Swarm247 Board

Really? You honestly think that? How many ESPN150 recruits have we gotten compared to those schools? I'm not saying we could be getting more and just aren't, but the talent difference is decent. Just look at Michael Dyer and Marcus Lattimore compared to the RBs we brought in and redshirted for a position where we have 3 spots. Don't mistake me for thinking I don't think we have talent or event decent talent; we do. And we're getting better. But those in the top 5 in the recruiting rankings do truly have more talented players than we do. Luckily we tend to have better discipline and coaching than they do.

The EXACT reason that excites you, worries me. He's a walk-on that none of our chosen linemen can beat out. Now, would he be playing if Howard and Yarnell and Barrick were still there? Don't know, but we were complaining about them at one time, dreaming of the day when "Paul-by-gawd-Johnson's" lineman would arrive. Well, seems to me they are here now, on the bench, watching Tyler Kidney.

Yes I do. We haven't gotten nearly as many ESPN150 recruits as them; however much you value recruiting services is up to you, but my point is here: Among the BCS conferences, the difference between non-ESPN150 talent and ESPN150 talent is slim. They're picking the best out of the Division I athletes, who are all very elite athletes to begin with. It's like picking one brand of champagne over another. You may get the cheaper bottle, but it's still champagne.

Let's take Mr. Heisman trophy Mark Ingram and compare him to Jonathan Dwyer and Anthony Allen:

Ingram: 215 lbs, 4.62 40 yard dash, 1678 yards, 6.1 Avg, 17 TDs
Dwyer: 235 lbs, 4.59 40 yard dash, 1395 yards, 7.0 Avg, 12 TDs
Allen: 230 lbs, 4.45 40 yard dash, 1316 yards, 5.5 Avg, 7 TDs

I took Ingram & Dwyers numbers from 2009 when they won their awards (Heisman & ACC POTY), and Allen from 2009. All 40 yard dashes are from the NFL combine. Anyway, all are great running backs, wouldn't you agree? Ingram has more yards, but Dwyer's average was better. Funny, I'd say between the three, the difference is marginal.

I don't understand the argument here. It is pure fantasy to say Georgia Tech gets, or has ever gotten, comparable talent via recruiting. His Alabama example is ludicrous. The perfect comparison is Chris Jackson. Jackson could not see the field in Tuscaloosa, and when he transferred to Tech he was projected to not only be a starter, but to be an exemplary starter (sic).

You are absolutely right --we can compete but we have a markedly different equation for success. We will never trot out fifty superior athletes compared to our competition. This is just a hunch, but in terms of athletes most years we are closer in overall quality to Duke or even Middle Tennessee than we are to Georgia or FSU.

Field a TOP TEN defense? When have we EVER had a top 10 defense?
If we get a top25 defense I'll be estatic because there is nothing to show in past 2 yrs that PJ can put a decent defense on the field.We can give every excuse in the book but the defenses have STUNK.

No matter how much we ignore it there is a good chance that practicing vs our Offense and PLAYERS does HURT our defense.When you have a terrible passing game(bad passers and WRs) you can't get use to playing good pass defense for example-
AND that doesn't even get into practicing vs the TO .

so yes it is pie in the sky without a 5 star recruit at DL.LB and DB every yr .

i'll give you this, alaguy. you're really passionate in your posts. but, you're just as delusional, too.

so, we have to recruit at least THREE 5-star defensive players at DL, LB and DB every recruiting class? you must know something we don't know! do you think 5-star defensive athletes grow on trees? saban at AL, richt in athens, tressel at ohio state, notre dame and USC don't even do that year in and out!

guess what? TCU had the best defense in the land last year and hasn't had a 5-star recruit as far as i can ever tell at defense. shoot, they don't have but two or three 4-star defensive recruits over the past 5 or so years.

having a killer D is pie in the sky for EVERYONE across the nation, i suppose, cause nobody recruits as you suggest CPJ would have to do in order to break into the top ten on D. if you're gonna suggest a benchmark CPJ must attain, can you at least use one that's plausible for a human to achieve?

that's a completely fair post and i couldn't agree more. CPJ's the head coach and it's his responsibility to field a complete team on both sides of the ball. i certainly don't give him a pass on how bad our D has been.

having said that, he's shown through our recruiting the past few years he's serious about solidifying this defense. we desperately need to get a pipeline of NTs, though. that's a keystone for the 3-4.

while i know groh is touted as some kinda 3-4 guru, etc. i'm still holding out judgement. if he's truly as good as folks say he is, i'm expecting to see some of that translate to the field in his second season. we'll see soon enough.

i don't judge groh on last year's D. and, i believe he knows what he's doing. but, we DO need the necessary pieces to complete the puzzle on this 3-4 defense.

we have GOT to hold our own on the DL. i'm genuinely concerned we'll have issues with our front 3. last year, we got absolutely no pressure on the opposing QB. of course, in part that can be attributable to the new scheme. but, we don't have a proven, "big ugly" at NT and that's vital in the 3-4. there's only so much "coaching up" groh, or anyone else, can do.

I didn't declare him a fraud. I said I had a nagging concern that he might be, and I hoped the hell not. But getting in done in the pros where you go out and get the personnel you need and then show them how to do it, and doing it in college are two vastly different deals. Ask Charlie Weiss. What did you see last year that has got you convinced that we will be lights out on defense this year? I saw "some" improvement, but even that wasn't consistent week-to-week. We still had the same problems late in the year that we showed against Kansas. Many were personnel related, but we have not improved our personnel significantly. We are not about to completely shutdown VPI, Georgia, Clempsen, Miami, or UNC. When we get to that stage, then we'll have something to crow about. I think we are still going to be operating as a team that has to score 30 points a game to have a chance.

You aren't helping your argument as Dwyer was one of the most sought after running backs in the country his senior year of HS and was rated as a 4-star recruit by every major recruiting service.