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Saturday, March 29, 2008
Week 1 shows …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Some observations through four of 15 Georgia Tech spring practice sessions:
—Josh Nesbitt showed in today’s scrimmage that he has the potential to fit Paul Johnson’s offense. He has a lot of learning ahead of him, but the raw creative ability he has is a gift that isn’t teachable.
—Johnson is serious when he talks about getting Tech tougher. He has absolutely no patience for anything but all-out effort. And he doesn’t mind calling out a player when he doesn’t see it. He has challenged Jonathan Dwyer. In today’s scrimmage, I thought Dwyer responded. But it was noteworthy that Dwyer began the scrimmage as a second-teamer, behind Quincy Kelly at B-back (fullback).
—That being said, don’t get too caught up in who is where on the depth chart. This is a team in a state of flux. It is, however, interesting to note when something changes. Jake Blackwood moved up to second team at safety, with Willie White moving down. Roddy Jones moved up to join Jamaal Evans at first-team A-back (slotback), with Greg Smith moving down.
—I have written very little about the defensive line, because, frankly, it’s the one spot on the team where I don’t see a lot of questions. When you’ve got Darryl Richard and Vance Walker in the middle and Derrick Morgan and Michael Johnson on the outside, things look good, and having guys like Elris Anyaibe and Robert Hall (who is injured) behind those starters ought to be reassuring, and there are about four other guys who might contribute. It’s good these days to be Giff Smith, the line coach.
—Yes, Mario Butler got burned on the 51-yard touchdown pass from Nesbitt to Demaryius Thomas, but he also has done some things that suggest he has a chance to be an answer at cornerback. Jerrard Tarrant, another corner, isn’t quite as far along but made a great play today when he blitzed and stripped the ball from Calvin Booker. Dave Wommack (safeties) and Charles Kelly (corners) probably will have only one player in their top five defensive backs who isn’t a redshirt freshman or a sophomore. That would be Jahi Word-Daniels. So though things could be a little bumpy this fall in the defensive backfield, they ought to be better in 2009 and 2010.
—The offensive line is likely to go through some shuffling between now and the season opener against Jacksonville State. There might be a pretty good competition at center between Dan Voss and Trey Dunmon. Fifth-year senior David Brown is an unlikely-looking right tackle, listed at 6-3, 271. (What a great story he would be if he does contribute on the offensive line after all the former defensive lineman has been through.) Does Cord Howard play there in the fall, or does the spring practice he’ll miss because of his broken foot put him too far behind? How long is it before redshirt freshman Clyde Yandell makes a move up the depth chart, and does he move into that right tackle spot?
That’s all for now. I have more to say, and some of it will show up in stories scheduled to be posted online Monday morning and evening.
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