Five Georgia Tech stars leave for 2010 Draft

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sarge87

All-Conference
Three more stars leave Georgia Tech for NFL DraftJan. 11, 2010

CBSSports.com wire reports

ATLANTA -- Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech is losing three more stars to the NFL.

All-America defensive end Derrick Morgan, running back Jonathan Dwyer and safety Morgan Burnett held a joint campus news conference Monday to announce they'll enter the NFL draft with a year of college eligibility remaining.

They followed the course set by Georgia Tech's leading receiver, Demaryius Thomas, who said last week that he'll be entering the draft rather than returning to the Yellow Jackets for his senior season.

The exodus of top players follows Georgia Tech's first outright ACC title since 1990 and a trip to the Orange Bowl.
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Is this a repudiation of Paul Johnson's orthodoxy in option style football, or is it simply cashing in on the draft?

Derrick Morgan is projected to go top-10 in the NFL Draft. Morgan, the ACC’s defensive player of the year, had 12 1/2 sacks this season and is projected to be a top-10 pick in April’s NFL draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper rates Morgan, 6-4, 272-pounds, as the top defensive end in the junior class, saying he’s a “proven pass-rusher, stout versus run. Very productive.” Todd McShay of Scouts, Inc. rates Morgan as the fifth-best player overall.

Dwyer is projected a first- or second-round selection. Dwyer, the ACC’s player of the year two seasons ago, rushed for 1,395 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, after rushing for 1,395 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2008. He is projected to go as high as late in the first-round. Kiper rates Dwyer, who is 6-0, 235 pounds, as the fourth-best junior running back. Scouts rates Dwyer as the 30th-best player.

Burnett, a 6-1, 210-pound safety, has intercepted 14 passes and made 235 tackles in three seasons. Kiper rates him the second-best junior safety. Burnett isn’t in Scouts’ top 100.

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, a redshirt junior, announced last week that he was also leaving school for the NFL Draft.

A mass exodus of this size, this late for any program not Texas, Florida, or USC where they could simply reload, would be in trouble. A program as young as Johnson's, an exodus like this could spell disaster.

What do you think?

 
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Wow thats aweful for G Tech. At least Nesbitt is coming back. Unless he changes his mind after this.

 
Nesbitt doesn't exactly fit the typical mold of an NFL QB so he doesn't have any reason to leave early.

 
I wonder if he will try to play receiver in the NFL like Matt Jones did a few years ago...because there is NO WAY Nesbitt can play QB in the NFL...

 
We will be fine. I expect to contend for another ACC championship. The triple option is more about the scheme than the players, although obviously having great players makes you that much better. We need freshman and sophomores to step up .... just like every other school.

 
Judoka said:
killer cacti said:
I'm not sure that it's as much of a problem as this is:

http://clemson.scout.com/a.z?s=46&p=9&...654&yr=2010

Only one skill player committed on offense?

Believe me, I understand the importance of good lines, but the triple option in Atlanta isn't really bringing in the recruits...If you have noone to run the ball, you won't score much.
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Any skill players of note that will step in for Spiller?
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Yeah, we have two great RBs behind Spiller, Andre Ellington & Jamie Harper. Both were :star :star :star :star recruits. Ellington will be a RS Sophomore, Harper will be a Junior. Both had great ends to the season this year.

IMO, and many others as well, Ellington is the better of the two, he just chose to redshirt. He's similar to Spiller in his hands and his speed, but hits the hole much harder than Spiller (CJ did too much dancing around in the backfield for my taste). Not saying he's as good as Spiller, but has the potential to be close. Harper is a bigger back and more of a bruiser. He had a great bowl game and a nice 64 yard run against NC State this season.

What I'm more concerned with is our passing game. Losing CJ, Jacoby Ford, and our starting TE is what scares me more than the running game.

 
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