Five Tech freshmen who have impressed in practice
They will carry the banner for Georgia Tech in autumns to come. This year, most of Georgia Tech’s 2012 signing class carried out scout-team assignments to prep the first- and second-string Yellow Jackets.
A handful have made an impression on their teammates with their ability and promise. Four of Tech’s 17-member class played this season – wide receiver Anthony Autry, defensive lineman Adam Gotsis, punter Ryan Rodwell and defensive back D.J. White. Of the other 13, the following five redshirting freshmen were repeatedly identified by players and coaches for having stood out on the practice field.
- B-back David Sims described safety Lynn Griffin as “a physical specimen” who can hit with power and has speed. Sims holds the same hopes for Griffin that teammates have had for safety Fred Holton, another big hitter who has been out the past two seasons with injuries. Coach Paul Johnson said in November that, if not for an injury early on, Griffin (6-foot-0, 197 pounds) would have played this season.
Said quarterback Tevin Washington, “He’s going to be a real special player.”
Both starting safeties, Isaiah Johnson and Jemea Thomas, will return next season, although Thomas could return to corner. Holton and Griffin will be in the mix with Chris Milton, Demond Smith and Coray Carlson.
- Defensive end Patrick Gamble was named the defensive scout-team player of the year. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 262 pounds and probably heavier, he is expected to be able to play both inside and outside on the line. Quarterbacks and B-backs coach Brian Bohannon particularly noted Gamble’s attitude and effort.
“Pat sticks out more just because he’s strong, he’s quick,” A-back Orwin Smith said. “He flies around.”
Like all the freshmen, Gamble will begin his first full offseason in the strength and conditioning program and figures to add weight and strength. Smith said that if he and fellow freshman lineman Francis Kallon can develop a more tenacious style, “they can bring some damage to some teams.”
With nose tackle T.J. Barnes and end Izaan Cross graduating, spots will be open in the line rotation for Gamble, Kallon and others.
- Wide receiver Micheal Summers, one of three wide receivers signed in 2012, caught the attention of outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu.
“Mike, he has great hands, he can catch the ball really well,” he said. “I can’t wait till he starts playing.”
Summers (6-1, 190) and fellow freshman receivers Travin Henry and Autry, both rehabilitating knee injuries, should be ready to compete with Darren Waller and Jeremy Moore next season.
“He might not look like it, but Mike is an athlete,” Sims said.
- Center Freddie Burden, Summers’ teammate at Statesboro High, was the offensive scout-team player of the year.
“I don’t go against Freddie a lot, but he’s quick for his size,” Cross said. “He needs to get a little bit stronger, but he’s very quick for his size. Quick feet.”
Burden (6-3, 292), who figures to back up Jay Finch next season for Finch’s senior season, could have played this season, Attaochu said.
“He’s a competitor,” Attaochu said. “He’s pretty legit.”
- Quarterback Justin Thomas has split time with the second-string offense and the scout team. When he has run the scout offense, he has given the Tech defense trouble with his speed.
“I really don’t know who’s fastest (on the team),” Attaochu said, “but he’s pretty quick, elusive.”
Thomas (5-11, 169) has been impressing teammates since he arrived last summer, back when he stung receivers’ hands with zipped passes in seven-on-seven drills. He’ll compete with quarterback Vad Lee in the spring for the starting job.
“I actually think (Lee) and Justin are going to be fun, watching them in the spring next year,” Sims said, “because Justin is electric.”
In case you missed it…
Sun Bowl gifts include hair dryer (again)
Notes: Johnson, Barkley out for bowl
Some highlights, but special teams still lag
After forgettable season, Young can start fresh
Tech 2008 signing class delivers in classroom
USC’s Barkley reportedly unlikely to play
Notes: Successful career for Tech long snapper
Orwin Smith tries for strong finish
35 football players make dean’s list
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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138 comments Add your comment
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
5:22 pm
LOL @ GTJohn
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
5:30 pm
@supersize: my beef is not even with PJ, I like his bravado to go for it on our side of the 50, I truly hoped and prayed that he could get us relevent again, and I was more than ready for Chan to go,my biggest issue is that most Tech people, true tech people just seem to accept 7-5 6-6 8-4, with PJ when they wanted blood with Chan, someone said it a few post ago, the worst thing for us in hindsight was PJ winning in Athens in 2008, we were so ready for that, that now we for the most part are bllind to everything else, the level of talent is so bad, that we look for any thing to cling to.my beef is that Tech the powers that be, and for most of the loyal fans, of which I am one, just roll over year after year and do not demand something better, maybe if is because most of us have rich full lives, and are very busy, football to most Tech people is not be all end all like it is for uga ( that is about all they have anyway) but still we should not settle for average…….that is not the Georgia Tech I know, or should I say new………………………..
wrecked
December 29th, 2012
5:30 pm
@gt40pinhd, The answer to your question is 35, the number of teams that average more points than GT. Pretty bad since GT plays in the ACC Coastal. and 6 is a good number too thats the Number of teams that scored more than 15 points vs FSU. 0r 9 thats’ the number of teams that scored 10 or more points vs UGA, or 8 thats the number of teams that scored more than 17 points vs VT.
Paul in NH
December 29th, 2012
5:32 pm
CPJ will be coaching at GT in 2013. I expect that he will have a much better season in his 6th season at GT than Frank Beamer had in his 6th season at VT.
GTJohn
December 29th, 2012
5:38 pm
“new………………………..”
Really?
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
5:41 pm
@ fallen…..where you and I differ apparently is in our assessment of our talent level. I DO think we have talent out there, and generally speaking the offense proves their worth. But I think we have talent on defense too; it’s just that Groh couldn’t develop it and turn them into the players they COULD be. Hopefully, we will get a DC with the Tenuta tenacity and ingenuity, but one who, unlike Tenuta, can put up a sound defense every week and not just occasionally. That’s what all the Tenuta-lovers have forgotten: yes, his defense at times could be overwhelming, but they could altogether too often be incredibly underwhelming too. The UVA games come to mind, but there were others too (too many), when his defense didn’t bother to show up.
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
5:42 pm
I knew it when I thought it, I guess I get to fast, kinda like our defense………..
Paul in NH
December 29th, 2012
5:47 pm
Supersize
With all due respect, I have to disagree with you on GT’s talent level on D. The recruiting rankings may be similar as under Gailey, but they don’t have the playmakers on the DL that Gailey had. Michael Johnson, Vance Walker and Derrick Morgan were all far better than anyone who has come after them.
5150 UOAD
December 29th, 2012
5:48 pm
Johnson was initially an assistant football coach at Avery County High School in Newland, North Carolina[3] before starting his college career at Georgia Southern University in 1983, where he served as offensive coordinator for consecutive NCAA Division I-AA National Football Championships teams in 1985 and 1986.
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
5:53 pm
@supersize…. The talent level is where we differ, think back this year, or even last year, or even go back the last five years, when did we have one game where we could pressure the qb and sack him, without the blitz, and how many times during the same time frame have you seen their defense blow past our o line,. yea part of it may be coaching, but we are truly so out gunned, we do not see it. it is just very hard to accept that our small players are the same as Duke and Wake.. we used to be a big time program, with a lot of tradition, we are now Wake with some trick plays… we are so undersized, and slow, the tv guys were saying that the running backs should get their yards and just fall down before the uga players rip the ball out of their hands, it is hard to watch,…
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
5:56 pm
Paul…..what I am saying is that I think we have the potential in our current talent base, but the potential has never been developed. Yes, those players you mentioned were hosses, but they well may have turned out just as bad as our current players have if Groh had been their coach. Obviously, we can’t know one way or another, but I really believe a GOOD DC can build a good defense with what we currently have, and that in turn will attract better players for the future.
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
5:57 pm
but all is not lost, I may be letting the cat out of the bag, but the rumor is during the sun bowl monday, we will unvail new combat jerseys….. with pocket protectors on them, watch usc shake……
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
5:59 pm
@ fallen….I still believe a lot more can be accomplished with our current players on defense than has been done to date. It IS a matter of coaching. Now obviously, size does count for an awful lot, but look back to the Rhino boys and several others like them (and I’m not just talking about the special teams play). They were not big boys, but look what they did, and it wasn’t all done with just raw instinct; their coaches developed them.
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
6:02 pm
@paul and bay bay thomas, calvin johnson, and we could go on and on, this is my point, paul you just proved it, we can no longer get any of these type players, maybe vad lee, we will see chan got those every year, we do not even come close to that level of player, we cannot win even stay in the middle of the pack with what we now get……..
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
6:05 pm
@supersize so who is gonna coach up this group of coaches………
Paul in NH
December 29th, 2012
6:05 pm
I’d love to see GT go after Randy Shannon as DC. He can recruit, he knows the ACC and he was not tainted by scandal at the U. Unfortunately there are rumors that Jimbo Fisher wants him as DC and FSU can outpay GT.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
6:06 pm
@ fallen…..?????
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
6:07 pm
Paul…..I don’t know that he would do this, but if Taz Anderson wants a Randy Shannon or anybody else, then rest assured we have the money to get him.
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
6:18 pm
paul I hope you are correct, but I do not think that nick saban could get much more out of defense…we need players…. some one said it a while back PJ is in so far over his head, and sadly I agree, he does not know what he does not know…….2 and 3 star guys will continue to get you what we already have……
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
6:22 pm
supersize I heard someone on the wes call in show that said he heard Taz say that with Vad in three years we will be playing for the national title, so if that is case, I do not put a lot of stock in what Taz A. has to say, If I recall, Taz was one of the more vocal ones when Dave Braine said we should just be happy with an 8 win season………
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
6:22 pm
@ fallen….as has been pointed out on these blogs over and over, Chan had ONE good year recruiting, and overall, CPJ’s recruiting compares very favorably to what Chan did overall. Yes, Chan had one or two players from time to time who were highly regarded when they came to Tech and who lived up to those expectations. But on the whole, his recruiting was average at best.
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
6:23 pm
@ fallen…..I didn’t know that Taz agreed with what Braine said, but still, he has the money. If he wants something, he usually gets it.
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
6:35 pm
@supersize I may have not been clear, Taz was against what Braine said, very vocal, but my point is by his comment about vad lee this was after the tar heel game, when we hung 68 on them, that he said we would be in the title hunt in 3 years, which I think is laughable, but to the bigger point, he did not agree with what Braine said, but seems now to be drinking, dare I say swiimming in the PJ kool aid…………. and I beg to differ, Chan had to have more than one year to sign, the diessel, calvin, walker, johnson, burnett, bay bay,, and on and on., he was a bad coach, ask the bills, but he could get that kind of talent, we can not get that type of talent any more, this is my point……
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
6:49 pm
@ fallen…..ok. I misunderstood what you meant about Taz and Braine. I think his reaction to the UNC game might have been a little bit inflated, but I don’t disagree with his overall optimism. I just think you are seeing the cup half-empty as opposed to half-full, like I (and apparently Taz) do. My only real concern with Johnson’s teams so far has been with the defense. I mean, look at it objectively: with ANY KIND OF DEFENSE AT ALL this year, we could easily have been 9-3 for the season. I am convinced we would have beat VT, Miami, and probably Clemson. And I am sure the MTSU debacle would not have happened if we had been on a roll coming into the game. I won’t go so far as to say we would have beat the mutts, but I think we might well have beaten FSU, to go 10-3. As far as Chan’s recruiting goes, like I said he had scattered individual players who were terrific, but overall, he only had one solid recruiting year.
Highly Respected Southern Troll
December 29th, 2012
7:01 pm
The difference in the talent that Gailey and Johnson brought in was night-and-day. The entire defensive line that Johnson inherited in 2008 went to the NFL: Johnson, Walker, Richard, and Morgan. You also have Josh Nesbitt, Morgan Burnett, Cord Howard, Demaryius Thomas, Tashard Choice, and others – all Gailey players that went into the NFL. Johnson puts essentially noone in the pros. What, Anthony Allen and Stephen Hill? How many players from this year’s team? Maybe Smith, Attaochu, and Uzzi have outside chances and that’s probably it.
It’s silly that people even debate this subject anymore.
how far we have fallen
December 29th, 2012
7:01 pm
I hope all of you are right and I am wrong about PJ, HAVE A GREAT NEW YEAR…………
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
7:03 pm
@ fallen…..Happy New Year to you too. I leave early in the morning for El Paso. So IF we somehow find a defense and stop the Trojans, I’ll be looking for you online when I return. LOL
Flak Jacket
December 29th, 2012
7:14 pm
I can see some people are in the sauce and that`s alright with me because i`m right with you but it`s gonna take a lot more than a DC to turn this thing around come on.
Thomas, Godhigh, Uzzi share team honors | Georgia Tech
December 29th, 2012
9:06 pm
[...] Five freshmen who have impressed in practice [...]
GTfan2012
December 29th, 2012
10:05 pm
Highly Respected Southern Troll,
Your ignorance is showing. I will bet you $1000 today that there are at least five guys that played significant minutes on our roster in 2012 that will be on an NFL roster some time in the next 5 years. Would you take that bet? I totally agree that we do not have as much NFL talent today as we had on the team in 2008 or 2009. But we have a lot more than you think.
I’ve got another question about Chan Gailey. How many of his 2002 class were drafted to the NFL, What about 2003, what about 2005? How many of those four classes went to the NFL? I believe the total is 3. So in 3 of his 6 full recruiting classes, Chan Gailey had 3 guys drafted.
GTfan2012
December 29th, 2012
10:07 pm
that should say three classes not four in the second paragraph
Supersize that order, mutt
December 29th, 2012
10:08 pm
@ GTfan2012……good info there. I didn’t have those stats earlier
wrecked
December 29th, 2012
11:04 pm
Something you will never see from PJ recruited team.Year 5 Chan.No losing seasons.
Nov. 27, 2006
A first-team selection for the third straight year, wide receiver Calvin Johnson headlines the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team, which includes a total of 10 Yellow Jackets.
Johnson, punter Durant Brooks, defensive tackle Joe Anoai and safety Jamal Lewis were first-team all-ACC selections. ACC rushing leader Tashard Choice, linebacker Philip Wheeler and defensive end Adamm Oliver made second-team all-ACC, while linebacker KaMichael Hall, tackle Andrew Gardner and quarterback Reggie Ball earned honorable mention recognition.
Johnson, a junior from Tyrone, Ga., was the only unanimous selection on the all-ACC team. He becomes the fifth Yellow Jacket to be a three-time all-ACC selection but the first player in Georgia Tech history to earn first-team all-ACC honors three times.
Johnson has 59 receptions for 889 yards and ranks third in the nation with 13 touchdown catches.
Brooks, a junior from Macon, Ga., leads the ACC in punting average (45.2) while ranking second in the nation in net punting at 40.86.
Anoai, a senior from Pensacola, Fla., anchors a Tech defense that ranks 11th in the nation against the run. He has 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
Lewis, a junior from Jonesboro, Ga., is the third-leading tackler (65) on a Tech unit that stands eighth nationally in pass efficiency defense. He has three interceptions and 6.5 tackles for loss.
A junior from Riverdale, Ga., Choice was a second-team selection despite leading the league with an average of 100.3 yards per game. He also led in conference games only, averaging 100.1 yards against ACC foes.
Wheeler, a junior from Columbus, Ga., has 74 tackles while ranking among the ACC leaders in sacks (8) and tackles for loss (12.5), along with two fumble recoveries.
A junior from New Port Richey, Fla., Oliver is the Jackets’ fourth-leading tackler with 60, including 9.5 tackles for loss.
Gardner, a sophomore from Tyrone, Ga., is the Jackets’ top lineman, paving the way for Choice and an offense that averages 164.3 rushing yards per game, which is second in the ACC.
Hall is a senior from Houston, Texas, who leads Tech 75 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, four sacks, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
Ball, a senior from Stone Mountain, Ga., leads the ACC with 20 touchdown passes.
Gr8 2B aFuzzyB
December 30th, 2012
12:14 am
@ wrecked. I know we never really broke out under Chan but there’s no question the talent level was quite high in those years. He never got a top flight qb but it makes one wonder what could have been with Renfree under center in a Gailey led GT team. For now we’ll just have to watch and wonder which way the run is going on most every play.
Vett
December 30th, 2012
6:59 pm
Cheering for my school — let’s go tech!!!!
http://www.rcsoatl.com
GTBob
December 30th, 2012
7:28 pm
I cheer for my school until my Levis swell
Life as a Georgia Bulldawg
December 31st, 2012
12:37 am
I apologize to all the Techies for all the UGA trolls on your site. We have very little to pound our chest about, but we need to cling to something…
Our academics stink.
Our alumni base is predominantly blue collar.
The teams we have that consistently beat Tech in anything are our Football Team and our Women’s Basketball Team. The rest of our sports programs stink.
Our football team has gotten competitive in the last two years, but we didn’t play any of the toug teams from the SEC West.
But life is good for a UGA Troll.
Sorry GT fans… I hope you get your football program on track… Not sure CPJ is the guy to do it.
where have you gone pepper rodgers
December 31st, 2012
10:03 am
we are torn between two points of view, is it poor coaches, who cannot coach.. or is it a lack of real talent, (that must be there to compete on a big time stage ) And it seems to me that it is the lack of wow players for the most part, when Alabama was in their slump and they hired Saban, they still got beat by teams that should not be able to beat them. and that is with Saban and his high level asst. coachs that came with him. PLAYERS (REALPLAYERS MAKE PLAYS) heart and desire can only take you so far, you may be a 15 handicap and you hate tiger woods, but you still will never beat him in a head to head match, I do not care how bad you want it , or how good my caddie is, not gonna happen. and I feel that is where we are at, we are 15 handicap playing against a tour type player in UGA, if you think a new DC will help that much, well guys he will not, a good DC will only put you in the right position to make a play, players make plays a coach cannot stop a guy from not being strong or good or skilled enough to bring him down… so you try to out think them or confuse them, sometime it works but alas most of the time it will not. so it leaves us with the lack of real hard nose players, you can say the you will take a 3star with a big heart, vs. a 5 star, i get that pep talk crap, go watch rudy again until that thought passes. we do not have much talent on this team, talent that can make a difference, when was the last time you heard wes say about a Tech lineman or linebacker, folks they just can’t block him, it’s been a while, sadly guys they (whoever they are, they change from week to week, but they can always block us, they can always stop us, except for the blitz)
we have no real talent anymore, and please do not say we are not real fans, it takes a real fan, to pay to go grant field and watch this, it is easy to jump on a band wagon, it takes a real fan to even turn on the tv, to watch this, and after paying for season tickets for the chance to watch this we have all the right in the world to say what we think, and sadly for those of us who have had enough it pains me to say it, but it must be said, this is not working, and I see nothing to make me think it will….for what ever reason, CPJ has not ever, and will not be able to bring in the talent (players make plays)that will right this ship…he is in year 5, we went 6-7 with a full slate of the players that he wanted, these are the guys that he wanted, 20-19 last three years, against a very very weak ACC