going to be enough to shut this institute of crime down?
Improvement imperative for Tech special teams | Georgia Tech
July 21st, 2011
9:40 am
[...] July 15 – Secondary [...]
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
10:52 am
Ken, why are all of my posts now being blocked? I have tried 3 times to reply to Yech, and none have been accepted?
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
10:54 am
@Yech is disgusting, you might want to clean out your own closet before posting all the mindless drivel you just posted.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
10:55 am
What do you have to say about professors who murder their wives in public and in front of their children?
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
10:56 am
What do you have to say about the antics of your adulerous former AD?
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
10:58 am
Or multiple Fulmer cups? Or tax-payer funded campus-trashing cleanups? Or arrested football players? Or top-ranked recruiting classes who do nothing? The list goes on and on, and all that in just the past 2 years. I don’t even need to go back to the Jan Kemp scandal and the Jim Harrick exams. Talk about embarrassing. Give me a break !!!
hahahha!!!!
July 21st, 2011
12:32 pm
Ih supersize, a simpleton’s mind is so cute!! Last I checked UGA hasnt needed liberal Atlanta judges to allow a rapist and a convicted FBI busted drug lord to play. And who can forget the 3 violent Tech trash thugs that put a young girl and her boyfriend in the hospital who were simply trying to enjoy an evening out at Rocky Mountain pizza in the late 80’s.
Thanks for the laughs as always, tool!
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
12:45 pm
Last I checked, the so-called rapist you mention was exonerated from all those charges; it didn’t take a federal judge to realize that nothing ever happened. It’s putzes like you who have no idea what lack of evidence means. I guess you still think the Duke LaCrosse team members are guilty too. I have no idea what you are talking about concerning a convicted “drug lord.” However, do you want to talk about all the DWI arrests of mutts over the past few years. And let’s not forget Hines Ward, even though he is no longer in school? What was he actually under the influence of? I don’t. I’m sure I could find other examples if I wanted to, but I have better things to do with my time. Suffice it to say, people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Each school has its share of players or former players who have not lived up to society’s expectations. So don’t go thinking THUGa is immune.
stanghead
July 21st, 2011
1:04 pm
Hahaha –
Great points. You humiliated the moronic supersize troll. The fact he has to compare driving infractions to three gutless thugs putting an innocent college girl in the hospital shows just how vile and cowardly the worst fan base in America truly is.
What a horrible excuse for a human being supersize is.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
1:14 pm
It never ceases to amaze me how when faced with FACTS about the sleaziness of the program, you redneck mutts always fire back with distortions, exaggerations, innuendos, and usually downright lies. Everything I mentioned in what I said earlier was documented FACT; you can read it in any newspaper anywhere. NOTHING you said was FACT; you merely took facts and twisted them to a version that apparently gives you some kind of pleasure. What a bunch of ignorant trailer-trash losers you are.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
1:14 pm
stanghead, tell me what “great points” he made. They were nothing but distortions of the actual truth.
Zac
July 21st, 2011
1:20 pm
Ignore Superdouche everyone. He is the laughing stock of this blog. He is 47 and lives with his mom. The FACT he compares college kids being kids to hospitalizing women just makes him even more revolting and scum. Pure tech trash.
Kerrle bend
July 21st, 2011
1:23 pm
A new day yet super size is still humilating himself. Sad
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
1:23 pm
Zac, how many other different names are you going to use to post the exact same thing? I still want to know what woman or women have been hospitalized. Nobody has answered that yet, and there is sure nothing on the ajc site about it.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
1:24 pm
I defy any of you redneck unemployed jerks to tell me anything I said which was incorrect.
Zac
July 21st, 2011
1:25 pm
Denying reality now are we? You are pathetic
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
1:29 pm
no, zac, you are the one denying reality and telling lies. If you have some know of some case where a woman or women were hospitalized because of a Tech player, then say so. If you are referring to Reuben Houston (or was it Jarrod Tarrant? I can’t remember), then that case was settled years ago; all charges were dropped because of lack of evidence. If you are referring to something else, then I don’t have a clue what you are talking about.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
1:33 pm
“have some know of some case” should have read either “know of some case” or “have some knowledge of some case.”
foggy
July 21st, 2011
1:40 pm
Idiot doesnt know the internet wasnt around in 80’s
Jagged Jacket
July 21st, 2011
1:48 pm
Yes, 3 of our players did commit that crime but it is accient history and occured decades ago
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
1:52 pm
Jagged Jacket, which 3 of our players committed that crime and when?
Jagged Jacket
July 21st, 2011
1:56 pm
Mike Mooney, Jim Lavin and Kevin Salisbury. 1989. Victim’s name was Lisa Steffee. Any real Tech fan remembers this since it was such a dark time.
Supersize that order, mutt
July 21st, 2011
2:13 pm
Well, Jagged, I have tried 3 times to respond to you, and each time has been blocked. I have no idea why. I’ll further edit my remark and try again