Tech answered a few questions in spring practice

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Paul Johnson said when he first arrived to coach at Georgia Tech, he would ask the players who did well after scrimmages.

Some would say offense; some would say defense.

"No," he would reply, "Georgia Tech won."

The shared opinion of players at the culmination of spring drills is Tech is on track to defend its ACC title. The team closed out four weeks of practice with last Saturday's T-Day game at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

The re-engineered defense seems to be coming along. Players are getting familiar with four new assistant coaches. Anthony Allen's transition from A-back to B-back continued without a hitch. Most importantly, the team found that there is life after the big four of Derrick Morgan, Demaryius Thomas, Morgan Burnett and Jonathan Dwyer all left early for the NFL.

But those weren't the only issues to be addressed this spring:

1. Installing defense's front seven. The defensive linemen and linebackers raved about how much fun they were having learning new defensive coordinator Al Groh's 3-4 system. Several players stood out, including defensive end Jason Peters, middle linebackers Brad Jefferson and Brandon Watts and outside linebacker Anthony Egbuniwe. Competition at the key nose tackle position may increase when Ben Andersonreturns from a knee injury in August.

2. Rebuilding the offensive line. Replacing three starters from last year's line was paramount. The search may not yet be over. Center Sean Bedford and guard Omoregie Uzzi may be the only two locks heading into August. Phil Smith will return from injury to compete at one tackle. Returning starter Austin Barrick, who missed some practices because of classes, will be out to secure the other tackle. Nick McRae will continue to try and hold off Will Jackson and Ray Beno at guard.Many players who redshirted last season got a lot of time with the first or second team in April. The second unit in the T-day game was composed entirely of freshmen.

3. The backup quarterback derby. Tevin Washington seemed to lock down the No. 2 job behind Joshua Nesbitt. Washington, a redshirt freshman, had a solid spring that culminated with his leading the White team to four touchdowns in the T-Day game. His passing, while not consistent, has improved from last fall. Johnson said challengers David Sims and Jordan Luallen also impressed, Sims emerging as the better runner and Luallen the better passer.

4. The wide receiver race. While it's doubtful that just one player can make up for the loss of Thomas' 1,154 yards, there are enough solid receivers to equal his production as a group. If you're looking for a standout, freshman Stephen Hill turned some heads at the T-Day game with a 70-yard touchdown. Tyler Melton, a tough blocker, seemed to have secured his starting spot on the other side of the formation.

5. Spotting the secondary. Johnson said the secondary may be the deepest component of the team. The cornerbacks and safeties are becoming interchangeable. Jerrard Tarrant, Mario Edwards, Rashaad Reid and Dominique Reese can move back and forth, which is important as more teams try to spread the field with three- and four-wide receiver sets. Once the freshmen enroll, the unit could have as many as 10 players see playing time. Though the first and second units were somewhat established, Johnson said don't be surprised if there changes in August when competition heats up.