Yellow Jackets land QB-in-making in Airyn Willis
Georgia Tech received a commitment on Saturday from a player who might be its quarterback of the future.
Airyn Willis, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound athlete from High Point, N.C., confirmed that he committed while attending the T-Day spring game Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. He had hinted this past week that Tech was his “clear leader” and he may be close to pulling the trigger.
“Oh yeah, I’ve always loved Georgia Tech since I was little,” Willis said. “I knew I was going to commit to them. I was going to wait and maybe go look some other places. But I didn’t think that would be fair to be going around when I knew Tech was where I wanted to be. My dad said, ‘Tech has everything you want. What are you waiting for?’ And he was right.”
The Yellow Jackets’ recruitment of Willis is particularly interesting considering they recruited him as a quarterback even though he isn’t one. He played running back, wide receiver and defensive back as a junior at Southwest Guilford last season. He rushed 113 times for 681 yards and 11 touchdowns in five games as running back, had 36 receptions for 581 yards and five touchdowns and recorded three interceptions. He reportedly runs a 4.42-second 40-yard dash.
But Willis played quarterback as a sophomore and he will return to the position as a senior. And as good fortune would have it, Southwest Guilford is converting from a power-I to a spread option next season.
“Last year I didn’t play quarterback; that’s why everybody was recruiting me as an athlete,” Willis said. “But I’m playing quarterback this year and we’re going to run a lot of option so it should help me get ready.”
Quarterback Josh Nesbitt will graduate after next seasons. Tech signed quarterback Synjyn Days of Hillgrove in the last class and returns sophomore Tevin Washington and freshmen Jordan Luallen and David Sims.
Willis chose the Jackets over West Virginia, Wake Forest, N.C. State, Wisconsin and East Carolina. He was committed to East Carolina before Skip Holtz left for South Florida.
Willis is the Jackets’ fifth commitment for the Class of 2011.
TECH’S 2011 COMMITMENTS:
- OL Trey Braun, 6-5, 270, Tallahassee, Fla. (Leon)
- OL Bryan Chamberlain, 6-4, 280, Albany (Monroe)
- LB Chaz Cheeks, 6-3, 220, Gainesville (East Hall)
- RB Quartterrio Morgan, 5-10, 180, Jonesboro (Mt Zion)
- QB Airyn Willis, 6-2, 175, High Point, N.C. (Southwest Guilford)
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135 comments Add your comment
Joe Schmoe
April 25th, 2010
7:12 am
First, welcome to the Jacket Family. Best of luck to you.
Gator FAN
April 25th, 2010
7:26 am
Excellent Coach – Great School – Congrats – get your education!!!!!!
Flo-Ri-Duh!
April 25th, 2010
7:28 am
Just great…. another running back that we are trying to convert in to a real QB…. and another thing – does he know that we don’t we don’t have any wide receivers in our offense either?
GT man
April 25th, 2010
7:57 am
Recruits him as a QB, yet he’s not a QB and didnt throw a pass last season–what a waste of a schlorship.
wiley
April 25th, 2010
8:15 am
Great pickup, whether he plays at A back, Wide Receiver, or Quarter Back. Welcome to the flats and good luck during your senior year!
Midtown Dawg
April 25th, 2010
8:29 am
Airyn who?
AJC -- Freedom of the press
April 25th, 2010
8:31 am
The AJC puts the freedom of the press back into journalism. LOL
SEC Fan
April 25th, 2010
8:32 am
What? 2 of the 5 GT recruits are from outside Georgia? So 40% are from ‘out of state”. Aren’t Georgia kids good enough for GT? That seems to be the suggestion whenever UGA gets a kid from outside Ga.. UGA has 6 recruits so far this year and all are from Ga.. So where is the criticism of GT?
Score Check
April 25th, 2010
8:32 am
Who cares?
GT Alum
April 25th, 2010
8:54 am
SEC Fan, Airyn Willis is from North Carolina and was recruited by our new Recruiting Coordinator who was with NC State the past 3 years. Sometimes you have to think about who the coaches know and what they are familiar with more than just Georgia Tech or UGA are in the state of Georgia so obviously that is their turf. If you pay attention to the players during recruitment you will see almost every recruit lists in his priorities the Coaches and the relationship with them. Well you don’t hire only coaches born and bread in your state… Just my thoughts on it.
GT Alum
April 25th, 2010
8:55 am
bred*, oops
dagnabit
April 25th, 2010
9:13 am
He’s got the build of a qb or a wide receiver. Time will tell.
Gator in the Hootch
April 25th, 2010
9:32 am
Paul Johnson is a winner and he recruits winners…team players who are willing to play any position adn do what is best for the team…someting Georgia players and Georgia fans know little about.
ATL XMAN
April 25th, 2010
9:32 am
is that now 3 converted running backs recruited to play qb for tech? man the PJ ship is sinking and sinking fast.
ATL XMAN
April 25th, 2010
9:37 am
gator in the hooch..the jury is still out on if PJ is a winner or not in div 1a football. he has had Chan’s NFL players running that high school offense. lets see how PJ coaches when he has guys running his offense that should be playing for GA southern oe East tenn st…when the top recruits at running back see that the leading rusher in the acc was drafted late 6 rd, they will avoid his team like the flu.
ATL XMAN
April 25th, 2010
9:38 am
UGA knows how to coach plays into the NFL and thats what most of these recruits care about. making a nice living playing the sport they love and getting paid.
jadams
April 25th, 2010
10:04 am
ATL XMAN
Your an idiot just like your brotherin Shane on the other blog. PJ won at Navy. Last time i checked Navy was 1A and wasnt supposed to go to bowl games. You get 25 4 stars every year and still suck. Should have had at least 2 championships by now but, You dont1
AA
April 25th, 2010
10:16 am
Atl XMAN-
Richt won his first SEC title with Donnans players so what are you even talking about? UGA is the most overrated program in college football history. UGA underachieves every year. What’s great about recruiting in the top 5 every year if your not gonna finish in the top 5? Sounds like a coaching problem to me. PJ coaches his players up, Richt must coach his down. You must know nothing about college football. Go back to 1980 and play with your herschel walker doll.
THWG !!!
SickandTired
April 25th, 2010
10:18 am
Hey X Baby…..the jury is in on Paul Johnson…and it says he’s guilty of being a football coach that coaches football players. He doesn’t coach stars by the name of recruits…by oh yes Mark Richt doesn’t have to coach them does he…that’s pretty obvious because if he could coach them, they’d be knocking out walls in the Butts-Mehre not to make nice offices for Marky Mark Mark, but to house the crystal footballs. Always a top recuiting class but in the last four years wanna know what Georgia’s record in the SEC East is Baby X? Try on 10-10 for size how you likin that over in Athens…but oh hey Baby X he’s a reallllllly nice guy………Mark Richt, shoulda won a National Championship in ‘02…not so much since.
Georgia: The Wisconsin of the SEC
Georgia deserves better.
BEEFENSE
April 25th, 2010
10:36 am
Rev MR runs an outreach program at UGAG (trying to turn outlaws into f’ball players–and NOT doing a good job at it). UGAG is on the downhill slide and bringing up the REAR (as in BUTT sniffing)–X marks the SPOT (X MAN) . There’s a new sheriff in town and his name is Paul Johnson—get used to it.
GT
April 25th, 2010
10:38 am
Glad to have you Airyn! Best of luck in your senior season!
C Paul Johnson
April 25th, 2010
10:40 am
He was the only choice. He can’t throw the ball, but at least he isn’t that stupid…
GT65
April 25th, 2010
10:41 am
Welcome Airyn to the GT Family. Looking forward to watching you play and win under Coach Johnson’s leadership.
.
April 25th, 2010
10:44 am
10:38 & 10:40 are UGA fans that can’t stand it. But we love U anyway.
C Paul Johnson
April 25th, 2010
10:50 am
By the way, to the student body at our school, QUIT ROBBING AND MUGGING PEOPLE!!!!
Jacket Backer
April 25th, 2010
10:53 am
welcome airyn……can’t wait to see you on the flats!!
Go Jackets!!!!
Deena
April 25th, 2010
10:54 am
It’s gratifying that he chose a school with superb academics and where he’ll be held accountable for his actions. Welcome to Tech!
I’m so happy he didn’t take a party school like THUGA and waste his life.
Gerald
April 25th, 2010
10:55 am
Georgia Tech IS recruiting a lot of QBs. Now that isn’t much of a problem, because for a lot of high schools the QB is the best athlete on the team, and they often wind up playing LB, DB, RB and WR on the next level. The problem comes when GT recruits QBs who aren’t athletic enough to play another position (Jaybo Shaw) and when GT doesn’t move guys who aren’t going to be a factor at QB to other places on the depth chart fast enough, which will be the case with either Tevin Washington and Jordan Luallen. GT simply can’t keep taking 3 QBs in every class.
Gerald
April 25th, 2010
11:01 am
ATL XMAN:
UGA knows how to coach players into the NFL? That’s rich. Out of all those 4 and 5 star recruits, UGA’s first draft pick this year was some compensatory selection at the bottom of the 3rd round with a lot of experts saying THAT was too high.
Another thing: ESPN said that UGA had 10 first round draft picks this decade. What does UGA have to show for it? Two SEC titles, both of them in down years for the SEC, and Sugar Bowl wins over mighty Hawai’i and a 9-5 FSU team missing their starting QB. UGA isn’t getting bang for their buck, and switching to a 3-4 defense so that your 280 lb. DTs and your 215 lb. LBs (seriously, Saban’s DEs are bigger than you DTs, and his safeties are bigger than your LBs) can get swallowed up by SEC offensive lines isn’t going to change things.
ACC sucks
April 25th, 2010
11:16 am
Congrats……Another 2 star…U guys r on a roll..lol
brucemac
April 25th, 2010
11:16 am
He was so impressed with the huge TDay crowd he had to just go ahead and commit. Lets see, he is not a quarterback but that is what he will play at GT. What is CPJ’s next recruit coup, a safety that played D tackle in HS. You can’t make this stuff up. Too too funny.
Alabama Jack
April 25th, 2010
11:23 am
Gross ignorance?
144 dawgs walking out of Sanford stadium early because UGA is losing, again.
SickandTired
April 25th, 2010
11:23 am
You people a so funny….you dawg heads I mean….make fun, look down you nose….10-10 record but that’s no Tech,,,,that’s UGA record the last four years in the SEC East ….that’s right even up. But as Crystal Football are being won all around the Dawg Nation’s heads in LSU, Florida and now Alabama you still,. you still wanna talk about what a great job ole Marky Mark Mark has done. He’s a joke of a coach and you just won’t admit it. He’s a warm blanket to keep you away from the Goff years, that’s all he is…he’s not serious about winning championships down there in AThens, he’s just serious about getting a raise every year and convincing the DAwg Nation he’s doing a splendid job….I guess in light of all the arrests, he is.
Georgia: The Wisconsin of the SEC
Georgia deserves better.
1eyedJack
April 25th, 2010
11:27 am
“I don’t think nobody is coming to college to be a backup,” Washington said Saturday. “Everybody is pushing to be a starter.”
What command of the English language!!!
ACC sucks
April 25th, 2010
11:29 am
What is CMR record against yuck? I can’t find it anywhere. Do have it handy Gerald
brucemac
April 25th, 2010
11:31 am
S and T do you stutter or just like to repeat yourself. You are not covering any new ground anyway. All you idiot Yechsters have the same ignorant rant. Too funny. Get some new material, at least Stinger has some original material on occassion.
ACC sucks
April 25th, 2010
11:34 am
Didnt intend to throw in weak non-confrence teams but you keep bashing our SEC record so i had to put somthing out that we could feel good about!
John Johnson, Jr.
April 25th, 2010
11:39 am
What is being done to protect GT students from muggings?
I hear a lot of our fans calling UGA players ‘thugs’ but seriously, ATL is the thuggiest city in the country. We need more police patrolling campus. And how about a little investment in the neighborhood?
Americus Jacket
April 25th, 2010
11:48 am
One of the reasons I heard Johnson would be successful is that players who would thrive in his offense are not the same players that others are trying to get. I remember the joke about Dooley: He could turn any 5-star HS QB into a All-SEC defensive back.
The same might be true for the defense now — at least the front 7 with the 3-4 defense. (Yes, I know UGA runs it too.) And I think of Dwyer (UGA’s 4th choice as RB recruit) and Bey Bey (maybe not even recruited a UGA) as prime examples that Tech has to recruit “smarter” than UGA. Although I always think we have the chance to win the big game each year, there is NO WAY we will out-recruit UGA on number of stars our recruits have.
What I do believe is that Paul Johnson knows what he’s doing, he has put a swagger into the team that I like that focuses on confidence and not poor sportsmanship, and that he is recruiting players that can play within his system instead of just going after recruits that some internet “guru” has deemed a “can’t miss.”
I remember my dad taking me and one of my friends to a football game in the 70’s between the Falcons and the 49ers. After the 49ers beat us, my friend bought a 49ers pennant on the way out of the game. Yes, he was a dog fan.
We Tech fans understand that we are not going to put the resources into Football that UGA does. Most of our biggest donors actually put little in Athletics but support the Academic fund with millions, and we are proud of that. If Tech won 3 games or less a year, and yes it has happened, I would still be a Tech fan and proud of it. But I admit it’s really neat when we can put out some teams that compete on an unlevel playing field in recruiting to win games against teams with much more touted recruits. I’ve developed a chip on my shoulder just like Paul Johnson: If a UGA fan talks trash, I’m going to hit him in the mouth. (OK, figuratively not litterally.)
GT Fan...
April 25th, 2010
12:26 pm
To the idiot who said the jury is still out on Paul Johnson as a good head coach …… 62-10 (Ga Southern), 45-29 — 2-10 1st season, 43-19 next 5 (Navy), and 20-7 (GT currently). I’d say those records indicate that he’s a pretty good coach.
But according to said idiot WINS just seem to luckily find their way to PJ b/c “the jury is still out whether he can coach”.
“He won with Gailey’s recruits” YES coach PJ won with CG’s recruits – and he won MORE with them than did CG — you dumb-arses that keep spouting that! I can’t wait to hear your excuses when PJ continues to win with “his recruits”.
steeler
April 25th, 2010
12:31 pm
Hey “HOW ABOUT ANOTHER …”., i guess you didn’t read the Steelers’ RB coach’s comments after drafting Dwyer? Said Dwyer is basically starting over learning how to be a true RB, and that lots of required skills he needs he didn’t do at tech, like pass blocking, reading blocks, pass catching, etc. Not my words, his new coach’s.
GT Fan
April 25th, 2010
12:36 pm
I will agree…Paul Hewitt is a disgrace to GT !
collegeballfan
April 25th, 2010
12:41 pm
Nice stats at RB, WR and DB. Appears to be excellent athletic.
Recruited as….., means that you get a few days there and if you don’t measure up you are at another position. Or you may get a whole season, and if you don’t measure up you get a new position, see Richard Samuel at UGA.
kb
April 25th, 2010
1:13 pm
Paul Johnson most over rated coach in America, his success comes in the B-leagues, the Acc has been pathetic since Johnson came to Tech. He was out coached by Willie Martinez.Gets pasted in every big game outside of conference except the fluke win over UGA in 2008.
GT
April 25th, 2010
1:17 pm
How do we get all this negativity on Tech? This sounds like Dawg talk, we love our Jackets and obviously Airyn Willis who had some pretty nice looking schools after his services, did too. Use to be no one bothered writing bad stuff about us, now we have become competition we are the targets. We use to bad mouth Georgia all the time, now we actually love our neighbors to the rural north.
Dave In Tampa
April 25th, 2010
1:27 pm
Congrats GT. This recruit seems to be a very good fit for your offense. Very versatile. Good addition.
Guys, we can’t say that CPJ is overrated. Even as a Dawg fan I see that he has won 1 ACC Championship and that was in his second year. Yes, in Football, the ACC is not the SEC strenth wise, but a League Championship is a league Championship no matter what league. 1st GT coach to do that in awhile. I like to see GT recruit well. As long as it is not one of the recruits get.
Mr Me
April 25th, 2010
1:28 pm
Its pretty funny how the AJC puts Ga Tech recruiting under the UGA news category and Dawgs recruiting under Tech category. Seems to me they are trying to stir up bloggers, but it really doesn’t matter because you’ll always have idiots from both sides making ignorant comments on the other side’s blog.
ugaaccountant
April 25th, 2010
1:36 pm
If he winds up playing RB or WR, good for you guys. But a QB that wasn’t a QB in high school? The saying is if you can play QB in HS you can be converted elsewhere. It doesn’t work the other way around.
HugoStiglitz
April 25th, 2010
1:54 pm
One day maybe UGA fans will finally figure out that GT is not going to recruit the same type of players that UGA and most other teams do. Its really not rocket science. A guy like Aaron Murray would be completely useless on our team. Thats why we would never go after a guy like that.
BrittanyBuzz
April 25th, 2010
2:00 pm
XMAN, East Tn State doesn’t play football you dork. Welcome Airyn!
GT3O
April 25th, 2010
2:05 pm
Most of you guys don’t realize just how good a recruit we landed.
You GT fans who are complaining about how we recruit for QB need to get a grip. WE ARE NOT A PRO SYSTEM. We are not going to get 5 star “look at me, Scout says I am awesome” QB’s.
Paul Johnson has been recruiting for his system for 28+ years now. He knows what he is doing. So far now, enjoy the new recruit and leave your arm chair coaching in your head.
He is an excellent recruit, I would know because I am on the inside. You should be excited. He’ll likely play A-back anyways, NOT QB.
UGA owns you tasty bees..
April 25th, 2010
2:12 pm
You idiots. The reason he can recruit RB to play QB is b/c they lack a decent passing game. Hell, they lack a MEDIOCRE passing game, so what expectations at the GT school of muggings will he not live up to? You’re program is second rate, and things like this, and the fact that your backup offense (no nesbitt, and others) put up almost thirty points against your first string defense in one half of football shows this. What a joke by the coke. And if history is any judge, you won’t beat big brother until 7 or eight more years. Here’s one for you—-> How many CONVICTED TERRORISTS has your school graduated in the last 5- 10 years? The number is astounding… What a bunch of losers
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
2:15 pm
Georgia and Georgia Tech are both 1-1 head to head in the CMR/CPJ common era.
CONFEDERATE DAWG
April 25th, 2010
2:16 pm
1. I REALLY ONLY CARE THAT WE BEAT THE GAYTORS.
2. I THINK ITS PRETTY CRAZY THE KIDS NAME IS ARYAN?
2. HOW BOUT THEM DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony
April 25th, 2010
2:19 pm
To the Professors at uga, Quit KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE. If I had a student thinking of going to athens I would worry when another professor would go off and start killing students. Then not man up to take the punishment and kill himself.
UGA owns you tasty bees..
April 25th, 2010
2:21 pm
I would *LOVE* if our teams were undefeated every year when we meet in Nov., b/c that would make it an EPIC matchup, but reality sets in, and we will always have FL on our schedule, who gives us fits, and you always have Dukey and Weak forest ( who suredly will give you trouble year after year) so the likelihood of that occurring is slim to none. Last year for GT was like 07 for UGA. TONS of talent, with absolutely NO leadership from any of that talent. Im afraid to say UGA is about use the last Sat. in Nov. for a tune-up game for the next three to five years, at least, until you get a coach that can perform against deep, physical, highly talented football teams. The A-she-she is not it. Hey, can anyone say “LEADING ACC RUSHER = 6th round “why not” pick??? “lol
Dawgbreath
April 25th, 2010
2:23 pm
Funny thing isn’t it, Richt recuits some of the best def. linemen in the country a few years ago and he coaches them up…..all the way up to the 6th and 7th grounds of the NFL draft! Wow. One hell of a coach. But he’s still got that “good ole time religion” going for him, and he’s using it to get some more recruits. Maybe God can help Richt coach ‘em up to the 5th round next year.
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
2:29 pm
Ga. Tech’s 2010 freshmen: 14 from Georgia; 2 from Wash. D.C., 1 from Florida; 1 from Alabama.
3 of them enrolled in January.
Dave In Tampa
April 25th, 2010
2:30 pm
Dawgbreath – If that is the case what you posted above. What would be more important to you, Coaching kids up or using that “good ole time religion” to influence them on Christ. Just curious.
Flagboy
April 25th, 2010
2:33 pm
GT says…… “and obviously Airyn Willis who had some pretty nice looking schools after his services.”
These are the other schools he had offers from(per Scout), not exactly big time programs..he’s a 2* prospect at best. Same as all of manboobs Johnson’s other recruits. Mid-Major players at best. Gailey’s boys are gone.. The decline begins for the nats, LMMFAO!!!!
Willis offers…
Duke
East Carolina
Louisville No Interest
North Carolina State
South Florida
Wake Forest
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Shreveport Sam
April 25th, 2010
2:33 pm
“Tasty Bees,” least our terrorists graduate, unlike your quarterbacks…….
UGA owns you tasty bees..
April 25th, 2010
2:36 pm
No need to graduate if your future employer (the NFL) doesn’t require a college degree, dumba.ss
UGA owns you tasty bees..
April 25th, 2010
2:41 pm
But in your case, when the Steelers cut Dwyer loose, b/c he lacks the speed and maneuverabilty to make their schout team, will be VERY fortunate if he graduated. So, Shreveport, looks like reality is but quite a contrast to what you stated with your child-like mouth. Have a good day
UGA owns you tasty bees..
April 25th, 2010
2:41 pm
scout*
BIG BEE
April 25th, 2010
2:45 pm
ATL XMAN, Gailey hasn’t been here for 2 seasons. Johnson has been coaching his recruits. Guess you haven’t noticed. Why are so many UGA fans on this blog if you have no interest in our program. Guess you have a nose problem and have to stick it where it dosen’t belong. We just should not get into a braying contest with a bunch of jackasses as that is one you are certain to lose.
the real OLD GOLD
April 25th, 2010
2:54 pm
“ACC sucks – Congrats……Another 2 star…U guys r on a roll..lol”
The grammar of a 14 year old girl writing notes in class to her friends.. You probably have a football IQ on par with one too..
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
2:59 pm
There’s going to be some interesting QB competition in the coming years on the Flats. The unofficial depth chart for 2010:
Joshua Nesbitt – SR
Tevin Washington – SO (RS) 2009 game experience
David Sims – FR (RS)
Jordan Luallen – FR (RS)
Also:
Quentin Sims – SO (RS) – WR played QB in practice in 2009
BJ Bostic – FR (January enrollee), “Athlete”
Synjyn Days – FR (Fall arrival)
BIG BEE
April 25th, 2010
3:07 pm
UGA FANS, before you get too rough on Airyn Willis for the major offers he had or did no have lets look at some UGA recruits, Bowman, Clemson, GT, Okl. State, Andrews, Duke, Mich., Vandy. Moore, Auburn,. Sanders, Duke, UCF, Vandy, W. Va. Dosen’t look like their door was getting knocked down by the high major programs.
Kiffin and his daddy
April 25th, 2010
3:08 pm
Man boobs is inappropriate it is correcly termed gynecomastia.
Preston
April 25th, 2010
3:14 pm
Nothing at all against this kid because anyone that gets a scholarship to a FBS school is one helluva athlete, but recruiting a RB to play QB tells you something is seriously wrong with the scheme CPJ is running. It’ll win some games, but it’ll never compete for a NC. GT better settle for ACC titles and bowl “appearances” because that option junk gets stuffed when the teams get a few weeks to prep for it. Just sayin’.
Kiffin and his daddy
April 25th, 2010
3:15 pm
Big bee you forgot: Amarlo Herrera
Georgia Florida Georgia Tech Maryland Mississippi Mississippi State
Ohio State Oklahoma State Tennessee Texas Tech
Chris COnley Alabama, GT, clemson, stanford, tennessee
THREE OF YOUR COMMITS WERE only DIV1 offer was from tech NON of which received an offer from UGA although THREE of them had interest in UGA.
TREATED!!!!!!
GT3O
April 25th, 2010
3:38 pm
Kiffin and his daddy…
And to think, Richt can’t even get past a 7-5 record with all those good recruits with offers from great schools.
Yet, Paul Johnson can go 10-2 with guys who aren’t even meant for his system. Sounds like GT has an actual coach who knows how to coach up talent, whereas Richt gets “big time” recruits and does nothing with them. Yep…that’s something to brag about.
GT3O
April 25th, 2010
3:38 pm
Oh yeah…TREATED!!!!!
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
3:50 pm
These “commitments” do not mean a whole lot. Signing Day is what matters.
GT GRAD
April 25th, 2010
3:57 pm
Bostic & Willis will be playing WR with Stephen Hill & Quentin Sims for the next few years.
I hope they enjoy the ride and I imagine all four will develop into excellent wide recievers!
RandyRhino
April 25th, 2010
4:16 pm
Hey PJ, go ahead and recruit all the QBs you want, and use them at any position you want to. Sounds great to me. Sounds like what another great coach at Tech used to do…and his name?…Bobby Dodd.
GTDAWG
April 25th, 2010
4:34 pm
Why are you all still caught up in a players high school ratings. The Heisman Trophy winner and the #1 NFL Draft pick in this year was rated a 3 star. So was Colt Mccoy and the first WR taken…Bey Bey. Player Rankings mean nothing when it comes to a teams needs.
Dawgbreath
April 25th, 2010
4:43 pm
DAVE IN TAMPA…Depends…on what Christ you are talking about. The one actually in the Bible or the one being preached in most churches in America today. Is it the one who would die for another…or is it the one being “used” today to preach sin for the purpose of collecting money for a jet airplane and to buy that million dollar home…or to get a people to vote or play for you!!!! As I said, “it depends!” As I once read in the bible…”Don’t pray in public for the benefit of yourself….but pray where no one sees you….Richt seems to be a man who prays in public…to be honest with you. Just one man’s opinion. By the way, Jesus wasn’t a republican. Nor a demo for that matter. He preached to give to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s….but he never told anyone to make his teachings a political party. Just saying….
Dawgbreath
April 25th, 2010
4:51 pm
DAVE…if you are wondering…I believe in the God of the universe…just not the one most of “you” want “us” to believe in. Faith…not religion…I say. Religion prays on the weak and kills them too….check your history book and today’s newspapers. Faith never hurt or condemed anyone….because faith does not judge. Religion does. Oh, I think Jesus said that too.
Gator in the Hootch
April 25th, 2010
4:54 pm
Randy Rhino….you probably could do all right in PJ’s offense, couldn’t you? Play QB, WR, whatever….right? Even return punts? Oh, yeah, you did that fairly well, didn’t you? Think Billy Lothridge and Lenny Snow would like this offense? You betcha!!!
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
5:22 pm
Ga. Tech’s out of conference schedule for 2010 looks to be tougher than last year, based on last year’s results.
2009 – Jacksonville St., Miss. St., Vanderbilt, Georgia
No Top 25 teams, 1 “others receiving votes” (Georgia-won bowl)
2010 – SC State, Kansas, Middle Tennesse St., Georgia
No Top 25 teams, 2 “others receiving votes” (Georgia, Middle Tennessee St.-Both won bowls)
rainman
April 25th, 2010
5:50 pm
As long as the receiver is 1 or 2 in this offense, he will have a chance to shine & have his shot at being a high draft pick in the NFL draft. Many pro-style offenses run 4 or 5 WR’s in and out on a regular basis, whereas, the top couple of wideouts at Tech may actually have a better chance of ’standing out’. Can anybody sit here and say that Stephen Hill doesn’t have a good chance to make it in the pros – as long as he continues to progress?
There’s no sense denying that Tech’s hardest position to fill is the QB. This person must be extremely talented, but will be required to play in a system that won’t showcase the talents that the pros are looking for (although you never know, CPJ could get another Tebow and open-up the spread). Hell, the Falcons just drafted a former QB at WR!
So, on offense, the recruiting needs to focus on QB … and the defensive recruiting needs to catch-up to the new 3-4 system – especially at DE and OLB.
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
5:56 pm
10:58 post by Gerald – “for a lot of high schools the QB is the best athlete on the team, and they often wind up playing LB, DB, RB and WR on the next level.”
Taking it a step further, Andy Johnson played QB at Georgia and then played 1974-1982 for the Patriots as a running back (Patriots’ All-1970’s Team RB).
G'vegas Dawg
April 25th, 2010
6:01 pm
I hate that for you Airyn. Since tech beat UGA year before last that means you won’t be around 7 years from now when the dawgs let tech win again. Sorry bud!!
Big L
April 25th, 2010
6:12 pm
All you people like dawgbreath who find it necassary to ridicule Coach Richt based on his religion are subhuman freaks and should be asahmed. Talk football, tanning beds or manboobs. But to belittle a mans religion is disgusting and just displays that your parents never whipped you enough. Your disgusting liberal upbringing makes you believe you are smarter and superior. What does that mean if you’re not a good human.
Delbert D.
April 25th, 2010
6:20 pm
Gator in the Hootch 4:54 post – Billy Lothridge would have been a natural. Tech ran the T-formation triple option (”belly series”). Lothridge was the Heisman runner-up in 1963 behind a guy named Roger Staubach. Lenny Snow would have done well too, as a B-back. He played with Kim King in a more passing-oriented offense.
Auburn’s Jimmy Sidle would have done ok too. In 1963, he was the 1st QB in America to rush for 1,000 yards (1,006).
Joe
April 25th, 2010
6:25 pm
This is a great move by GT. You can knock that he is NOT a true QB! But last time I checked, GT doesn’t use a “true” QB. He is an athlete. South Carolina was recruiting him to be a running back. West Virginia was selling him on WR, and NC State wanted him as a Free Safety. This is a no brainer for GT and Airyn. He’ll most likey graduate early, come into the spring as a QB, and if he doesn’t pan out, he’ll play one of the other three positions!
Oh, and btw, he’s already put on 20 pounds since basketball season, and is weighing just over 190!
Stinger
April 25th, 2010
6:39 pm
It is so funny to see all the dawg fans cyring about everything. They really do fear the mighty jackets. They know that they can’t complete with us in any sport now and it’s killing them.
SuperDawg
April 25th, 2010
6:40 pm
I have to admit
SuperDawg
April 25th, 2010
6:42 pm
I have to admit that Tech is winning the recruiting war against us. PJ had 2 # 1 draft choices and we had none. He is really coaching his players up while our players look like they were coached by Donnan or Gailey.Rich should be fired.
Buzzzed
April 25th, 2010
6:58 pm
Airyn, looking forward to watching you play!
michael
April 25th, 2010
7:12 pm
with a better defense, it’ll all be good. GO TECH!
FalconUGAFan
April 25th, 2010
7:16 pm
Well, well…you get a nice recruit and all you can talk about is UGA…Welcome to Georgia football, young man. Best of luck to you.
Dawgbreath
April 25th, 2010
7:39 pm
BIG L….Yeah….lots of “good humans” been in the news lately for Georgia. Yeah, Richt’s “religious influence” is amazing to me.
Dawgbreath
April 25th, 2010
7:42 pm
And BIG L….my “disgusting upbringing” was by my grandfather, who I would give my own life for if he were still alive. It was the kind of wonderful upbringing every child should have. And, yes, I am fairly intelligent, thanks to that upbringing and the genes I received. My mind explores beyond my emotions.
Kiffin and his daddy
April 25th, 2010
7:46 pm
Yeah 10-2 with a loss to UGA in the weak ACC my dear friend GT30.
Kiffin and his daddy
April 25th, 2010
7:47 pm
Treated Again.
Go Jackets!
April 25th, 2010
9:06 pm
Hey Uga ownes you tasty bees. Have you not figured out that georgia tech is more relevent in all three of the major sports in college,,,,baseball we beat you 25-6….basketball we own you all time as in baseball and in football your dawgs are known as chokers.. so talk all you want, i will stay a yellow jacket fan. and will knot be known as a choker as the bullpuppies…hahahahahahahaha
BIG BEE
April 25th, 2010
9:12 pm
KIFFIN and his daddy: What’s your point? The guys I mentioned did not have the big boys beating their door down!!!!
GaDawg
April 25th, 2010
9:17 pm
Beefense – Can you say 30 -24????? Sniff that butt a little longer!!
Dave in Tampa – I really question you as a dawg fan with your post.
yah!
April 25th, 2010
10:05 pm
Yah! Welcome to the tickle pile
UGA89
April 25th, 2010
10:22 pm
SEC Fan
April 25th, 2010
8:32 am
What? 2 of the 5 GT recruits are from outside Georgia? So 40% are from ‘out of state”. Aren’t Georgia kids good enough for GT? That seems to be the suggestion whenever UGA gets a kid from outside Ga.. UGA has 6 recruits so far this year and all are from Ga.. So where is the criticism of GT?
– - – -
GT cannot just recruit every Tom, Dick and Harry from the state of Georgia like UGA can. There are academics to consider here when you make such a comment. I know you don’t want to hear it, but the truth is that GT has limitations on who it can and cannot recruit from an academic standpoint.
thwg
April 25th, 2010
11:32 pm
GT just scored another run over UGA, it’s no 2,234 – 10. Go Jackets!
thwg
April 25th, 2010
11:32 pm
Correction, they scored TWO more runs, it’s now 2,236 to 10.
steeler
April 25th, 2010
11:36 pm
Uh Seenthisb4, UGA has 3rd most players in pros currently, and has for last 4+ years. Maybe you should check out a few stats before you post.
brick
April 26th, 2010
2:19 am
Congrats Tech, you picked up a nice one, but on the other hand, it only reenforces the conception Tech runs a high school offense. This guy isn’t even a qb on his HS team but is being recruited as a qb for Tech? You have a nice little team, its almost a good D1 team and you could very well win the ACC again, but the reality is no one cares who wins the ACC. As for comparing CMR to CPJ, CMR is 3-1 against him, is 8-1 against Tech and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon, but I do understand your optimism. Winning the ACC was big, you won 10 games, it must really grind on you knowing if UGA was in the ACC, that was hard to type, you wouldn’t have won it. In fact, if any of the SEC were in it, except the bottom 2, they would have won it, went to a BCS bowl and gotten embarassed just as Tech did. But you got an ACC championship trophy, its like the fastest turtle winning the turtle race.
Dawg Man
April 26th, 2010
7:25 am
what a joke
kingster
April 26th, 2010
8:47 am
Yea, ATL XMAN, yes its easy for you to call yourself a football person, why don’t you stick with UGA and stay off the GT web site, people like you are dangerous and stupid. If anyone sign with anybody than UGA, they are consider either bad or stupid, people like you, yes I said it, people like you have no life and every time UGA loses it takes a little good from you, this years draft, since GT had something good in the draft and UGA did ok, don’t get mad Silly, what is 5 stars when you don’t plan together or getting in trouble with the LAW, knowing what ever I write you are to stupid to consider, keep your neck RED!!!!!!
RxDawg
April 26th, 2010
10:00 am
Sounds like a high risk / high reward type of recruit. Grats and good luck to the Jackets.
Athlete or a QB?? QB is what y'all need
April 26th, 2010
10:39 am
When I read that a certain school signs an “athlete” for the Qb position, I wonder. This kid had better grow some very, very tough knees, cause his athleticism will not keep him off the surgical table at Peachtree Orthopedics.
The Wishbone is a rough, tough offense and it really takes its toll on the QBs. Any QB that IS REALLY a QB will prefer to play in the Pro Style O, like at UGA, for example. Eventually, Tech will dump the Bone to validate my point.
CPJ is in his third season and tech see coaches come and go about every 3.5 years, dating back to Dodd in 67.
KC
April 26th, 2010
10:44 am
Hey Brick…uh…how is CMR 3-1 against CPJ when they’ve only faced each other twice? I think I’ll save your post as it will help make my son’s decision to attend GT even easier. Math hurts, doesn’t it? It’s okay. We understand.
wow
April 26th, 2010
11:27 am
Yech’s greatest team in 20 years and with all their studs opting to leave yet they still have less players drafted than UGA? The recruits are taking notice. Dark days ahead on the Flats in the ghetto.
Blane
April 26th, 2010
11:27 am
tools are seriously touting baseball scores now? That’s what they’ve become???? Sad.
noneya
April 26th, 2010
11:29 am
Murders by:
UGA professors 3
GT terrorists 0
Hmmmm…..guess GT loses this one. Now which school is dangerous again?
Gerald
April 26th, 2010
11:43 am
Athlete or a QB?? QB is what y’all need:
All right, and all these schools in college football who run pro-style offenses, what do they win exactly? This includes UGA. What has UGA actually WON under Richt? Precisely my point. You only actually win big with the pro-style offense if you are USC, FSU and Miami. Other schools can’t get the players. They can’t get the 4 and 5 star QBs, RBs, WRs and OLs. So they are doomed to mediocrity. Like UGA is. 9 years with Mark Richt, and they haven’t sent a LT or a WR in the 1st round, and they have produced only 1 good pro prospect at QB (Stafford) and one at RB (Moreno). That isn’t good enough. You Dawgs pretend that it is, but it really isn’t. For all the hype over Richt, he hasn’t beaten a single top 5 team in all his years at UGA, and he won’t this year or next year while UGA is recruiting athletes for their new defense and has the mediocre Murray at QB. Richt doesn’t get guys like Carson Palmer and Mark Sanchez to play QB at UGA, he doesn’t get WRs like the Miami Hurricanes get when they are good, and he doesn’t get linemen like those schools, and I don’t know why people pretend that he does.
And Georgia Tech, because of academics, can’t even get the caliber of athletes for the passing game that UGA does. Chan Gailey tried to run a pro-style offense at UGA, but with 2 star QBs. Who is Tech ever going to beat with inferior players? Of course, you UGA fans would prefer GT continue running a pro-style offense knowing that GT will always get lesser players for that system than you. UVA, UNC, Clemson, Miami and FSU would be happy if Georgia Tech continued with that failed strategy also. It is Georgia Tech’s running a DIFFERENT offense that gives them a shot, and that’s exactly why you are on here demanding that GT switch back to what didn’t work for Bill Lewis, George O’Leary and Chan Gailey, and hoping that CPJ goes elsewhere. Well I have news for you … CPJ isn’t going anywhere. He won’t go to the NFL or to a bigger school because of his offense. GT is as good as it gets for CPJ.
GT doesn’t want to be UCLA to UGA’s USC. UCLA will never recruit like USC, but they stick with running the same type of program as USC, except with lesser players. The result? USC beats them 9 times out of 10. UCLA could have long gone to a different style of play that allows them to recruit different athletes and gives them a shot, but UCLA is too proud. They would rather lose to USC and whine and complain.
Well, GT would rather try to do something different than stick with what isn’t working. If GT were still running a pro-style offense, then they don’t win the ACC, and they don’t send 4 players to the NFL draft, and especially don’t have 2 first round picks. GT always had that talent under Chan Gailey. It’s just that no one wants to draft 1st round picks off 7-6 teams. They’d rather draft players from teams who win their conference.
Look at N.C. State. They were a solid program for years running the option. But they went and hired a pro-style coach in Chuck Amato and followed him up with a former B.C. coach. What did that get them? Nothing. They never finished higher than 3rd in the ACC, even with Philip Rivers as a QB. Why? Because they couldn’t get the players. Still can’t. Never will.
This year, instead of running the option with players recruited for a pro-style offense, CPJ will be relying on his own recruits. Expect to see GT’s attack be more fluid, explosive and less mistake-prone. The year after, when Nesbitt is gone and GT gets a guy who is actually trained to run the option and doesn’t just rely on his natural ability, it will be even better.
You UGA fans can keep deluding yourselves into thinking that UGA is cranking out all these NFL QBs. The truth is that Matt Stafford is the only Richt product at UGA to start a game in the NFL, and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. Joe Cox isn’t going to have an NFL career, and neither is Murray. So, in 12 years of Richt, UGA will be able to claim one more NFL QB than UGA has. Whoopee. You know, if Cameron Newton pans out as expected, AUBURN will be a better pipeline for future NFL QBs than Richt’s UGA. Hmmm …
Kiffin and his daddy
April 26th, 2010
12:07 pm
NONE of your playes have any major college beating down their door. Half the time you are the only offer. THAT is the point. PJ cannot recruit like your last coach. With the coach change your recruiting suffered and if you do not think that translate on the field than wait….
Georgia Tech For Like
April 26th, 2010
4:13 pm
confederate dawg- youre an idiot inbread f&&&&
Buzzzed
April 26th, 2010
6:40 pm
UGA bloggers, we love CPJ, his recruits, his offense and his W’s so give up on trying to convince us otherwise. See you in Athens in November, tools.
BIG BEE
April 26th, 2010
8:00 pm
Kiffen and his daddy: Point made was that the players I talked about were not highly recruited by the big guys. Your ADD is showing. Can you stick to the point and reply to the statement in question?
Big Bad Bob
April 26th, 2010
9:19 pm
Look for Tech to recruit a punter as a quarterback in the upcoming recruiting class.
Jim Bob
April 26th, 2010
9:21 pm
The dude should be perfect for running the wishbone offense.
Pauline Johnson
April 26th, 2010
9:24 pm
I know we can’t recruit legitimate quarterbacks so we have to recruit kids at another positions and try to convert them to quarterbacks. Just look back at Tech history. Reggie Ball was a good example of the trend of Tech quarterbacks.
Have You Stomped Your Bee Today
April 26th, 2010
9:26 pm
(((30-24)))
JACKETSSUCKANDALWAYSWILL
April 26th, 2010
9:34 pm
WHO CARES……….. JACKETS SUCK……………….. 2ND TIER PROGRAM……………….., 2ND RATE RECRUITS
NC GT FAN
April 26th, 2010
9:48 pm
Airyn Willis is the real deal. Speed and agility with a strong arm are tools that will give GT a threat in many ways. Glad to see a prized NC recruit go to GT.
FantasTECH
April 27th, 2010
8:39 am
Haha I just read that the mut coaches are going around with like 14 people to all the high schools and telling these kids that they are building, ” a dream team” bahahahahahahahahahahahahaha That’s the funniest thing I have ever heard. Whatever you have to tell these poor kids to get a commit. You know the funny thing is that the muts always have good recruiting classes and what do they do with them. hahahaha yeah thats right they take them to SHREVEPORT for the rosco’s chicken and eggs bowl against a Texas A&M team that hasn’t ever won anything. And by the way how do you let A&M have twice as many fans there as the ALMIGHTY MUTS! haha what a bunch of losers. Their program is a joke. Drew said he and Richt send bible quotes back and forth to each other. HAHAHAHA whatever you gotta do again. What a loser!
How2fish
April 27th, 2010
9:55 am
Airyn Willis good luck on the flats save for the last game of the season. Should be a good fit in CPJ’s offense big fast..really his throwing is not much of an issue.
GTSteve
April 27th, 2010
12:23 pm
1eyedJack
April 25th, 2010
11:27 am
“I don’t think nobody is coming to college to be a backup,” Washington said Saturday. “Everybody is pushing to be a starter.”
What command of the English language!!!
That is better than….” I need to call my Lawyer”…which is what most dogs say in interviews.
GTSteve
April 27th, 2010
12:35 pm
Gerald
April 26th, 2010
11:43 am
I normally don’t read posts’ that are that long…but that was very good.
Mister Jackette
April 27th, 2010
4:33 pm
Where is Reuben Houston?
The NCAA
April 27th, 2010
4:36 pm
Is this the same Georgia Tech that recently served an NCAA probation for academic cheating involving 19 scholarship athletes (11 starting football players) all that had their grades changed to higher grades so that they would not lose eligibility to play? Why YES! It is that same GA Tech.
Saint Simons
April 27th, 2010
4:37 pm
30-24!!!! The Jackettes lost!
Reality
April 27th, 2010
4:38 pm
Obviously GA Tech terrorists are typical Techsters and too stupid to pull off their scheme before they get caught!
UGA - glorified hick home school
April 28th, 2010
3:47 pm
UGA recruits come in as 4 and 5 star recruits, and leave as 4 and 5 star felons – instead of counting how many players UGA sends to the NFL, we should count how many they send to prison – they would win in a landslide
AFHeels35
April 29th, 2010
10:30 pm
I love it. I went to high school with Airyn and I’m gonna be playing at UNC. I can’t wait to get after him. And actually he did throw a few passes his junior year. He was definitely a better QB than the guy we had in there.