Injury updates for KirVonte Benson, Brant Mitchell

Jackets QB TaQuon Marshall fakes a handoff to KirVonte Benson (30) during the first half of Saturday's game. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Jackets QB TaQuon Marshall fakes a handoff to KirVonte Benson (30) during the first half of Saturday's game. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson gave an optimistic projection for the availability of B-back KirVonte Benson for the Yellow Jackets’ game against Wake Forest on Saturday night. Benson left the team’s loss to Miami on Saturday with a leg injury.

“We don’t know right now,” Johnson said on the ACC teleconference Wednesday. “I think he’s got a good chance to play, but we’ll know more by (Thursday), but we’re counting on it.”

Benson has cleared 100 rushing yards in three of Tech’s five games and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry. If Benson can’t play, Quaide Weimerskirch and Jerry Howard are behind him on the depth chart and would be available. Weimerskirch carried six times for 17 yards against Miami.

“We need to get Jerry in the game,” Johnson said after the team’s practice Wednesday. “He needs to play some.”

Johnson did not shed any more light on the possible availability for linebacker Brant Mitchell, who left the Miami game with a lower body injury.

“We’ll know more (Thursday),” Johnson said.

Mitchell was replaced by freshman Bruce Jordan-Swilling.

“I think it’s a work in progress for him,” Johnson said of Jordan-Swilling, the son of Tech great Pat Swilling. “He didn’t play a lot of linebacker in high school, so he’s learning. But he had four tackles and four assists in the game, so he did some good things.”

The team’s injury report will be released Thursday following practice.