How would you rank Georgia Tech’s 2013 recruiting class so far?
Three months ago, Georgia Tech didn’t have any commitments for its 2013 football recruiting class.
While some Tech fans were panicking, coach Paul Johnson maintained his cool — saying he “wasn’t too concerned” because it was so early in the process.
Fast forward three months and Georgia Tech has eight commitments. The Yellow Jackets were briefly ranked in the top 25 of the Rivals.com team rankings.
Loading ...“It’s the same now as I told you before: I felt like we were in pretty good shape,” Johnson told the AJC. “I wasn’t too worried about it. These things [commitments] don’t mean anything until they are signed. It’s just like anything else. I don’t get too hung up on them. There’s a long time between now and February.”
Does Johnson feel better now with eight commitments than when he had zero a few months ago? “I wasn’t feeling bad about how things were going before. That was all you guys on the Internet and in the paper. I know where we were going. I have a chance to talk to the kids all the time, so I know where we are.”
“We’ll see how it ends up. I never care about recruiting rankings. I think we have some good players. But I think we signed some good players last year, and the year before that. We wouldn’t recruit them and sign them if we didn’t think they were good players.”
The nation’s No. 1 kicker, Harrison Butker, committed to Georgia Tech over Auburn last week. Georgia Tech’s top overall commitment – by far – is Shamire DeVine, who is considered by some to be the state’s top prospect along the offensive line.
The Yellow Jackets may already be more than halfway finished with this year’s recruiting class, as they are only expected to sign 14-15 because of low attrition.
GEORGIA TECH’S CLASS OF 2013
- RB Travis Custis,6-0, 212 Lovejoy HS
- RB Donovan Wilson, 6-0, 215, Dublin, Ohio
- OL Shamire Devine, 6-7, 331, Tri-Cities HS
- DT Darius Commissiong, 6-2, 295, Forestville, Md.
- OG Jeremi Hall, 6-5, 350, Tri-Cities HS
- DE-OLB Kevin Robbins, 6-4, 240, Forestville, Md.
- OL Chris Griffin, 6-6, 265, Crawfordville, Fla.
- K Harrison Butker, 6-3, 185, Westminster
– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog
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353 comments Add your comment
A person SMART enough to know......
June 21st, 2012
7:32 pm
Nice to see the NAME thief is back
A person SMART enough to know……
June 21st, 2012
7:30 pm
Dang it, I’m thinking of Santana Moss. My B.
Grow up you child.
Moobs Johnson
June 21st, 2012
8:00 pm
It’s Chantastic!
Rick James
June 21st, 2012
8:36 pm
@A person SMART enough to know……
James I think Randy Moss went to Miami First didn’r he?
—————————————————————————-
Notre Dame,Florida St,Marshall
A person SMART enough to know ....
June 21st, 2012
8:39 pm
Thanks james
Paul in NH
June 21st, 2012
8:49 pm
Randy Moss signed an LOI with ND (Holtz was the coach) but was never admitted after a few legal problems in HS. He went to FSU, having to sit out a year as a transfer even though he never set foot on campus in South Bend. He got into trouble at FSU (a probation violation – testing positive for the demon weed) and was kicked out.
Chalk it up as his young and dumb period.
A person SMART enough to know ....
June 21st, 2012
8:52 pm
Well put Paul. God bless you.
A person SMART enough to know ....
June 21st, 2012
8:59 pm
Does anyone know if MC ever gets up off his couch to read his own blogs? These name thiefs are getting old.
Rick James
June 21st, 2012
9:03 pm
A person SMART enough to know ….
Randy still supports Florida St and was on their sdelines for a couple of games last year.He lives in a community of retirerees near Boca Raton.He a thrifty guy too.He’s made millions but spent 250k on his home.
Rick James
June 21st, 2012
9:10 pm
@Paul in NH
Did MJ Pippin’s close before you left Tech?
A person SMART enough to know ....
June 21st, 2012
9:18 pm
Did he pay for his house with straight cash homie?
Mustang Sally
June 21st, 2012
9:20 pm
Our Jackets have 16-17 scgollys available will sign 15-17.
Sabans team has 16-17 available, will sign 26, happens every year??????
Rick James
June 21st, 2012
9:25 pm
@A person SMART enough to know ….
Did he pay for his house with straight cash homie?
——————————————————————-
Thats funny…Let’s hope so since thats how he paid his fines.You remember that huh?
Paul in NH
June 21st, 2012
9:59 pm
Rick
No. I left GT at the end of 85 and Pippins was still open then. I think Chollie’s and Grumpy’s were the other places near it as well. PJ Haley’s was a little further out.
GT Rick
June 21st, 2012
10:07 pm
Smart, everything ok with you?
HighTech
June 21st, 2012
10:19 pm
PJ’s had the best buffalo wings. Better than Crickets.
wreckmaniac
June 21st, 2012
10:20 pm
CPJ was recently offered a 45 year extension but said he doubted he would live that long.
Repor
June 21st, 2012
10:28 pm
To Hal,
Why wouldnt a runningback come to GT.
Here’s why
the box score against a top 40 school
QB – 20 carries for 75 yards
RB1 – 5 carries for 22 yards
RB2 – 6 carries for 35 yards
RB3 – 4 carries for 6 yards
RB4- 2 carries for 12 yards
Show me at all where a RB is featured, Orwin Smith was your best back and he only averaged 5 touches a game. No RB wants to play stage prop to the QB in an veer offense.
Chuck and Chernoff discussed this on 680 the fan and had the same conclusion
CJGaTechalumnus
June 21st, 2012
11:01 pm
I don’t know where this Tri-Cities HS is, but it conjures up recollections of Valdosta HS in the late 60’s. Must be alot of big, well fed farm boys there.
CJGaTechalumnus
June 21st, 2012
11:03 pm
Tech getting a kicker was needed very much. Tech’s kicking game right now is the worst I can recollect.
CJGaTechalumnus
June 21st, 2012
11:14 pm
Another kid who is promised for 2013 is Francis Kallon, the DE who has been working out at Bama. I would prefer him to stay away from Bama. I recollect going to the Gator Bowl in aboput 1967 or 1968 when Bama played I believe Missouri. Bama came out onto the field with their band led by a black male drum major who tossed his baton at least 50 feet into the air twirling around, and then caught it while it was twirling. I’ll bet he broke all his fingers, but apparently he was ok, indicating to me he was a false prophet. That’s why I prefer Francis Kallon to stay away from Bama.
GT Rick
June 21st, 2012
11:40 pm
Smart, I don’t believe 5150 is a female??? Anyhow, you sound like you have had one too many tonight so sleep well.
Georgie tek
June 22nd, 2012
2:05 am
# 52
___
It’s where Paul Johnson’s recruiting classes always are ranked, # 52.
Silly question.
DETAILS:
________
You have commitments from only 2 defensive players. What would you say the problem is with your team ?
NO DEFENSE.
You recruited one OT who is 340 lbs criticized for not doing weight-lifting, who is a 4-Star and that is all of your commitments, that one guy.
You are in a state that annually sends the 2nd most high school players highly-rated into the NFL. Typically, your commitments – other than this one OT 2013 – only have offers from puny nothing football programs.
NCAA PROBATION FOOTBALL back-to-back.
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/newmedia/public/rates/index.html
55 % NCAA Federal Graduation Report 4-year avg thru 2011 Football UGA
47 % NCAA Federal Graduation Report 4-year avg thru 2011 Football Georgie tek
_____________________________________________
43 % of 62 Black Football players FSR Football Georgie tek
58 % of 20 White Football players FSR Football Georgie tek
53 % of 60 Black Football players FSR Football UGA
56 % of 22 White Football players FSR Football UGA
_______
28 % Baseball Georgie tek
39 % Baseball UGA
_______
23 % Men’s Basketball Georgie tek
33 % Men’s Basketball UGA
NCAA 4-Year Federal Graduation Success Rates 21 June 2012
Excuse me Georgie tek, aren’t these the Three (3) Sports you come running in here to talk about ?
1. Top Left Hand Corner, select Division 1 Graduation Success Rates
2. Click from pull-down School Georgie tek
3. Click from pull-down Year 2010-2011 latest year
4. Make no other selections so as to see all sports
5. In other words, leave conference, sport and state blank
6. Click Search
7. Top right hand corner, press FGR Federal Graduation Rates
8. It sorts then all sports at Georgie tek by Federal Graduation Rates
9. Read sport # 1 worst at Georgie tek : 23 % FGR men’s basketball
10. Read sport # 2 worst at Georgie tek : 28 % FGR baseball
11. Read sport # 3 worst at Georgie tek : 47 % FGR Football
You do not graduate your football scholarship recruits.
I think how would I rate Georgie tek’s recruiting is a far better question :
F
Little Stinger
June 22nd, 2012
2:09 am
gt has put the excitement back into football. LOL
ZZZzzzz Wake me up once BB season starts back up.
Score Check
June 22nd, 2012
2:21 am
How can GT expect to compete in football when it’s Academic requirements are the toughest in the nation?
I understand their football players can always major in IM, but even so they would have to compete in classes filled with students whose intellects rival the likes of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
Georgie tek
June 22nd, 2012
2:44 am
Why wouldn’t a recruit want to come to Georgie tek football ?
1. NCAA PROBATION football back-to-back
2. 47 % football recruits graduate at Georgie tek
3. # 47 attendance downtown Atlanta UGA # 8 in Athens
4. recruit de-committed yesterday saying offense non-standard
5. you haven’t had a defense forever
6. you don’t even offer the top recruits a scholarship
7. you’re 1-10 vs UGA head coach, yet it’s your most important game
8. you brag you’re # 36 national university like that’s # 1 Harvard
9. when no one brags about being # 36 at nothing
10. you play in an irrelevant football conference
11. hasn’t been a top ACC football team forever
12. you haven’t won a Major Bowl game since 1955
13. only 19 Georgie tek players playing NFL to 44 UGA
14. you’ve never won AP Poll National Championship never
15. your fans both of them are world renown poor sportsmanship
16. your head coach told your fans to hit UGA fans in the face
17. you’ve had 7 Georgie tek seasons of zero wins total all season
18. you’ve had another 5 seasons of just 1 win total all season
19. current 20 years UGA top 10 Georgie tek # 35 in wins
20. # 35 in wins current 20 years is irrelevant football program
21. 4 cokes, 2 hot dogs, bag peanuts, free parking pass no one there
22. only seasons’ tickets you sell are to us and we throw all but 1 away
23. despite lack of top ACC football teams, Georgie tek # 6 ACC
24. # 6 weak ACC conference current 20-year period
25. Virginia Tech, FSU, Miami of Florida, Boston College, Clemson
26. all 5 of them are top 5 weak ACC conference current 20 years
27. then # 6 in weak ACC football conference you current 20 years
28. wins 142 losses 104 current 20 years Georgie tek football
29. 7 wins over 5 losses a season current 20 years of nothingness
30. back-to-back NCAA Probation Football
31. you don’t graduate your football recruits 47 % thru 2011
32. # 112 in passing offense in nation of 120 teams
33. # 66 rushing defense in nation, no defense Georgie tek
34. # 60 scoring defense yet control the ball or be worse
35. # 54 net punting
36. # 61 in punt returns
37. # 108 in kick-off returns
38. # 77 in nation in sacks opposing quarterbacks
39. # 104 in nation in tackles for a loss
40. # 1 running back David Sims averages 9 carries a game
41. # 1 running back was thrown 3 passes all season long
42. 3
43. 200 top football players in Georgia, 4 commitments
44. those 4 will not graduate from Georgie tek
45. not won Major Bowl game in 57 years
Georgie tek
June 22nd, 2012
3:15 am
12 seniors of 102 on roster today football because they are college drop-outs
The real issue now at The Flats
June 22nd, 2012
7:26 am
CPJ is on the 2012 COACHES HOT SEAT and that is what is hurting GT’s recruiting. Couple that reality with the fact, that CPJ has won nothing, no bowls, no ACC titles and only 1 or 2 All Americans in his era?
No, the recruiting is dragging for the above reasons and when Va Tech stomps GT early, then some of the kids on board with 2013 verbals, will jump ship.
Possibly when compared to Elon College, or Catawba College, or Citadel, then, maybe GT’s recruiting fares better.
One other brutal fact: Over the last 45 years, GT has a new football coach arrive on campus on an average of every 4.2 years and CPJ will be there in October. THIS YEAR he had better win big, or else.
The hard ugly fact of it all
June 22nd, 2012
7:33 am
Counting the major, traditional cluster of bowls, Cotton, Sugar, Rose, Orange Bowl, GT las won one of these core majors …………… in 1955 or 56. THIS is reality.
no, heck no, do not scream about the Citrus back in 1990, as then the Ciitrus Bowl was a mid, lower level bowl about like the Sun Bowl today.
GT is not a football program and frankly, EVEN ON BOBBY DODD”S watch in the late 50s …….57 into the late 60s, GT was no longer a power. By then, they were in the pack with Duke and Vandy and such. It is what it is.
Dodd was badly humiliated by Florida ( Bobby Dodd Jr.) and LOST in the 1967 Urange Bowl. By then, football has passed Dodd by. Bitsey Grant Tennis was his throne after that.
Their next “major bowl” was in 2009, when Iowa stomped them in the Urange Bowl. 56? year since GT’s last major bowl win???
HighTech
June 22nd, 2012
7:54 am
I see Thomas Brown is off his meds again. Please get some help.
ACC Football Daily Links — College Football Playoff Structure May Actually Benefit ACC | Atlantic Coast Convos
June 22nd, 2012
8:01 am
[...] How Would You Rank Georgia Tech’s 2013 Recruiting Class So Far? (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) [...]
TechMate
June 22nd, 2012
8:03 am
Poor little Doggies still got an inferiority complex. No matter how hard they try they just can’t seem to get to the top of that national championship hill. 1980 against very weak notre dame team.
A person SMART enough to know......
June 22nd, 2012
8:22 am
GT Rick & Rick James sorry to say but you were HAD last night.
My Last POST was at 7:32 calling out the FAKE SMART.
The post after 7:32 were the FAKE Smart and that is why they sounded different.
I sure as Hell don’t drink Long Island Ice Teas and I wouldn’t call Rick James Homie.
Just Saying
June 22nd, 2012
8:28 am
Rumor has it that Shamire and his buddy are still looking around……possibly 60 miles east.
GT71
June 22nd, 2012
8:44 am
“…because of low attrition’. That is such good news! It means our guys are staying in school – no grade worries or jail time – and not leaving early for a chance to be ignored in the pros. I like student-athletes and it seems we have them. CPJ and staff should be congratulated on this aspect of recruiting and keeping the ‘right’ guys for Tech. Now, just beat the bejesus out of UGA and Clemson ever once in awhile and the faithful will stay that way.
A person SMART enough to know......
June 22nd, 2012
8:47 am
Just saying……….and I guess they told you that personally right?
UGa has such a Great Computer Science degree compared to Tech’s program right?
A person SMART enough to know......
June 22nd, 2012
8:48 am
GT71….we beat Clemson 66% of the time.
Jacket Man
June 22nd, 2012
9:23 am
1. There are nine active players in the ACC with 1,000 career rushing yards. Two (2) – Tevin Washington (1,540 yards) and Orwin Smith (1,157) – are Yellow Jackets.
2. There are only three active ACC players with 15 or more career rushing touchdowns: Clemson’s Andre Ellington (25), Tevin Washington (18) and Orwin Smith (15).
Anyone who tries to say Orwin Smith isn’t productive (especially in lieu of the fact he’s been injured since he’s been on campus, and had surgery this winter to mend his toe problem he’s been suffering with for years), is nothing more than a blowhard. This doesn’t even take into his account his receptions or his kickoff return stats, which are also quite impressive.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
June 22nd, 2012
9:27 am
I guess it’s great that all GT fans are so smart and love the academic argument but there isn’t a lot to be excited about from the football program. The Mike Shula years (NCAA issues made it worse for Mike) were tuff and there wasn’t much to look forward to each year since you knew Mike wasn’t a topshelf football coach and even worse as the head admin. Paul is a good coach and does more with less than most anyone but still 7-5 or 8-4 doesn’t sell a lot of tickets. Then again you’re smart! Right.
GTBob
June 22nd, 2012
10:19 am
Paul is a good coach and does more with less than most anyone but still 7-5 or 8-4 doesn’t sell a lot of tickets.
GT going 7-5 or 8-4 or 11-1 will have pretty much no influence on ticket sales. We had better attendance after out 6-7 season then we did after our 11-3 season.
HighTech
June 22nd, 2012
10:21 am
Willie…what do you mean there isn’t a lot to be excited about? Maybe there isn’t enough excitement to incite a fan to kill trees or teabag a passed out drunk, but there is plenty for Tech fans to be excited about, starting with a Labor Day game in Blacksburg, VA. Also, we are not in the Mike Shula years at Tech. That was the Bill Lewis years for us. I agree that winning will sell more tickets.
Rick James
June 22nd, 2012
10:23 am
SMART, you are my new BFF.
Delbert D.
June 22nd, 2012
10:23 am
@”Another kid who is promised for 2013 is Francis Kallon”
Kallon is in school now.
bham dawg
June 22nd, 2012
10:47 am
hahahahahahaha
old dog
June 22nd, 2012
10:50 am
@GT71,
I (even though I am a Dawg) was at the Clemson game where Brent Cunningham ran all over Clemson………..I think it was in ‘70.
Ramblin Man
June 22nd, 2012
11:03 am
Wow Georgie tek you have way to much time on your hands and seem to have a complex when it comes to all things GT. If we are so off your radar then why do so many fans like you spend so much time on GT blogs and looking up things related to GT. Very sad.
kingster
June 22nd, 2012
11:23 am
A Person Smart enough to Know, I’m on your side and I am a Tech fan, I’m pretty sure Jerry Rice attended Mississippi Valley State, he had a quarterback throwing to him by the name of Willie Totten (something like that)
GTMAN
June 22nd, 2012
11:26 am
Not sold on CPJ as a recruiter. I think he needs to be more involved as the head coach, but CPJ is not a great salesman (think about how he compares to Saban or Richt or Fisher or Muschamp).
Great to see the large offensive linemen and if they can move I look forward to watching them play, but how does this square with CPJ previously touting our 2 star OL recruits because we needed short and quick OL for the blocking schemes we use with the spread option attack?
I still believe that it is impossible/extremely rare to find a QB that can truly handle all aspects of this offense. The combination of running ability, ball handling skills, passing accuracy, decision making, and toughness are too difficult for one individual to master. Let’s consider some recent examples:
Tim Tebow – great college QB, but I don’t think he could handle the QB position at Tech
RG3 and Cam – I don’t think either of these super QBs would want to take the punishment of getting hit on just about every play.
Denard Robinson – great runner, but lacks passing accuracy.
Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, Kellen Moore, etc. – great passers, but no way could they handle the running game.
Anyone see a QB out there that could handle all phases of this offense (maybe the Oregon QB?)
MC
June 22nd, 2012
11:44 am
I’d rank it…rank
A person SMART enough to know......
June 22nd, 2012
12:35 pm
Thanks Rick James, you’re my BFF too
Mike
June 22nd, 2012
12:40 pm
I’m not sure why anyone is surprised. Johnson wants to recruit option guys on offense and have on tall receiver he can chuck it to every now and then. Those arent the guys that Saban or Richt or anyone else are after other than the service academies. He will likely get the style of player he wants, but there is a reason they are 4 and 5 star rated.
Its why he has struggled the last few years once Dwyer and Nesbitt leave. If your running an option scheme against teams that are now used to planning for it, you need better athletes than Johnson is getting. His offense isnt shocking anyone anymore. The 4 and 5 star laden defenses he faces every year are keeping him off the scoreboard.
Al Groh’s D isnt good enough to shut most of these teams completely down, so Johnson needs to get more points. Groh should be recruiting better than he is as well. I’m not exactly sure what is going on there.
Tenuta and Gailey had a top 15 class the year before they got canned, and the next one incoming was also projected top 15. You can most definitely recruit well at GT. No excuses there.