Ga. Tech QB Nesbitt may not be ready for Miami

Georgia Tech tested two sprained ankles and one strained hamstring Monday.

The Jackets received good news on two of the three. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt (ankle), defensive tackle Vance Walker (ankle) and cornerback Jahi Word-Daniels (hamstring) practiced with their injuries in advance of Tech’s Thursday night game against Miami.

Walker and Word-Daniels, for whom Thursday will be their final home game, indicated they have a good chance of playing. Nesbitt was noncommittal.

Nesbitt, who like Walker sprained his ankle against North Carolina on Nov. 8, said he felt “pretty good” but did not run full speed.

Asked about his chances of playing, Nesbitt said, “Who knows? I’ll just go back out [today] and try it again.”

Word-Daniels, who has not played the past three games after injuring his hamstring against Clemson, ran hard and participated in drills to see how his leg would react.

“Based on how I feel today, I should be able to go,” Word-Daniel said. “But it’s not certain.”

Walker was the most affirmative.

He has started 23 consecutive games. For him to miss his final home game, he said, “It would take a lot. Doctor telling me not to do it, pastor telling me not to do it — it would take a lot of different things.”

Walk-on will start

Coach Paul Johnson said that former walk-on wide receiver Andrew Smith likely will start against Miami in place of Correy Earls. The coach said the demotion of Earls, who had started the past three games, was due to “effort problems.”

Earls is expected to play.

Johnson also noted Smith’s work ethic and said he wanted to give him a start in the senior’s last home game. “He flies around and tries to play very hard,” Johnson said.

Who will return?

Johnson was not decided Monday on who will return punts for the Jackets. Among players who took punts in practice last week were Embry Peeples, Roddy Jones, Marcus Wright, Earls and Smith. Jones stepped in for Tyler Melton as primary punt returner four games ago against Clemson but fumbled two punts against North Carolina.

Tickets available

As of Monday, about 47,000 tickets had been sold for Thursday night’s game against Miami, 8,000 short of capacity. The school expects to sell 1,000 or 2,000 more tickets.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ramblinwreck.com/tickets.

Basketball signees

Tech has received letters of intent from three of its four basketball commitments.

Brian Oliver, a 6-foot-6 forward out of New Castle, Del., was the latest to make it official, joining 6-8 forward Kammeon Holsey (Hancock Central) and 6-4 guard Glen Rice Jr. (Walton).

“Brian is a great shooter, one of the best I’ve recruited in a very long time,” coach Paul Hewitt said. “In every game I saw him play this summer, he made at least six 3-pointers.”

Oliver is no relation to the former Tech basketball star of the same name who played on the Final Four team in 1990.

Mfon Udofia, a 6-3 point guard at Miller Grove, will complete the signing class. The early signing period runs through Wednesday.