Youthful Jackets still have eye on ACC prize

Traditionally, before Georgia Tech’s football team leaves for road games, freshmen have to haul everyone’s equipment bags to the bus.

However, because underclassmen are overrunning the Tech roster, carrying luggage isn’t the burden it once was.

“Some freshmen get off scot-free,” senior defensive tackle Darryl Richard said.

Check out the starting lineups for today’s game at North Carolina: 16 of Tech’s starting 22 are freshmen or sophomores.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of that,” Tech coach Paul Johnson said.

Despite their inexperience - the ACC’s other 11 schools average 6.6 underclassmen in their starting 22 - the Jackets are contending for their first ACC title since 1998. If they can beat the Tar Heels today and Miami on Nov. 20 and get a little help, they’ll win the ACC’s Coastal Division and play for the conference championship.

“We’ve had our troubles this year, but I think for the most part, the young guys have stepped up and played well,” offensive tackle, team captain and senior Andrew Gardner said.

How did this happen?

Not counting three scholarships given to walk-on seniors this summer, there are 16 seniors and nine juniors out of Tech’s 76 scholarship players.

Schools are allowed to have 85 scholarship players, but the NCAA limited Tech to 79 in 2006 and ‘07 as punishment for academic violations.

Add transfers and injuries — three senior starters are out and have been replayed by underclassmen — and its clear why Johnson seems amazed that his team starts so few upperclassmen.

The 2007 freshman class, which includes safety Morgan Burnett, B-back Jonathan Dwyer, A-back Roddy Jones, defensive end Derrick Morgan and quarterback Josh Nesbitt, has been a bumper crop and played its way onto the field.

“We’re not young anymore since we’ve been playing. It’s a man’s job, you got to go out and play,” Nesbitt, a sophomore, said.

It has meant mistakes. The Jackets have fumbled 26 times, for instance, and their 14 lost fumbles are tied for third most in Division I-A.

But it hasn’t been all bad.

Said Richard of true freshman safety Cooper Taylor, whose forced fumble saved last week’s game against Florida State, “I don’t call him a freshman anymore. He’s in between. He might be a ‘freshmore.’”

With so many underclassmen both on the roster and in the lineup, the team is different as a result. For one thing, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said, more players are chasing each other around the locker room and goofing off than normal. Gardner said when he talks about players no longer with the team, “They’ll be like, ‘Who is that?’ And you’re like, ‘Oh, wow, you’re a lot younger than I am.’ “

Jean-Mary said he has to remember that he has to be more patient with them, realizing that his players make will make mistakes and not even realize it.

The Jackets have benefited from several seniors to shepherd the team, including team captains Richard, Gardner and defensive end Michael Johnson.

“I think we have some of the best senior leaders we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Jean-Mary, in his fifth season at Tech.

This season’s success may cause Jackets fans to look ahead. They wouldn’t be the only ones.

Said redshirt freshman Roddy Jones, “When you sit back and really look at it on paper, you say, ‘Wow, this is a group of guys that’s really going to be together for awhile.’”