A sneak peek into the future of the Yellow Jackets football and analysis of what they bring to the table for Georgia Tech.
While these players may seem a tad under the radar, Paul Johnson and his crew have a knack for finding just the right players for his system. Here is the breakdown and analysis of a few players from the class.
2017 Offensive Commits
Offensive Line
Michael Minihan OG ***
St. Louis School (Honolulu, HI)
6’3″ 284lbs
40 Time: 5.36 ¤
Bench Max: 335 lbs ¤
Squat Max: 570 lbs ¤
Deadlift: 595 lbs ¤
Pros: This man has EXCELLENT footwork in pass blocking. He blocks aggressively and knows how to finish off blocks. Minihan has few issues with making blocks in the second level which is crucial for Paul Johnson triple option to work. He appears to have a fairly lean frame and carries it well on the field.
Cons: Minihan needs to improve his hip flexibility to be an effective blocker at the college level. Played tackle in high school, but he will need to transition to guard due to his stature.
Summary: I like this fit for Johnson’s style of blocking. Minihan is already an athletic and talented blocker. Moving him inside to be a pull blocker and a second level guy could really utilize his talents.
Zach Quinney OG ***
Savannah Christian Prep (Savanah, GA)
6’5″ 265lbs
40 Time: 5.00
Bench Max: 320 lbs
Squat Max: 400 lbs
Deadlift: N/A
Pros: Really nice technique as a run blocker. He explodes off of the line and stays low at the point of attack while keeping his hands inside the shoulder pads. Shows great athleticism as a downfield blocker.
Cons: The guy needs to gain 20+ pounds to be an effective blocker. He’s not really used to blocking larger players, and needs to improve his strength and footwork to do so.
Summary: Quinney will have to get bigger and stronger to be an impacting lineman. He’s a solid player, but I would recommend redshirting a year.
Conner Hansen OC ***
Lawton Chiles (Tallahassee, FL)
6’2″ 325lbs
40 Time: 5.22
Bench Max: 355 lbs
Squat Max: 520 lbs
Deadlift: 545 lbs
Pros: Great combination of size and athleticism. Shows good stamina and versatility as he played guard, center, and nose tackle for his team.
Cons: Doesn’t really jump off of the tape. Doesn’t finish off blocks well, and needs to be more of a snap to whistle blocker. Relies too much on his size and natural ability as opposed to technique to make his blocks.
Summary: This kid could be a monster for the Yellow Jackets. He only needs to sharpen his technique and be more aggressive. While I listed a lot of cons for him, these things are things that I’m sure coach Johnson and crew can help him with easily.
Running Backs
Jerry Howard RB ***
Northwestern (Rockhill, SC)
6’1″ 210 lbs
40 Time: 4.54
Bench Max: 305 lbs
Squat Max: 445 lbs
Deadlift: N/A
Pros: This guy is perfect B-Back material for Paul Johnson’s offense. He’s a Great downhill runner that keeps his feet moving through contact. Not only does he have good explosion at the line, but he also has enough speed to burn secondaries. Howard is a capable pass catcher out of the backfield as well.
Cons: He’s not an elite blocker by any stretch. Howard needs to learn to chop block seeing Johnson’s offense thrives when everyone blocks their guys.
Summary: Could he be another freshman star for Paul Johnson? My heart wants to say yes, but my brain says redshirt him a year. With Dedrick Mills and Clinton Lynch already established as a potent one-two punch, waiting a year will do wonders for Howard’s career. I don’t see why he’s a two star guy with his size, strength, speed, and catching ability, but I guess that’s why I don’t make the big bucks.
Athletes
Tobias Oliver ATH(QB/WR/AB) **
Northside (Warner Robins, GA)
6’2″ 175 lbs
40 Time: 4.48
Bench Max: 265 lbs
Squat Max: 375 lbs
Deadlift: N/A
Pros: Tobias is a tough, aggressive runner despite his lean build. He has a keen eye for reading the defense while running the triple option, and times pitches really well. When throwing deep across the middle, he really drives off of his back foot giving it plenty of zip. His height could really be an advantage in the passing game for Tech
Cons: If he’s gonna play quarterback for Paul Johnson, hes gonna need to put on a few more pounds. He played almost entirely out of the shotgun in his high school career, so he will need to learn to play under center. Tobias has a tendency to throw off of his back foot on shorter passes which gives the defense a better chance to make a play.
Summary: Oliver has a lot of potential as a triple option quarterback. He has a very similar playing style as Justin Thomas with a longer frame. While I doubt he will get the starting job his freshman year, he will definitely heat up the quarterback competition at Tech.
2017 Defensive Commits
Defensive Backs
Tre Swilling DB ****
Brother Martin (New Orleans, LA)
6’0″ 180 lbs
40 time: 4.5
Vertical: 38.5″
Pros: Tre Swilling is a long, athletic corner back. He uses his length and speed to bait quarterbacks into throwing passes he can easily break up. He makes excellent breaks on short routes, and runs stride for stride with receivers effortlessly.
Cons: He needs to get better at getting a hand on the ball. Just being tight on the receiver won’t cut it against elite college receivers.
Summary: Tre has a high ceiling, and if he continues to improve his game, he will be an impact player sooner rather than later.
Jaytlin Askew DB ****
McEachern (Powder Springs, GA)
5’9″ 170 lbs
40 time: 4.36
Vertical: 39″
Pros: This guys is scary fast and has great footwork to boot. He has incredible hands for a corner back and is adept at baiting the quarterback and high pointing the ball. Askew isn’t afraid of contact and is a solid tackler. Also he could be a dynamic kick returner for Tech with his speed and agility.
Cons: His height could play a factor in his ability to guard taller receivers. He has a tendency to overplay routes and sometimes lets the receiver get inside and/or under him. His athleticism keeps this from being a problem for him in high school, but college QB’s will exploit that flaw in his game.
Summary: This guy is a freakish athlete that is an interception machine. With some fine-tuning to his game, he could be a great lock down corner.
Gentry Bonds DB ***
Riverdale (Mufreesbor, TN)
6’0″ 192 lbs
40 time: N/A
Vertical: N/A
Pros: Ouch! This kid knows how to use his size that’s for sure. His size and physicality as a corner make him excellent in run support, but I see him transitioning to a head-hunting safety role like Corey Griffin or AJ Gray.
Cons: Bonds has relatively slow feet for a corner. His long striding running style serves him well in covering deep routes, but he is normally a tad late on curl routes and comebacks (although you can bet he will still bring the boom if the receiver catches it).
Summary: Bonds looks like a future safety or possibly a nickel corner. He has great size and hits with plenty of pop.
Dameon Williams DB ***
Norcross (Norcross, GA)
5’11” 170 lbs
40 time: 4.5
Vertical: N/A
Pros: I get tired just watching this guy play! His physicality in press coverage appears to be in the elite category, and his hard hitting style of play makes him a scary guy to run up with for sure. This cat can bring the pain!
Cons: He is a tad on the lighter side, and tends to tackle a bit high. He doesn’t have trouble bringing guys down, it’s just in college that often leads to an ejection for targeting.
Summary: Williams is a tough, physical corner that plays great man coverage and knows how to make earth-shaking tackles in space. This guy could easily fit in as a nickel corner role with his tackling ability.
Linebackers
Bruce Jordan-Swilling (Brother of Tre Swilling) OLB ****
Brother Martin (New Orleans, LA)
6’0″ 215 lbs
40 time: 4.57 ¤
Bench: N/A
Squat: N/A
Pros: This kid is really athletic. He’s the number 13 OLB in the nation, and on top of that he also played running back and returned kicks for his team.
Cons: There is not a lot of tape on him playing linebacker, still his athleticism is evident, and there must be a reason why he so highly touted as a linebacker.
Summary: Jordan-Swilling really athletic guy that could be a real weapon in this 4-2-5 defense of Ted Roof.
TD Roof (Son of Ted Roof) ILB ***
Buford (Buford, GA)
5’11” 200 lbs
40 time: N/A
Bench: N/A
Squat: N/A
Pros: This guy can HIT! TD Roof is another uber athletic linebacker that played running back, special teams, and linebacker for his school. This guy knows how to tackle and puts a lot of pop behind his pads.
Cons: His is a bit small for a linebacker, but he will more than likely catch up once he gets to Tech. No applicable measureables are available for Roof, but his tape speaks for its self.
Summary: He looks like another athletic linebacker that will fit well in his father’s defense. His explosiveness and versatility will make him a weapon for the Ramblin’ Wreck.
Defensive Line
Cortez Alston WDE ***
Westminster School (Atlanta, GA)
6’3″ 250 lbs
40 time: 4.7
Bench: N/A
Squat: N/A
Pros: Alston has the right size for a 4 or 5 technique defensive end. He plays smart, and doesn’t get caught over pursing the ball carrier. He also has little issues breaking blocks to make tackles in the run game.
Cons: The guy has little explosiveness off the snap. His tape seems to show he has a lack of violence at the point of attack, and difficulty getting off of blocks to get in the backfield.
Summary: Alston needs to be more aggressive. He has the size, the coaches at Tech will help him with improving his athleticism, and when they get that combo rolling, he’ll be a nice defensive end.
LINK
https://armchairallamericans.com/georgia...s-offense/
Link
https://armchairallamericans.com/georgia...s-defense/