A possible replacement for Georgia Tech senior defensive backs Louis Young and Jemea Thomas is finishing work toward his degree from Notre Dame.
Fighting Irish cornerback Lo Wood, whom Tech recruited out of high school, intends to transfer for his senior season. Multiple Internet sites reported the news Monday. Tech is positioned quite well.
“Right now, Georgia Tech is definitely No. 1,” Wood’s father, Lo Wood Sr., said Tuesday.
As he will earn his degree this month, he can transfer and have immediate eligibility. Wood Sr. said that his son has received his release from Notre Dame and that there has been communication with Tech coaches.
“They’ve got to go through their process, too, to see if he fits their program, but they like him and know about him,” he said.
The plan is for Wood to transfer into a new school in January, which would give him an opportunity to participate in spring practice.
Wood’s decision stems largely from a desire to start. Wood played in 21 games as a backup as a freshman and sophomore, but suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in the 2012 preseason, his junior season. The injury allowed other younger players to pass him on the depth chart, Wood’s father said, which woul d make it very difficult for him to make the starting lineup as a senior in 2014.
This season, “his role was limited, but he understood the role and because of the type of kid he is, he did his role to help the team win games,” Wood Sr. said.
Wood also seeks to be closer to home in Apopka, Fla., which would bring Florida schools such as Florida, Miami and Central Florida into play. Tech, however, will have two spots open in the secondary, with Young and Thomas completing their careers in Tech’s coming bowl game.
“That’s what is very interesting,” Wood Sr. said. “That’s one of the biggest pluses also, that you’ve got an opportunity to come compete against guys that are younger instead of coming in and competing against a junior who’s started two years.”
Isaiah Johnson will return at safety after redshirting this season as he recovered from a torn ACL. D.J. White, Jamal Golden, Chris Milton, Domonique Noble, Demond Smith and Lynn Griffin will be among the competitors to start in the backfield.
Also playing into Tech’s favor is that coach Paul Johnson’s staff recruited him when he was in high school. Tech was Wood’s second choice behind Notre Dame, Wood Sr. said. Also, former Tech A-back Embry Peeples is friends with the Wood family. In fact, Peeples is the elder Wood’s godson, he said, and Peeples’ father is Lo Wood Jr.’s godfather.
“Embry said there’s only two schools he feels you get the best of both worlds, football and education,” Wood Sr. said. “That’s Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.”
