If Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson had his way, he would repeat the Adrian Peterson experience with the Yellow Jackets.

Peterson rushed for 6,559 yards from 1998-2001 at Georgia Southern, where Johnson was his coach, and set 118 NCAA, conference or school records. But he wasn't good enough to avoid being redshirted as a freshman in '97.

MCT (ENLARGE)

Defensive back Morgan Burnett will start at safety, despite showing impressive play while playing at the cornerback position.

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"I can promise you he was way better that fifth year than he would have been that first year," Johnson said. "You'd like to be in a position where unless they're extremely gifted and talented you redshirt them all. I don't think we have that luxury right now."

Tech will have about 74 players on scholarship this fall, 11 below the maximum as a result of player attrition and NCAA sanctions which limited the number of scholarships Tech was able to award for a few years.

The Jackets will eventually catch up in scholarships. In the meantime, young players will play sooner this fall than they might in a few years.

"My philosophy is if guys come in and they're good enough to play and play meaningful minutes, then you play them. I think that's going to happen more early until we can build up the numbers," Johnson said. "We're going to have some freshmen play. By sheer numbers, we're going to have to."

Walk-ons welcome

Speaking of young players and ways to stockpile them, Johnson wants to amp up the Jackets' walk-on program. "I think as we get going, and we help a couple walk-ons and the high school coaches realize that and the kids realize that, then the walk-on program is going to get better and better," Johnson said. "This year, we have several walk-ons coming in who had scholarship offers to other places, smaller schools or maybe schools farther from home. "I want to develop relationships with high school coaches. Hopefully, it will pay dividends. There are a lot of high school coaches that played for us at Georgia Southern."

Burnett safe at safety

If you think sophomore Morgan Burnett played well at cornerback late last season after playing chiefly as a reserve safety before that, Johnson agrees. But Burnett will start at safety, and not just because seniors Djay Jones and Jamal Lewis departed. So is that the position Burnett plays best, or the position where Tech needs him most? "Where he fits best and where we need him most are the same thing," the coach said. "I think he's a natural safety."

Johnson said he couldn't think of any players changing positions relative to where they finished spring practice, but needs might change later.

Even if offensive linemen Cord Howard and A.J. Smith are healthy when camp begins, Johnson said former defensive lineman David Brown — who played a few snaps last season as a tight end — will begin as the No. 1 right tackle.

Johnson, Falcons' Smith catch up

Johnson and Falcons coach Mike Smith have been friends for years,and spent time together recently at a charity function in Savannah.

"When he was at Tennessee Tech and I was coaching at Hawaii, we'd stay in the same hotel in Atlanta on recruiting trips," Johnson said. "When I was [coach] at Navy, I talked to him about being defensive coordinator. He was with the Ravens at the time. He stayed in the NFL. It worked out for him pretty good."

Wide receiver slot filled

When wide receiver Jeremy Moore of Austin, Texas, committed to the Jackets last week, that sewed up Tech's recruiting at that position. "We're only going to take one wide receiver," said Johnson, who has explained that some players who don't work out at quarterback will likely end up at defensive back or wide receiver in the future.