ESPN: Tech is the second-worst at keeping in-state talent
Jonathan Dwyer: One of the exceptions who proves the rule. (AJC photo by Johnny Crawford)
One of the charms about ESPN is that the Worldwide Leader has enough correspondents to satisfy every viewpoint. Just yesterday, ESPN recruiting correspondent Jamie Newberg was lauding Georgia Tech for its success in finding prospects of lesser portfolio. But now comes LaRue Cook of ESPN the Magazine to serve as the bad cop.
Georgia Tech, Cook writes, is the nation’s second-worst program at attracting high-end in-state players. (Only Arizona keeps Tech from being No. 1.) Cook’s rationale: Over the past five years, the Jackets have landed only two of the 74 Georgia recruits ranked in ESPN’s top 150.
Wait. It gets worse.
Neither of the two — Jonathan Dwyer and Morgan Burnett — was landed by Paul Johnson and staff. Those two were signed by Chan Gailey, who last coached Tech in 2007. Only one Tech signee under Johnson, Cook writes, has cracked the ESPN 150, and that was Vad Lee of North Carolina.
More from Cook (link requires registration): “Over the last five years, Alabama and Auburn have combined for 10 blue-chip preps out of the Peach State, while Florida and Florida State have combined to sign nine.”
As has been noted a time or two in this space and others, Tech under Johnson hasn’t been shopping at the same ritzy store as do the big SEC programs — so we can’t say Cook’s findings are a shock. Still, there’s something about seeing the chilling number (2-for-74) that drives the point home. Thank goodness for Arizona, huh?
By Mark Bradley
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746 comments Add your comment
1 4 GT
January 31st, 2012
2:52 pm
Well, here we are reading and responding to a controversial topic written to attract “hits”, mine included, but I will only make this one, to attract more advertising dollars. My 2nd point. Part of the reason for supposedly poor in state recruiting, in my IMNTBHO, is the philosophy expressed by the previous HC & AD that GT would never again be a double digit per year win team in football and the fans and alumni should get over that expectation and except that fact as reality. Their reasoning was based on high academic requirements and the average HS player could not meet those requirements. You can trust that opposing recruiters are still using that statement against GT without telling the kids when or who made those statements. When we win consistently enough to overcome that perceived attitude, recruiting will improve. Success breeds success! My 3rd point is CPJ can recruit the better players. I recall reading an article about Johnathan Dwyer where he said he liked CPJ and he would have accepted his offer from the Naval Academy except for having to roll out of bed every morning for PT at 0500 hrs. So he accepted his 2nd choice of GT from CCG. My 4th point. A great number of you, including me for reading all this nonsense, need to get a more fulfilling life. Selah.
Nobis
January 31st, 2012
2:52 pm
Hell TEBOW made it to the NFL. It was the system? It was talent? It was character? An ex-Harvard QB was starting for Buffalo this year.
the tools are out
January 31st, 2012
2:54 pm
GT fan (or whatever handle you are now using) Richt owns Johnson and you are under selling the might of the SEC and over selling the suckfest that is the ACC. If GT played division 5-A high school football here in Georgia they would be lucky to win 10 games a year.
Im sure you will repeat your same lie under a new name any minute now. Good luck.
The Bear
January 31st, 2012
2:54 pm
I think the admissions standards have a lot to do with the ranking GT gets. That is a tough balancing act, getting a well above average player that makes well above average grades to come to a school isn’t easy. ESPN rankings and for that matter all the other ranking sources are B.S in my opinion. A lot of great players are never recognized because they had poor coaching at the High school level or just played on bad teams.
Roll Tide!
GT Lee
January 31st, 2012
2:54 pm
wow. Pansy….what an intellectual and insightful post…to quote George, Troll On….
PANSYTECHIESCHEDUAL
January 31st, 2012
2:55 pm
GT lee king of the DA CLUB
GT Lee
January 31st, 2012
2:57 pm
Oh boo hoo hoo…Pansy has resorted to personal attacks….I may cry now
Dawglasville
January 31st, 2012
2:57 pm
GTBob – I never said that Tech only recruits dumb basketball players. I don’t know all of the young men Tech has recruited. I’m not qualified to make that statement. What I suggested was that the Institute brought in a lot of one and dones to keep basketball in the spotlight all year long. Hope sells in a big way. I believe that in some cases the athlete was far more important than the student. Were Tech and Cremmins any different than most major universities? No. Look how many tailbacks are the next best thing at UGA? Hope sells big. Richt took a big chance with Crowell. I think he was nervous about his job and the jobs of his staff. If his job wasn’t on the line, I believe he passes on IC. It sure quiets the rumblings when you have the #1 tailback in the nation coming in.
Shut in's are us
January 31st, 2012
2:58 pm
Hey friendless old Tech trolls. Why dont you go outside of your mom’s house for a minute and get some fresh air. We all know you havent left her house in weeks.
Brookhaven Dawg
January 31st, 2012
2:59 pm
No 17 year old kid wants to go where the main apparel sponsor is Russell Athletic? If you don’t think the Under Armour, Nike (especially Pro Combat) makes a difference to a 17 year old kid then you have your head in the sand.
GT Lee
January 31st, 2012
3:03 pm
Wow, Brookhaven…I didn’t realize that kids only go to school to get swag from Nike and UA
flagboy?
January 31st, 2012
3:04 pm
DieHardJacket
January 31st, 2012
2:19 pm
Everyone knows the ACC is better than the SEC. From top to bottom the ACC is stronger than the SEC, aka ESPN’s cashcow.
_____________________________
laughable.
Tech86
January 31st, 2012
3:07 pm
It is about academics and the “quantity” of majors. Tech has Engineering (many sub majors there) and Business Administration (sub majors there) , some other Technology majors etc, maybe 25 to 30 total. At all the other “major” schools in the south, you can get an education degree to be a teacher, you can get a general studies degree to do whatever, etc. We do not have the breadth of majors that many of the top kids want to study. Look at their profiles, what are they interested in? Under some of these kids as freshman their major is “Undecided”, which means they are taking the core classes and have no clue what they want to do. Tech SA’s go into the engineering or managment programs taking classes toward that degree from the get go. I can remember watching schools like Nebraska on TV years ago, and the Juniors on the team would have majors as undecided, give me a break. Rather than assume a kid is going to play on Sunday’s let’s ask them what happens if they blow out their knee, what will they do then? I am no fan of the Dawgs, but that Trinton Sturdivanyt guy had 3 or 4 knee surgeries and could have played on Sundays, but it didn’t work out, now he has a degree in finance from UGa and probably a job. For as many 5 star kids who make it on Sunday, there’s probably the same just getting by who did not make it and our working for 10/hr. These young people need to use this scholarship for life.
Footballfan
January 31st, 2012
3:07 pm
True story regarding recruiting. Few years ago Ga Southern recruited a kid in Florida that was rivals ***. He committed to GSU and dropped to **. On signing day he changed his mind and signed with Boston College and suddenly became a three star recruit on rivals again.
coachx
January 31st, 2012
3:09 pm
Everybody told Tech fans that this would happen with CPJ. He is fine coach but a poor recruiter. Of course his 1950’s offense is to blame for why they cannot recruit any position on offense well other then RB.
TECH OL never get enough practice and / or game tape of them pass blocking which is bad for their NFL prospects. Their WRs and TEs run block 90 % of the time. Their QBs are closer to RBs the QBs.
Then there is the academic delima. I wonder how many top 150 recruits even quailfy for acceptance into Tech ? I bet its 25 or less of the top 150 recruits have the grades to be a Yellow Jacket.
Brookhaven Dawg
January 31st, 2012
3:11 pm
Sign of the times there GT Lee
coachx
January 31st, 2012
3:11 pm
Good points Tech86……………this coming from a Dawg.
CrαZy
January 31st, 2012
3:14 pm
I think we do pretty good with what we get.
GTBob
January 31st, 2012
3:16 pm
Everybody told Tech fans that this would happen with CPJ. He is fine coach but a poor recruiter.
And we said, great, we can’t recruit anyways so we will take a great coach.
billyBobjacket
January 31st, 2012
3:17 pm
When I was there, some of the football players had about the same academic qualifications and abilities as the rest of us, but not many of them were the guys that actually played, barring a kicker or OL here and there.
BiggDawgK
January 31st, 2012
3:18 pm
No wonder the trade school kids are always hanging out on Georgia blogs. It’s the only way they get to discuss any in state kids with talent or any in state kids or any talent at all for that matter. I wonder if cpj still gets to keep his genius title the bug boys love to toss around after he was outsmarted by that high school kid last weekend?
The kid went to another school for a visit, got cpj to admit tech didn’t withdraw his scholarship despite his repeated boasts that he would do so and then the kid commits elsewhere anyway. LOL That was very well played.
@Tech86
January 31st, 2012
3:19 pm
Too bad the thugs from North Ave. are dead last in graduating their football and basketball players in the ACC. Try again.
Nobis
January 31st, 2012
3:22 pm
@@Tech86………you still don’t get it and you are too stupid to ever get it. There are reason GT has a low graduation rate. Please read and educate yourself.
@GT Lee
January 31st, 2012
3:23 pm
Then clearly you know nothing about today’s destructive hip-hop culture that most of these kids try and emulate. Why do you think Tech embraces Atlanta rappers and allows them to perform halftime shows? Because they are alumni? Please.
BiggDawgK
January 31st, 2012
3:24 pm
gtbob
You answered my question. Y’all are still under the delusion cpj is a great coach.
@Nobis
January 31st, 2012
3:24 pm
Because they do not graduate. NEXT!!!
billyBobjacket
January 31st, 2012
3:25 pm
Wow, I hope that picture of CPJ calling timeout (on the header rotation on the main sports page link to this article) is not the one from just before the missed UGA field goal! That kicker had the yips so bad that he needed two tries to make every kick, and we gave it to him!
BiggDawgK
January 31st, 2012
3:30 pm
Nobis
The trade school is preparing jocks for a future because they have “tougher” degrees but they don’t actually graduate many of the jocks so they don’t get the degrees but becuae they are “tougher” is why they don’t graduate so what is your point again?
Is your point that the trade school fails in both getting quality players and graduating jocks? If that is your schools goal then kudos.
The Grinch
January 31st, 2012
3:34 pm
What a lousy article. We don’t even know tech’s final recruiting class and this appears. Why the AJC enjoys bashing the local colleges is beyond me.
Here’s my take on things.
1. Public education in Georgia ranks near the bottom of the country.
2. Tech football players have higher SATs than many colleges which could affect the decision of some home grown players.
3. Tech has a more limited base of majors to offer which, again, can slightly limit the recruiting pool a little bit.
4. Tech’s offensive scheme seems to hamper the ability to land many of the best offensive recruits.
Just my 2-cents worth.
GTBob
January 31st, 2012
3:34 pm
You answered my question. Y’all are still under the delusion cpj is a great coach.
I don’t know if he is quite to the great coach level but he has done a pretty good job at Tech. One thing is for sure, he is a much better coach then Richt.
wrecked
January 31st, 2012
3:35 pm
But who knew Pj would be below average coach and not be able to recruit?Before saying Chan couldn’t recruit and Pj has the same ranking or better, take a look at the talent Gailey recruited and developed, much better than what PJ has done.The talent level is down.#57 and if Tomlinson doesn’t sign falling.PJs inexperience coaching at the BCS level shows the man is in over his head.
THE DUDE
January 31st, 2012
3:38 pm
who wants to go to a concrete college, and have to put up with pj. for what.
wreckbone
January 31st, 2012
3:39 pm
This is news? What a joke. YOu know how many 5 star recruits Tech has gotten ever? 0. And still we compete pretty well for the most part. Ga has won more than I like but this was the first year it really wasn’t a game since the thrashing of Gailey at UGA that year.
And that’s with what 2-4 5 stars EVERY year vs none ever!
ESPN hates my school except for Thursday night games. Even in movies we are the bad guy (see Rudy and The Program)
We’ll see if we get a 5 star tomorrow I think. It sure would be nice to be part of the club. then people could stop talking smack that Johnson can’t recruit.
RedandBlackDAWG
January 31st, 2012
3:40 pm
GT Fan,
My point being is that Tech. would probably have struggled against the teams UGA did beat. There is just no way you can compare techs. schedule in the ACC against, UGA’s schedule in the SEC. Do you believe you would have beat Auburn 45-7, with your defense?
Nobis
January 31st, 2012
3:41 pm
biggdWagk…….a typical Tech student graduates in a little over 5 years. TECH is a difficult school for smart kids that don’t play sports. tech doesn’t have a bunch of Dumbed Down Degrees for athletes. A TECH diploma is respected because people know how much hard work goes into getting one. TECH actually graduates athletes close to the rates regular students. TECHs GOAL is to not let unprepared people walk away with a GIT Diploma even if they can Hit, Carry, or Dunk a ball. The problem is the rest of the Institutions of Higher Learning have Dumbed Down for the God of football money.
George Stein
January 31st, 2012
3:42 pm
Not trying to be flippant, RedandBlackDAWG, but does the margin of victory matter?
ugakev
January 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
GT Bob, Wow really????Really? Really? Please remind CPJ if he is so much better than Richt , he should atleast start beating him atleast a few times a decade.
GTBob
January 31st, 2012
3:45 pm
Do you believe you would have beat Auburn 45-7, with your defense?
We wouldn’t have beaten them that bad but we probably would have beaten them by at least two touchdowns. UGA’s schedule this year and last year is probably weaker then the typical ACC schedule.
DawginTX
January 31st, 2012
3:46 pm
@the Grinch, you are not really at a big disadvantage from an admission standpoint. I have seen you get in kids with a 2.5 and 800 SAT. You do have a point with the majors issue. As a technical school, you are not going to have the liberal arts, home ec stuff to choose from that even better schools such as Stanford and Duke do. Continuing with your list:
5. Only about 30% girls and 25% of them didn’t grow up with the Roman alphabet.
6. You are a clear second fiddle in your local market. That’s not a shot, but Georgia football gets a LOT more media attention.
Goldenrod
January 31st, 2012
3:46 pm
I blame Coach Paul Johnson. Can’t win a bowl game to save his life and also has only beaten UGag one time.
Getting sick & tired of this “Perfect Option” offense!
GTBob
January 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
ugakev, if CPJ and Richt swapped positions next year then who would win the UGA/GT game? UGA would win by a least three touchdowns.
RedandBlackDAWG
January 31st, 2012
3:47 pm
GT Fan,
I guess by your last statement, the truth really hurts. I cam on here just to read what the article was all about and your fellow fans like GT 14, started bad mouthing UGA. Trust me my friend, I can put my academic record against yours now, in math and physics. No I didn’t go to UGA, since I was in the military enjoying my time in wonderful S E Asia, and I stayed in for 21 years, because I enjoyed it.
Now I know you think, if you got your degree from Tech. that you are so much smarter than anyone else, but that is just as false as some of the other things you have said about me and other fans of UGA. Enjoy your day and tomorrow as well. UGA most likely will.
GO DAWGS and GATA
George Stein
January 31st, 2012
3:48 pm
Which students got in with a 2.5 and an 800 SAT?
@gtbob
January 31st, 2012
3:51 pm
Compare PJ to mark Richt when, he leads a BCS level program to multiple top 10 and top 5 Finishes.
Wins 2 BCS bowls (or in PJs case any bowl win), leads his team to Multiple SEC east and SEC conference Championships, coaches a Heisman trophy winner , has a top recruiting class. Has 8 ,10 wins seasons playing in the Nations best conference.Or beats his in state rival 10 of 11 times.
Coach Turkeyneck FAIL
January 31st, 2012
3:52 pm
Goldenrod,
I WISH we knew the answer as to why GT cannot win a bowl game. I had the same discussion with a few season ticket holders, and most feel the reason being that once teams are given ample time to shut down the perfect option, they do so.
The gimmicky offense has shown it does not work against the elite teams in NCAAF.
Tired of This
January 31st, 2012
3:52 pm
The anti-Tech bias from the AJC is getting old. Okay, so CPJ doesn’t exactly embrace the press. He’s not the warmest, fuzziest guy in an interview. So, these thinly-veiled revenge pieces pass for news? I don’t think so. Grow up, AJC. We get it– your hack jobs on Tech happen because you control the ink. Please, just report the news and stop trying so hard to manufacture it. Tell us what is, but don’t spin so much and try to make speculation or conjecture into a story. The man is winning football games at a school with obvious recruiting disadvantages. Be fair!
Fuzzybee
January 31st, 2012
3:53 pm
Wow … the truth hurts. Another sad statistic for GT. I wonder: Will it ever change? Not with the current leadership.
George Stein
January 31st, 2012
3:54 pm
Is UGA considered elite, Coach Turkeyneck? Because that gimmicky offense averages 30 a game against them.
BiggDawgK
January 31st, 2012
3:54 pm
nobis
That is great but you might be surprised to learn this a SPORTS blog. Most of us are here to talk about SPORTS. I know very few trade school fans actually went to the trade school much less graduated but surely you can comprehend why your “logic” is faulty here.
gt4ever
January 31st, 2012
3:54 pm
I knew several football players George…..