The genius of the genius

Interesting piece in The Athletic about player development that looks at signing classes over an 11-year period (2009-2019) and measures that against players taken in the NFL draft from 2012-2022.  Georgia cracks the top ten in development of four- and five-star recruits, but not three-star (although I suspect if you revisited the data three years from now, the Dawgs would boast a stronger showing).

But I digress.  This blew me away:

The sample is small, but none of Georgia Tech’s 14 four-star signees from 2009 through 2019 were drafted. That’s 0 percent — compared to the 22.1 percent of the overall 3,565 four-star recruits during this time frame who were signed.

And on a related note: How can a Power 5 program located in Atlanta sign only 14 four-stars (and no five-stars) in an 11-year stretch? We realize that Paul Johnson, who was the head coach through the 2018 season, did things a little differently — recruiting to the triple-option — but this still seems like an astounding lack of success.

So, Paul Johnson was bad at recruiting, but at least he couldn’t develop players.  That’s a helluva one-two punch.  Too bad the NFL didn’t appreciate the value of cut blocking.

Not your father’s Georgia offense

While this article is on the whole a less than flattering take on Stetson Bennett’s draft chances, it does contain a couple of statistical nuggets that illustrate how Georgia’s offense has changed since Monken became the OC.

Here’s the first one:

Bennett led the nation in wheel route pass attempts in 2022 with 17. He completed nine of them for 353 yards and one touchdown, with two interceptions. No other quarterback gained more than 217 yards on wheel routes. Tight ends Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers and running back Kenny McIntosh were Bennett’s favorite wheel-route targets.

Wheel routes are what other teams inflicted on Georgia’s defense, at least that used to be the case.  Bennett leading the country in wheel attempts is a pretty striking change of circumstances.

This one may be even more so.

Bennett threw 115 passes when the Bulldogs led by 17-plus points in 2022. That’s the third-highest figure in the nation, behind Will Rogers of Mississippi State and Austin Reed of Western Kentucky. Bennett protected 17-plus-point leads in 10 Georgia games to Rogers’ seven games and Reed’s six.

To compare Bennett’s 115 attempts with a lead to quarterbacks you actually care about:

• Stetson Bennett, 115 attempts with a 17-point lead;
• Bryce Young, 99;
• C.J. Stroud, 78;
• Hendon Hooker, 56;
• Will Levis, 24;
• Anthony Richardson, 19.

Bennett led the nation with 1,093 yards when already leading by 17 or more points. That’s 26% of his total yardage output! He threw nine touchdowns under such circumstances, one-third of his 27 touchdowns for the 2022 season; Stroud led the nation with a stunning 16.

There’s more than one way to impose your will on an opponent.  Apparently Kirby’s gotten over his manball fixation.

A fine addition to any tailgate bar

Apparently based on an actual school cheer, I still did a double take when I saw this:

Furman University fans and friends have a new way to show their spirit for the university. FU All the Time, a favorite Paladins cheer, is also now a private-label straight bourbon whiskey…

“This is super clean. It really is everyone’s bourbon,” said Zach Wheeler with Aleph Wines, the distributor for South Carolina. FU All the Time is made with four grains (corn, wheat and rye from Virginia and malted barley). It’s aged in oak barrels from South Carolina for at least three years. “It’s smooth and fruity on the front end, with a little bit of grain. It goes into a baked goods, biscuit flavor on the back of the tongue and ends with the rye bite that mellows out the 100 proof,” Wheeler said.

FU All the Time straight bourbon whiskey is currently available online and in liquor stores and restaurants across the Upstate, with statewide distribution coming soon.

Salut, peeps!  And… FU All The Time.