More proof of Paul Johnson’s genius:
Georgia Tech may have gotten one of the state’s biggest steals of the year with Monday’s commitment of Francis Kallon, who is a native of London, England.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound defensive end from Central Gwinnett is an overnight sensation in recruiting circles after deciding to take up the sport of football two months ago… [Emphasis added.]
“With not playing football before, several coaches said that it could actually be a big advantage because he hasn’t picked up any bad habits. He hasn’t learned how to loaf and he hasn’t learned how to take plays off. He only knows one speed right now, and that’s full speed. They think they can redshirt him for a year, mold him and teach him the game, and that he could end up being very special.”
“He hasn’t picked up any bad habits” – he hasn’t picked up any good ones, either. That’s because he’s never played a game of organized football. (In fairness, he’s got other offers, so he must have decent athletic ability.)
“Francis is everything you’re looking for in a defensive end.” Except experienced. Other than that, he’s perfect.
Get The Picture 
As a Central Gwinnett grad and former player myself, if he plays one down of football there, he will pick up NOTHING but bad habits.
LikeLike
Not a Johnson fan – but give the kid the benefit of the doubt. He might be end up being a great player.
After all our all-time sacks leader before Pollack was a former French Rugby player who was a walk-on.
LikeLike
Big difference between letting Tardits walk on and giving Kallon a scholarship.
LikeLike
Did this player actually get a regular football scholarship? Hoowee! The article says he “committed”.
LikeLike
It says he chose the NATS among other scolarship offers. That certainly sounds like a regular football scholarship.
LikeLike
True, but it’s not as if PJ has better options. He could still be regarded as a ‘steal’, at least by GT standards. I worry a little about guys like this. Not a lot, but a little, at least.
LikeLike
Doesn’t a “steal” by Tech standards involve a student being held up at gun-point on or near campus?
LikeLike
No, it is breaking into a Norcross Elementary School on a warm summer’s night.
LikeLike
Perhaps – by I think it was a product of timing more than anything. This kid came to the States @ 16/17 and started playing football. Tardits did not come to the US until his Freshman season and earned his scholarship in the middle of spring practice after one season as a walk-on.
My guess if Tardits had shown up on a HS campus as a 16/17 year-old with his athletic ability, he would have been offered a scholarship.
LikeLike
Yeah, Tardits “earned his scholarship in the middle of spring practice after one season as a walk-on.” A kid being on-campus, as a walk-on, and competing at a collegiate level is big difference over a high school kid who has never played a down — anywhere at any level.
LikeLike
My point was that this kid’s experience level and the offer is a product of timing. He came to this country earlier than Tardits. It Tardits came to the US at 16/17 years old and played about as much high school ball at this kid, I would bet Tardits would have had a few scholarship offers. Because this kid is athletically gifted just like Tardits.
By the way this kid has more than just an offer from Ga Tech. He also was offered by 10 other schools. http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1228704
You do not always have to play the game your whole life to become a good player. Ask Nick Saban about Antonio Gates. Gates played mid-Major basketball for four years (courtesy of Nick Saban) and then became an All-Pro TE in his second season. Missing those four years of football experience under Saban really hurt him.
LikeLike
Understand he has offers and understand you don’t have to have a lifetime of experience, but at least one defensive series might be in order — at a Pop Warner or HS level — before extending a D1 schooly. Carvell at the AJC lauded this as a major recruiting coup, much as he did the kid who committed to the NATS today. Going out of his way to tout that he picked the NATS over UGA.
LikeLike
Man, that’s rich.
LikeLike
I dare say this is a brilliant new recruiting strategy for Georgia Tech. Start finding big people who have no knowledge of football, and therefore, no knowledge of the fact that Georgia Tech isn’t a good place to play football.
LikeLike
At what point does the Johnson revoke the offer? Does the kid actually have to visit another school or does simply talking other schools mean that he isn’t really committed?
How much better would the Dawgs defense be if one of our players could dribble a soccer ball around smaller kids?
LikeLike
What if he starts talking to other high school coaches about playing other sports (he obviously likes to try new things)? Does his scholly get revoked then?
LikeLike
Why didn’t Richt offer this guy a scholarship? Why do we keep losing players instate to Tech? Richt is getting lazy and can’t see the diamonds in the rough. We should offer a blanket scholarship to anyone who has ever looked at a football and coach em up. I would rather have 85 English guys who dont know anything about football and love eating than the 5 star “thug” who just wants to go to the NFL. Got to coach em up. Richt is lazy. Pollock and Thomas Davis were not 5 star players…BVG would turn this english muffing into 400 pounds of QB eating death machine.
LikeLike
Not so fast my friend. The “85 English guys” would drink all the warm beer in Clarke County and drive on the wrong side of the road.
LikeLike
some people would say that would make them a perfect fit for the guys we already have, wouldnt it? I just hope none of the Brits get near Mudcat’s car.
LikeLike
Yeah, but if one of them exited an alley going the speed limit in the wrong direction would the ACCPD hear it if they fell on the station… Agh, my brain just broke..
LikeLike
Nevermind that Dr. Saturday had a week long series (beginning with this post about how top recruits are much more likely to become an All-American than non-top recruits) about why recruiting rankings are not overrated and in fact, have a strong correlation to future success. Frankly, I’m just bored by this myth that Bulldog fans want to believe in that if we put 22 two star guys out there that are “true Dawgs”, that somehow UGA will be a better program. The fact of the matter is that the odds of success from a top flight recruit are much better than the “diamond in the rough”. While David Pollack is a great story, the truth is that his story is a rarity. No offense, but I’ll take my chances with the Isiah Crowells and the Ray Drews of the world everyday of the week over the David Pollacks of the world.
LikeLike
you should probably have your sarcasm detector inspected….
LikeLike
ohhh….a sarcasm detector, that’s real useful…
LikeLike
Well played, sir. Sarcasm meter back up and running.
LikeLike
This place is a minefield. Last week I was asking myself why Neil Young would get a facelift.
LikeLike
+1
LikeLike
This is great. The fact that you haven’t played football before doesn’t mean that you don’t know how to take a play off or loaf on a play. It simply means that there’s no footage of you doing it yet.
LikeLike
This guy will certainly get more offers as his senior season unfolds barring injury or just not being that great. I’m no Johnson fan either, but this is a good move seeing as how, unlike Richt, he’s not going to land 4 and 5 star DEs. If the guy has a killer senior season, Johnson has the inside advantage on keeping him. If not, then he’s your basic Tech signee….good move.
LikeLike
“I’m no Johnson fan either,” and neither is Charlie
“A low point is when you get beat 38-0. That’s a low point,” he said.
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=273070087
LikeLike
This guy is the new Lackey Travlose (whose name I almost certainly butchered).
LikeLike
Soccer player Kallon will be doing plenty of flops in practice when his legs are cut out by PJ’s chop-blocking O linemen.
LikeLike