What will be the defense’s identity be in 2024?
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Anuj Bhyravabhotla: Having been through a season and a half with Brent Key, I decided to go back and watch film from before. Something I noticed was in the three years preceding Key, we didn’t have an identity. I know I touched on this in 2019, but it never seemed to be addressed outside of “run the ball with Gibbs?” or some form of “we have really good talent, we’ll win out” or something like that. To a lesser extent that was the case during Key’s time as interim and I felt the team grew out of it. This year, however, I really felt we had an identity, at least on offense, which is definitely something missing since the days of Paul Johnson. I think the difference was the playcalling; whereas the previous regime would call some concepts to success and then abandon them for long stretches of time, Buster Faulkner really seemed to lean into what worked and make an effort to showcase the team’s strength (or, well, speed). How else do you explain all the swing passes and sweeps that we ran to great success only to punch teams in the mouth with a long run up the middle from either Haynes or King? Not to mention the deep shots to Singleton we got off of all that.
Which begs the question; what will our identity on defense be? In previous years it seemed like the linebacker position (specifically Charlie Thomas) was the heart and soul of the defense, especially when I expected the secondary to be strong. That certainly didn’t seem like the case last year.
Ben: With a completely overhauled defensive coaching staff, I don’t think we can prescribe what the identity will be. What do I want it to be? More than anything, I want our defense to just play solid fundamentals and not make stupid mistakes. Beyond that, I expect the secondary will continue to be a strength of the team.
Jeff: Coach Santucci was brought in as the defensive coordinator from Duke who has served under Coach Mike Elko as position coach for linebackers at Texas A&M and Duke and then last year as the coordinator for Duke. I’m not well-studied on what type of defense they ran and how much had Coach Elko’s style on it but I assume Coach Santucci will try to mirror it. I feel Santucci is very similar in style to Coach Key in how he wants his front to have a reputation for being very physical and maybe a little nasty.
DressHerInWhiteAndGold: Thoughts on reining in P5 overspending by requiring matching funds to athletes based on how much generational wealth schools spend on CEO coaches and Taj Mahal facilities? Looking at you Buckey, Rawl Tahde and aTm.
Does this help preserve/restore our beautiful games?
Ben: Some schools would make it happen though, so you’d be up the river without a paddle.
Jeff: I think you see the facilities race pulled back since that isn’t the driving force as it was before open pay. Usually, that was part of the lifestyle a program offered before was swanky facilities, but I don’t think you see the waterfalls in the locker room anymore. As for requiring anything, there is no one there to enforce it so no.
GTSMURF: The urinal and constipation, i.e., the ajc, reported that CDS and MBB are pursuing an Italian player to be added to the roster. I don’t pay to read that paper, so can you give us some scoop on this “Italian star?”
Ben: There’s no need or reason to put down the AJC here. Further, I’m not going to post information that’s behind a paywall. Anyway, it doesn’t look like it’s behind a paywall right now anyway.
Jellopacket98: Brent Key went 4-4 and 6-6 (plus 1-0 in a bowl), so he’s 10-10 in the regular season with some really nice wins and some really bad losses (and let’s be honest, that Miami win was a gift from the Gods).
GT has a brutal schedule this year with people tagging us with 3 losses out of the gate (FSU, Notre Dame, UgA).
If we go 6-6 again, do we start to worry about Key or do we still feel like he’s the guy regardless?
Ben: Probably not this season. This is a difficult schedule, so I wouldn’t be upset about 6-6, although I certainly hope for better results than that.
Jeff: I’d be ok at 6-6 as long as they stay competitive and there isn’t a loss to GA State or VMI…or North Carolina out of principle. I will say FSU is ripe for a gotcha game being an opener in Ireland with a ton of turnover so maybe GT pulls that one off. I’m not convinced Notre Dame is much better on offense with Riley Leonard but that defense is pretty nasty.
Partywaggin: In the vein of GTSMURF’s question, where the ESPN Insider story peg Tech’s QB situation?
Ben: In the same vein of my answer to that question, I’m not going to post information that’s behind a paywall.
YankeeJacket: Another schedule question/comment:
For the last few years our schedule has been brutal to the third degree (GT grads understand that concept), but this year’s schedule seems surprisingly hard (maybe only brutal squared).
1. Opening in Ireland against Florida State (Yes FS doesn’t have a lot of people from last year but they should be very good and physical). Loss
2. Fly home from cold and wet Dublin to take on Georgia State in hot and steamy Atlanta only six days later. It is a night game but could be an upset.
3. Next week They go to Syracuse for a road game in the dome. Always tricky.
4. VMI. Win
5. At Louisville. Loss
6. Duke. Should be a win… maybe
At this point halfway through the season they hopefully will be 4-2, but could be 2-4. They probably will be 3-3.
7-12 At NC, Notre Dame, at Virginia Tech (sleeper team), Miami, NC State and Georgia.
That back end looks like 1-5 at best. It could easily be 0-6
For an all too familiar “Football Not Found” season of 3-9.
Please tell me why that is not going to happen.
Ben: I mean this is a pretty pessimistic view of how the season could play out, but I don’t know that it’s unreasonable. What I’ll say is this: Brent Key is a great motivator. The players want to be there and consistently give their best under him. Because of that, Key’s Yellow Jackets have consistently exceeded expectations. I see no reason why that should change this year.
Jeff: First off, are all GT Grads Masonic? Now, let’s be clear. This is Georgia Tech and I have seen stupid stuff benefit and befall our Yellow Jackets, but let’s assume each game is both teams playing to their average. That would have losses to UGA, Notre Dame, and FSU if they don’t wet the bed in the opener. You should win VMI and Georgia State. Georgia State has a first-time head coach who hasn’t been a coordinator and he came in late and has one of the thinnest rosters in the FBS. Just don’t even think about it. Quit thinking Syracuse or Duke shouldn’t be wins. Duke has lost all their offensive production to transfers and Syracuse has got some transfer “potential” but hasn’t proven anything. Oh, and their QB who was average at Ohio State doesn’t have a host of NFL talent around him. Louisville should be equal to Georgia Tech and even though Virginia Tech is getting the early hype they had a total of 0 regular season wins against a team above .500. The Tar Heels hired Geoff Collins to run defense on an already abysmal defensive team. I want 60+ on them this year. NC State is going to be very good and will probably beat Tech most weeks. Miami has all the talent to win big, but yeah wake me up when it happens.