2013 Georgia Tech Football Season Preview: Offense
By Brad Rowland
November 24, 2012; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu (45) during warm ups before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
After a whirlwind start to the Paul Johnson era at Georgia Tech, momentum has screeched to a halt on the Flats. The Jackets have lost three consecutive games to Georgia (which is almost all that matters at times), and the team needed a Sun Bowl victory over the disaster that was USC in order to achieve a 7-7 mark in 2012. However, the “mastermind” that is Paul Johnson appears poised to resurrect the offense, and with that, we will examine that side of the football in part 1 of our 2013 preview.
Quarterbacks
We’ll begin with the offense and for the first time in a while, it is the unit with significantly lower expectations. Quarterback Tevin Washington is out the door to graduation, and the new man under center is highly-touted sophomore Vad Lee. Lee played a lot last season, accumulating over 500 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns, but he is still very raw. He’s blessed with a college-ready body at 6-foot-1 and over 210 pounds, and he is unquestionably going to be able to run the ball effectively. However, the question mark is through the air (isn’t it always!?) where Lee completed less than half of his passes in the small sample of 2012.
Behind him, there is a real possibility that Paul Johnson could turn to freshman Justin Thomas if Lee struggles, and Thomas is a much more flashy, quick runner that Lee or his predecessors under center.
Running Backs
The most reliable part of the offense, in my opinion, is the backfield and it is headlined by starting “B-Back” David Sims. Sims has a reputation for getting banged up a bit, but he’s started 17 games in 2 seasons and he rushed for over 600 yards in the crowded backfield in 2012. The other B-Back was even more effective last season, and there is competition for Sims in the form of Zach Laskey (who ran for nearly 700 yards in 2012). It is the least flashy position in the backfield, but the maulers will generate touchdowns that are sorely needed.
At A-Back, there are a million candidates. Robert Godhigh is tiny at 5-foot-7, but he’s the leading returning player in terms of production with over 600 yards of total offense last season. It would be difficult to see him getting the lion’s share of the work at that size, but guys like BJ Bostic also have experience in the offense. Then, there are the “upside” guys. Former QB Synjyn Days is exclusively playing running back at this stage and he is uber-talented. Throw in guys like Deon Hill and Tony Zenon (who is electrifying), and you have a wide cast of characters who could make impacts.
Wide Receivers
Receiver is always an extremely interesting position at Georgia Tech thanks to the previous talent at the position, and the relative lack of use. The Jackets have produced top-end NFL draft picks in Demaryius Thomas and Stephen Hill, but there doesn’t appear to be that type of guy this season. In fact, no player on the current roster had more than 10 catches (not a misprint) in 2012, and the “best” receiver from last season, Jeff Greene, transferred to Ohio State… as a walk-on.
Darren Waller headlines this mismatched cast of characters, and he started 10 games in 2012. On the bright side, he’s a massive target at 6-foot-5, but he’s shown much more as a blocker than anything at this stage, and he only caught 8 balls despite those 10 starts.
The other side of the field is more of a competition, as three players have emerged for virtually one spot. Junior Corey Dennis is the leader in the clubhouse based on experience, but he is easily the least talented of the three options. Freshmen Travin Henry and Micheal Summers present higher upside, but each is extremely raw. In fact, Henry is the closest thing to a reminder of the days of Thomas and Hill, but he’ll need to see the field in order to achieve that.
Offensive Line
In actuality, this should be the strength of Tech’s offense in 2013. The unit returns 4 starters from 2012, and Paul Johnson was quoted as saying that they should be “hands down, not even close” the best offensive line he’s had since arriving in Atlanta. That is high praise, but the talent is there.
Will Jackson and Jay Finch are the anchors of the line, and each guy is a multi-year starter. Jackson is penciled in at left guard, and he’s a four-year starter on the line who should be an All-ACC candidate. Finch has been banged up in practice this week, sitting out a couple of days, but he should be an above-average center in the ACC.
Alongside those two studs, Shaq Mason and Ray Beno are the other two returning starters. Both guys are undersized compared to the rest of college football (not a shock), but they’ll fit well in the option offense that requires them to fire off the ball and be mobile. Rounding out the starting five will likely be Morgan Bailey, and while he wasn’t a “starter” last year, he did start a handful of games due to injury.
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Overall, this is a positive unit, but one that has question marks. I won’t reveal my “prediction” for the record of the Jackets until the end of part 2 (previewing the defense), but a lot will hinge on the production that Vad Lee and company can generate. Household names can emerge from nowhere in this type of offense, and hopefully, that trend will continue this season.