Sunday, January 20, 2008

Football Tidbits

JACKETS NAB SOME NEW RECRUITS
The Jackets landed a couple of new recruits this weekend- another QB (Tevin Washington) and a big O-lineman (Phil Smith, 6'6" 290lb). Tevin is of course a dual-threat guy. So the class continues to fill up - and I believe this is commit #16. Expect for us to sign 18-20 kids this year, even though there are plenty more free rides available. However, I expect a plus-size class next year, with a handful coming into next spring early counting against this year's class. We'll see. However, it's just not realistic to expect a guy who has had the job only a few weeks to pull in some great recruiting class. The job was to secure the kids they wanted to keep that were already committed, stay hot on the uncommitted kids we wanted all along, then go find some QB's and skill position players to fit the triple-option offense.


QB SITUATION CHANGES FOR 2008
Just FYI - some QB changes in the air. Kyle Manley is done with his football career. He will graduate and not pursue another year. In addition, Taylor Bennett will not be on scholarship for the 2008 season apparently. It appears he's probably going to finish his degree here (as he said himself in a previous AJC article), and may transfer to Boise or some other school to finish his final year of eligibility. However, rules prohibit him from going to a 1A school without sitting out a year without some type of hardship waiver from the NCAA. Since he's had a redshirt year, he wouldn't have any eligibility left. For Jacket fans - the bottom-line is he won't be in a Jacket uniform next season.

So here's the QB situation:

Calvin Booker - earned a scholarship recently (congrats)
Josh Nesbitt - a clear leader?
Jaybo Shaw - a true freshman who runs option.
Tevin Washington - true freshman

THREE JACKETS HEADED TO SUPERBOWL
Well how about that - Gerris Wilkinson, James Butler and Michael Matthews are headed to the Superbowl as their Giants knocked off Brett Favre and the Packers. Congrats. For me, it just solidifies who I am rooting for. Wouldn't it be a monumental upset to take down the evil empire of New England?