Paul Johnson: Justin Thomas “is our quarterback”

To be clear, the quarterback situation with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets is a “controversy” in name only.

A portion of the fan base (and a “fringe” portion, at that) has been calling for the replacement of quarterback Justin Thomas after an uneven performance during the home loss to Duke on Saturday, but on Tuesday, head coach Paul Johnson quelled any additional talk of a move at the position, insisting that Thomas is the starting quarterback.

It should not come as a surprise to see Justin Thomas listed as the top name on the quarterback depth chart, but after backup QB Tim Byerly captained two touchdown drives late in the game on Saturday, this is where we are. Hilariously, we referenced this “controversy” in the Duke recap, insisting that a portion of the fan base would likely latch on to Byerly’s numbers (125 passing yards, 30 rushing yards) in what amounted to a situation where the Blue Devils were playing exclusively prevent defense with no preparation against his talents.

However, any notion that Tim Byerly should be the starting quarterback at Georgia Tech is borderline insane at this stage. Justin Thomas has been very good with the exception of the Duke game, and for the season, he still ranks near the top of the country in total QBR and quarterback rushing yards (he also had 119 on the ground against Duke).

Losses aren’t fun for anyone, but let’s take a deep breath and realize that this offense will go as far as Justin Thomas leads them.