As you have probably been able to discern from my previous writings (see here, here and here) I really believe Paul Johnson is on the cusp of building a powerhouse at Georgia Tech.
And the guy just keeps giving more reasons to believe—both on and off the field.
Just one month after signing 14 recruits from the state of Georgia for his 2009 recruiting class (a superb in-state class for Tech, given the recent dominance of the Georgia Bulldogs), Johnson has already received commitments from two more in-state talents for his 2010 class. They're pretty good ones, too: Safety Fred Holton picked the Yellow Jackets over Ole Miss and Kansas State, while tailback Charles Perkins accepted Johnson's offer over those from up-and-coming Wake Forest and Vandberbilt.
Johnson clearly has momentum down in Georgia and, as he told the Atlanta Journal Constitution this week, he plans to capitalize on it. Johnson said the 2010 class might be comprised entirely of kids from Georgia.
"The state is very important,” Johnson told the AJC. “We wanted to try to make an emphasis on that, and we have. There’s a chance we may take everybody in-state this year. We may take them all from Georgia.”
In other words, Bulldogs fans, yes, it's time to get nervous.
That is, if you weren't already.
Photo: Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson is giving Georgia fans reason to worry. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Comments
Dude, you’re a dork.
I don’t think many logical Georgia fans should be nervous here. Yeah he might get a few good ones every now and then but the truth is, you’re not going to make it in the NFL playing on a team that uses the triple option, and that is the end goal for these recruits. As long as Mark Richt is Georgia’s head coach, we will continue to have top 10 recruiting classes year in and year out.
Since 2010 recruits can’t sign a National Letter of Intent until February, 2010, Paul Johnson hasn’t ’signed’ any recruits for 2010, nor has any other collegiate Football coach in America.
Hey Tim, how many recruits did Tech get last year who were offered by UGA? One, and he was only offered at the last second so you can’t really even count that one. Johnson might sign 100% of his class from Georgia but that does not mean that he’s getting the best players from the state.
By the way if he’s signed 2010 recruits then he is committing a violation since he can’t sign them for another 11 months or so.
You clearly have ZERO understanding of southern football and of the relationship of UGA to Tech. UGA worries about Tech for part of one day per year. Tech worries about UGA 365 days per year and 24 hours per day.
It is obvious of your true colors Tim. That is okay, enjoy your one victory here and there, we know who truly owns the state and the series for that matter.
Nerds!
You did not hit a nerve. With the level of completion that UGA has to face on the recruiting front GT is a after though. I think it is great that Johnson will recruit all Georgia player’s. He may take one or two from us. He is a long way from being on the same level or having the same resources that UGA has. Georgia does not recruit a person that wants to go play lesser competition? I doubt that is going to be a selling point for Johnson either? The experience at both stadiums and campus is much different. Georgia facility’s out class GT and are about to get a major overhaul. More exposer on Prime time TV. Pro style scheme. UGA takes a good number of Georgia’s top talent. So does Florida, Tennessee, AU, Clemson, Alabama, FSU….. GT fans hate UGA because at the end of the day they know it is Dawg country and tech is and will always be a after thought in this state. They beat us this year so they showed up on the radar but my personal rivals are, uf, AU, UT, LSU, and Clemson, then Tech. I am sure most Dawg fans have at least 3 rivals before tech.
Struck a nerve? LOL. Tech is currently around #9 on our list of teams to worry about. In 2009 the following are more worrisome:
@Florida, LSU, @Tennessee, South Carolina, @OK State, Auburn, @Vandy, @Arkansas. I’d put Tech BARELY ahead of Kentucky and Arizona State.
Have a good one Timmy and thanks for the laugh.
You are a walking contradiction. You must have forgotten you wrote this:
The Tigers finished off a somewhat disappointing season by crushing—and I mean, crushing—Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl.
So watch out everybody. Tim’s ACC superpower will arrive just after LSU finishes picking what’s left of them out of their cleats.
Bravo sir. Bravo. You have walked that road and flourished, and now, without being able to discern a chinstrap from a thigh pad, you sit atop the throne of college football sportswriters through your vaunted position at About.com (The preeminent college football publication). You may not be a unique invention, but you’re like the unique invention that someone improved by putting a clock in it.
If everyone could lay off the profanity, that would be super. This is a family publication.
Meanwhile, on with the debate. My point is simply this: Paul Johnson has won EVERYWHERE he’s been. When the guy arrived at Navy, you cannot comprehend how bad that program was. It was done. Over. Division I-AA (aka FCS) material.
And all Johnson did was turn Navy into a regular bowl team. He dominated the CIC Trophy competition. And, oh yeah, he beat Notre Dame. In South Bend.
He didn’t have great material at Navy and he won. At Tech, he’ll get better material. I think you can see where this is going.
As a Bulldog fan, I welcome a stepped-up rivalry from Tech. That’s the kind of game that should be contested year-in and year-out – I hope that it is.
And I don’t think it’s over-confident to say that I believe UGA will still win most of those games. Until Tech consistently gets top players that Georgia is also pushing hard to get (and I don’t see that happening due to the type of offense Tech runs), I won’t be nervous… just glad to get the rivalry back.
As far as Paul Johnson and the vaunted triple option… time will tell. Let’s give the ACC & UGA a couple years to figure out how to better defend it (like LSU did?) and I think it might just lose some of its luster. But we’ll see.
Maybe it is true that UGA used to worry about tech part of one day a year as commentor “bill” said but the point of this article is that that is going to change. In other words Tech will become the team with the streak that worries about UGA part of one day every year.
Also I love how Tech loses there last game to LSU and everyone points to it as an example as if now anyone can beat them.
I know there are still tons of Tech naysayers who don’t believe but lots of people said Obama would never be president.
To hell with GA! And to hell with rednecks too!
Mark Richt was the QB coach of 2 Heisman QB’s at FSU, also David Greene who has the most wins as a starter in NCAA D-1 history, DJ shockley who sat for 4 years to start for 1 (a 13 win season), and the number one pick in the draft matt stafford. My point is that Tech is one dimensional, they have running backs at qb, which doesnt work if you fall behind.
Good article and on point. You know your over the target (on point) when your taking heavy flak.
paul johnson has already shown he can make a difference in just this little time give him time to recruit his players and see how far we go georgia better be worried were gonna show them in two weeks that last year wasn’t a fluke. And as far as recruiting goes you have to be more then just an athlete to play for tech you have to be able to make the grade something georgia players dont know much about.