August 17, 2016
In This Issue
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2016 TECH
TRAINING CAMP
Georgia Tech Football: Key Position Battles - B-back
Marcus Marshall with brother Keith, now with the Washington Redskins
Last season, Paul Johnson faced an empty cupboard at one of the most vital positions in his offense. While there were several B-backs on the roster, not a single one had taken a snap at the position in a college game. Compounding the issue, CJ Leggett and Quaide Weimerskirch suffered injuries that would ultimately hold them out of the 2015 season. Graduate Transfer Patrick Skov stepped in as a veteran presence, but even he had never been a B-back. Skov, Marcus Marshall, and Marcus Allen were left to carry one of the biggest burdens in the flexbone offense.
When the (3 yards and a cloud of) dust settled, 2015 was the worst season at the position under Johnson. Skov and Allen had injury issues during the second half of the season. Marshall battled through issues with ball security and blocking, and while he improved towards the end of the year, it was too little too late for 2015.
This year, the experience isn't much better. Marshall was the team's leading rusher last year, but Skov is gone, and Allen didn't get a ton of reps. To top things off, Leggett is off the team after once being the heir apparent at the position two years ago. So, who will carry the offense this year? Let's take a look at the options.
"Grizzled Vets"
While it's hard to call a true sophomore an experienced veteran, Marshall is just that compared to those with whom he is competing. His 649 rush yards were far beyond Allen's 166, and he was third on the team in carries behind QB Justin Thomas and Skov.
While Marshall's top end speed is good, his biggest asset is his burst when accelerating. In my write up on Marshall's season, I showed that he was quicker through the mesh than Synjyn Days or Zach Laskey in 2014. Using his burst and speed, Marshall had the highest yards-per-carry over an entire season of any Georgia Tech B-back. Ever. While the explosion was there, Marshall needs to work on being a more efficient runner, and will also need to improve on his ball security and blocking.
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20 Former Yellow Jackets Were On The Field Last Week In The NFL's First Pre-Season Games
The NFL began their 2016-17 Pre-Season this week with a total of 25 players who used to play on The Flats for Georgia Tech.
Four from that list were on last season's Yellow Jackets team.
The
NFC South has the second most former Tech players with five. On the Falcons, you'll find OLB
Phillip Wheeler. Undrafted rookie FS
Jamal Golden is on the Saints. DB
Lou Young and WR
Stephen Hill are both on Carolina. And Tampa Bay has
Daryl Smith.
The NFC West 49ers have WR DeAndre Selter. FB Zach Laskey is with the new Los Angeles Rams.
In the NFC North, OLB Brandon Watts is on the Vikings. DB Isaiah Johnson plays with the Detroit and SS Morgan Burnett is in Green Bay.
Several teams have no former Jackets. But the division with the least is the NFC East with just one, G Andrew Gardner, in Philadelphia.
There are more former Jackets in the AFC West than any other division with six (half, on the Super Bowl Champion Broncos). DT Adam Gotsis is in his first season joining former Jackets WR Demaryius Thomas and DE Vance Walker.
CB
D.J. White is a rookie on the Chiefs with OLB
Tyler Marcordes and OLB
Jeremiah Attaochu both in San Diego.
In the AFC North, TE Darren Waller plays for Baltimore. Rookie RB Patrick Skov is in Cleveland and DE Michael Johnson plays with Cincinnati.
The AFC South finds OLB Derrick Morgan playing OLB for Tennessee.
DB Chris Milton is a rookie with Indianapolis.
Finally, the AFC East has OG Shaq Mason with New England. CB Mario Butler and DT T.J. Barnes are in Buffalo.
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Clark and Schniederjans look to kick-start a big year for Tech at U.S. Amateur
One day after watching former Georgia Tech star
Matt Kuchar played the round of his life to an Olympic bronze medal, current Yellow Jackets
James Clark and
Luke Schniederjans began trying to follow in his footsteps at the U.S. Amateur.
Kuchar won that prestigious title in 1997. He fired a career-best 63 Sunday as golf returned to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.
Clark, who will be a junior when class begins next Monday, and Schniederjans, a freshman, began the U.S. Amateur chase at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., each for the first time.
Just making the 312-golfer field is a big deal, and Clark was excited to take on the North course Monday afternoon.
"I've played both the North and South. The greens are really slopey, and they have different shelves. It makes you be creative around the greens," he said. "You can roll balls, fly balls. That's what makes golf really fun. It's long and the rough sticks; it's really penal."
Schniederjans, whose brother Ollie put together one of the greatest careers in Tech history from 2011-15 on The Flats, punched his ticket to Michigan by winning the U.S. Amateur qualifier at Horseshoe Bend Country Club in July with rounds of 65-69.
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Andy Demetra Named New "Voice of the Yellow Jackets"
Andy Demetra, a 13-year broadcasting veteran who has been the voice of South Carolina men's basketball and baseball since 2009, has been hired as Georgia Tech's new play-by-play announcer, deputy athletics director
Brett  Daniels announced on Monday.
Demetra, 35, will serve as the "Voice of the Yellow Jackets" for football and men's basketball radio broadcasts on the Georgia Tech IMG Sports Network, beginning with Tech's Sept. 3 football opener versus Boston College in Dublin, Ireland. Demetra will also host the Yellow Jackets' football and men's basketball coach's shows on both radio and television, emcee GTAA events and have a role in other Georgia Tech broadcasting and publicity initiatives.
"We're excited to have Andy join our broadcast team," Daniels said. "Over the years, Georgia Tech has been fortunate to have some of the best play-by-play announcers in the business. We believe that our fans will feel the same about Andy, as he is one of the industry's top young broadcasters. He brings a tremendous amount of experience in collegiate athletics and a reputation as one of the hardest workers in broadcasting."
At South Carolina, Demetra was the play-by-play voice of men's basketball and baseball for seven seasons on the 28-station Gamecock IMG Sports Network. His USC career was highlighted by calling the Gamecocks' baseball national championships in 2010 and 2011. In addition to his radio duties, he also served as the play-by-play announcer for South Carolina telecasts, including football, on Fox Sports Southeast.
In all, Demetra spent 10 seasons as a member of the South Carolina broadcast team, beginning his career as the play-by-play voice of Gamecock women's basketball from 2003-06. He was honored as the South Carolina Broadcasters Association Radio Sportscaster of the Year in 2005 and 2006, becoming the youngest recipient in the 60-year history of the award.
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Freshman Jalen Camp Continues To Impress at GT
Freshman wide receiver
Jalen Camp has been opening eyes during the first week of camp.
Camp, a 6-foot-2, 213-pound freshman from South Forsyth in Cumming, could end up working his way into the regular rotation.
"Jalen has made some nice catches," head coach Paul Johnson said. "He's strong. His body is not that of a normal freshman. He's a big, strong kid."
Camp's father, Richard Camp, played football at West Georgia and is a personal trainer. It's obvious that Jalen has been a beneficiary.
"He's an athletic kid," Johnson said. "Hopefully he can transition into play."
Camp had 84 catches and 25 touchdowns in his final two seasons of high school. He averaged 17.4 yards per catch as a senior, when he had 15 touchdowns.
Redshirt junior Ricky Jeune and sophomore Brad Stewart are the two starters, with redshirt junior Antonio Messick and sophomore Mikel Lands-Davis currently at No. 2 on the depth chart. Redshirt freshmen Christian Philpott and Harland Howell and freshmen Stephen Dolphus and freshman Jair Hawkins-Anderson are also competing for time.
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Josh Pastner: New standards, clear vision should elate Georgia Tech
fan base
People often underestimate how hard it is to follow a legend. No matter the sport or the
 profession, having to come after anyone widely considered one of the very best at whatever s/he does is no easy task. When thinking about it rationally, it makes perfect sense that it would be difficult and skew how we view those who have to follow excellence.
Now put yourself in those shoes. Imagine having to do just that, but also having to do so while being relatively young in that profession and it being the first time you've ever tried to do such a thing on your own.
That is where Josh Pastner found himself when he took over for John Calipari at Memphis. A place where expectations were normally high anyway, but were elevated to somewhat unrealistic levels thanks to the dominance that Calipari brought to the table during his time there.
His story didn't start with Memphis, as it isn't ending there either. It starts as a walk-on on a historically great Arizona Wildcats team coached by a beloved legend. Pastner's first run-in being a part of something special with someone transcendent in the coach profession.
"I thought he {Lute Olson} was the greatest practice coach in the history of the game," the current Georgia Tech head coach told Today's U. "It was a clinic everyday on the floor. I've been with two Hall of Fame head coaches now, how many guys can say that?"
Usually perceived as a great recruiter and a man who can spot talent from a mile away, Pastner's rise through the coaching ranks after his playing career was quick. One might argue that it was expedited thanks to his ability to find and land such top tier prospects, yet the destination that is becoming a head basketball coach came with extra caveats for Pastner most other first time coaches don't have to deal with.
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Tech Volleyball Reports For Pre-Season Camp
The 2016 edition of the Georgia Tech volleyball team, featuring nine upperclassmen out of a total 13 rosters spots, reported for preseason camp on Monday, August 8 at O'Keefe Gym. After a day of meetings, getting the greatly anticipated team gear and posing for a team photo, the Jackets got to work with two-a-days beginning the next day.
Fans can get their first look at the 2016 Yellow Jackets at the annual Gold/White Scrimmage scheduled for 3 p.m. on this Saturday, Aug. 20. Admission is free. The Jackets' first match is Aug. 26 at Auburn in the War Eagle Invitational, followed by a pair of matches against Pacific and Furman on Aug. 27.
The Yellow Jackets kick off their 2016 home slate when they host Georgia, Georgia State and Kennesaw State in the Georgia Challenge on Sept. 8-9..
Teegan Van Gunst Names ACC Pre-Season All American
Senior outside hitter Teegan Van Gunst was named to the preseason All-ACC team, the ACC office announced. The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish seventh in the league in 2016.
Van Gunst is one of five returning seniors for the Yellow Jackets this season. She led the team and ACC in the regular season in kills (471) and kills per set (3.92). She was selected to the All-ACC first team and was named an AVCA honorable mention All-American - the first Yellow Jacket to earn either honor since 2012.
A season ago, the Fayetteville, Ga., native started all 120 sets and scored 20 double-doubles. She tallied 25 matches with 10 or more kills, and 23 matches with 10 or more digs.
The Yellow Jackets went 18-14 in 2015, which marked the most wins for the Jackets since going 19-12 in 2012. North Carolina was picked to win the ACC, followed by Florida State and Miami, respectively.
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