Question for Recruiting Historians

J

jacketup

Damn Good Rat
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GT signed 7 OL over the last two years, and at least a couple of the D line signees will probably go over to the OL.

When was the last time GT signed 7 or more OL in a 2 year period?

The reason I ask: Lewis had an abysmal record at both signing and keeping OL. O'Leary never caught up with the numbers either, as is evidenced by no RS for Wallace, Tidwell-Neal and Dorsey.

Signing OL numbers does not tend to help your "star rankings", but it sure helps on the field.
 
I Can Help

In 1996, we signed 9 unheralded or semi-heralded offensive linemen, Key, King, Brown, Burks, Castro, Bledsoe, Knapp, Mitchell, and Madigan. That class was better known for Quincy Carter and Chris Edwards, both 5 stars by the services. But I think it was the net effort of those offensive linemen that laid the foundation for a very successful GT run in future years.

Brent Key was 1 or 2 stars, depending on who you asked, and he was a 4 year starter. Noah King was missed by the recruiting services until after we were all over him, and he was eventually rated 3 stars. Chris Brown was 3 stars, and please remember 3 stars then would have been 2 stars in 2004. Tim Castro was probably the highest ranked of the OL bunch at 3+, and he would have been a good one at GT if he had not gotten lovesick.

The class was also significant that we opened up slices of rural south Georgia that were formerly unavailable to us. Thanks, Larry New.

Many striking similarities between 1996, O'Leary's 2nd full year, and 2004, Gailey's 2nd full year.
 
Can you expound on that last statement?

The statement comparing O'Leary's 2nd year to Gailey's 2nd year. I wasn't around to know what O'Leary's 2nd year was like.
 
I guess 97 would be his 2nd class.

Here are 97 and 98.
1998

Ashley, Pat DL – USA Today Hon Men., Super Preps #16 player in NY
Brown, Tim DL – Super Preps #18 player in SC
Burns, Joe RB – Super Prep A.A., USA T. GA P-O-Y, AJC Super 11
Campbell, Kelly WR – AJC Top 50 in GA
Clinkscale, Gordon RB – USA Today Hon Men., AJC Top 50 in GA
Crenshaw, Jermaine QB – USA T. Hon Men., Prep Star #6 QB in SE, 5-A Bama P-O-Y
Echols, Berwin DT
Henderson, Ashley OL
Hester, Marvious DB-ATH – Super Preps #78 player in Dixie, AJC Top 50 in GA
Hughley, Kelvin LB – USA Today Hon Men.
Josephson, Andy DE (JUCO)
Lee, Brian TE – Super Preps #108 player in Dixie
Thomas, Derrick LB
Vaitekunas, Dustin OL – Prep Star #10 OL in ACC, Top 100 in SC
Watkins, Kerry WR – Super Preps #16 WR in nation, Super Preps A.A., NRA’s #10 WR in US
Young, Chris DB

1997

Byrne, Michael OT – AJC Top 50 in GA
Carman, Jon OT (JUCO)
Corhen, Bryan DL – Super Preps #19 DL in nation, AJC Top 50 in GA
Godsey, George QB – Super Preps #83 player in FLA
Gregory, Sean RB
Jones, Rashad WR – Super Preps #20 WR in nation, AJC Top 100 in South
Kemble, Jason TE
Kryzon, Guenther DL – Parade A.A., Super Preps #35 DL in nation
Long, Josh QB
Matvay, Russell TE – Super Preps #2 TE in nation
Meager, Brian DE – Super Preps #26 player in PA
Miller, Matt LB – Super Preps #7 player in Dixie, AJC Super 11
Mitchell, Ross LB – Super Preps #83 player in Dixie
Moody, Jesse OT – USA Today Hon Men., Super Preps #22 in PA
Rogers, Nick RB-FB
Uremovich, Matt ILB – Blue Chips 1st Team All-Midwest
Watson, Merrix DL
White, Dez WR-DB – Lemming #4 WR in South, AJC Top 100 in South
Wilder, Ed FB – Super Preps #10 player in Dixie, AJC Super 11
 
Very interesting, GTDean . . .

It sounds like we had a really good recruiting year in '97 coming off our worst season under O'Leary in '96 (5-6). Just looking at the accolades on your list, and translating them into what they'd be on Rivals/The Insiders, I'd say Dez White, Ed Wilder and Matt Miller would all have been 4 stars. Kryszon, Matvay and Jones would have all been 3 stars. Bryan Corhen would probably have been 3 star on at least one of either rivals or the insiders.
 
Re: Very interesting, GTDean . . .

In our minds they would have been ranked that high.
But in the minds of Rivals and Insiders, take a star off of each one.
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Those 2 recruiting classes.....

set the stage, along with Joe H's class, for the great run we had with Joe and Fridge on offense.

Bobby Ross' classes leading up to the MNC were also terrific.

The consistent threads were the OL depth and a sprinkling of quality skill players. The key to maintaining very good OL play was to have interchangeable parts. Whenever a top OL graduated or got hurt, an upperclassman always seemed to be available to step in and perform.

Fewer numbers limited that practice on the DL, and academics or injury seemed to cripple us whenever kids would reach maturity in their 2nd and 3rd years. Berwin Echols and Guenther Kryszon come to mind first.

I hope CCG will understand that we have to recruit the numbers to create and maintain depth on both lines.

IMO, they don't have to be big stars. Having good, mature upperclassmen available is better than having to use celebrated frosh.
 
Those 2 recruiting classes.....

[ QUOTE ]

..The consistent threads were the OL depth and a sprinkling of quality skill players. The key to maintaining very good OL play was to have interchangeable parts. Whenever a top OL graduated or got hurt, an upperclassman always seemed to be available to step in and perform...

..I hope CCG will understand that we have to recruit the numbers to create and maintain depth on both lines...

..IMO, they don't have to be big stars. Having good, mature upperclassmen available is better than having to use celebrated frosh.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for making that point.

I think Chan's demonstrating a real talent and savvy for the recruiting game. This most recent class is so exciting I can hardly wait for the next one!
 
Re: Those 2 recruiting classes.....

[ QUOTE ]
set the stage, along with Joe H's class, for the great run we had with Joe and Fridge on offense.

Bobby Ross' classes leading up to the MNC were also terrific.

The consistent threads were the OL depth and a sprinkling of quality skill players. The key to maintaining very good OL play was to have interchangeable parts. Whenever a top OL graduated or got hurt, an upperclassman always seemed to be available to step in and perform.

Fewer numbers limited that practice on the DL, and academics or injury seemed to cripple us whenever kids would reach maturity in their 2nd and 3rd years. Berwin Echols and Guenther Kryszon come to mind first.

I hope CCG will understand that we have to recruit the numbers to create and maintain depth on both lines.

IMO, they don't have to be big stars. Having good, mature upperclassmen available is better than having to use celebrated frosh.

[/ QUOTE ]

very good point. don't forget matt uremovich (sp?)as well.
 
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