Georgia Tech still has two weeks left until its annual white and gold spring game, but today Georgia Tech was hard at work in its first spring scrimmage at Bobby Stadium, with many recruits on the sideline. is.
Following the scrimmage, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key was available to meet with the media and below are some notes and takeaways from today's scrimmage.
1. Key said the Yellow Jackets ran 155 plays during today's scrimmage.
2. Georgia Tech moved a field situation starting at the 20-yard line with a full field of four. In eight series, he had one field goal and seven touchdowns.
3. Key praised the defense a lot today. “So I guess the whole defense really stepped up during that situation. We were able to make some callouts and made some good one-on-one, one-on-one tackles, one-on-one plays. “I thought they did a good job. As the scrimmage went on, I thought our guys up front did a really great job of containing the quarterback. There were some holes there early on. , there was some penetration. We know that was a big, big emphasis every time.''We'll see in a day how we rush in the passing game. So we had the second of his 10 people play his third series. Okay, I was able to cover those things. And Zeke, I thought some of those guys did a great job of doing their jobs and responsibilities within the calls and being able to contain the quarterback and pull him up a few times. ”
4. Ahmari Harvey blocked one field goal and nearly made another.
5. The list of standout players is quite long, but Key mentioned many names today, including some young players. Freshman offensive linemen Jameson Riggs, Tana Aro-Tupuola and Harrison Moore, wide receiver Leo Blackburn, cornerbacks Warren Burrell and Saeed Gibbs, and linebacker Jackson Hamilton. Freshman linebacker/edge Jordan Boyd was also selected by Key to impress today.
6. There's been a lot of emphasis on linebackers this offseason, and Key said Hamilton, Kyle Efford, Trenillias Tatum and freshman Taj Butler are suited for the position today. He also liked the performance of the running backs at different times, citing freshmen Anthony Carey and Chad Alexander as two standouts.
7. I asked Key how his players and coaches are adapting to the new scheme defensively, and here's what he said:
“I'm really happy that they came here as the No. 1 coach, it's a scheme that I'm familiar with, I'm not from, I just watched it in the league for a few years,” and went after them. But in terms of front coverage, it was very similar to the plan that Coach (George) O'Leary ran with forever when he was with me. “You know that's what's expected of you and it really reassures you that it's a good fit for this team. You know, it's about … the balance of offense, defense and kicking game. It's one side. “It's not just about the ball. What's the plan? All the plans have to work together, but they also have to be people-driven. When you say you have a plan on defense, it's the players who execute it. We can't say we don't have that.'' So as we continue to hire towards this plan, we continue to improve it. Play from 2nd to 3rd person. And I thought they really stepped up and did some good things. But like anything, it takes time. But they are, the kids are giving it their all when it comes to coaching. So they're here, they're coming here to get extra time, they're attending meetings. I sit and attend various conferences for days and days and they are attentive and asking questions and being there and being guided and taught. ”
8. Key also had this quote about the number of recruits who watched today's scrimmage:
“I mean, we've had more kids come to campus in the last couple of weeks, and even in recent days, we had so many people come out to practice indoors one day that it was flipped. , we're too close to the limit.'' Coach Ely came to me and said, “Hey, young guy, I remember when we had like 10 guys here, but now we've got like 300 guys. Let us count and calculate our blessings,” Chief. So, no, it was good. It was great to be able to bring the players here. Look, I'm going to get out of here and he's probably going to take five or six weeks to attend individual meetings. It's tonight. You know, we've got the right players for us here and we've got a lot of really good players, but I mean, the worst thing in the world is to brag about being No. 2. Right? It doesn't matter if I'm 10th or last. So that's it for you. Okay, so our job is to recruit the best players at the highest level possible according to our plan, Okay, and the best that fit what we need. This is where Georgia Tech is recruiting players. It's, you know, the level. So, look, in anything in life, where you are, you're still going to be okay, especially in the realm of college football, as long as you stay comfortable where you are. . ”
9. Key praised the two freshman quarterbacks, Graham Knowles and Aaron Philo, and the wide receiver room, which is among the best in the ACC. The freshman quarterback has received plenty of praise from coaches and players alike.
