Paul Johnson has been peppered with questions about his "triple-option" offense since he was hired as Georgia Tech's football coach in December.

"Will it work in the ACC?"

"Do you have the right players?"

"What's an A back?"

He has remained generally patient and unflinchingly confident, even after the first- and second-team offenses combined for nine fumbles in the spring game.

At 3 p.m., Wednesday, Johnson will get to start answering those questions again with the start of the first practice.

There's one question that you can put away: if the Jackets pick up where they left off in the spring will Johnson pull the plug and go with a traditional offense? No. Modify? Maybe.

"I'm not going to walk away from the system," Johnson said. "We've got to run it. The areas we highlight will depend on what we can do."

Here are a few other issues to watch as Tech prepares to kick off the 2008 season against Jacksonville State at 7 p.m. on Aug. 28 at Bobby Dodd Stadium:

The million-dollar question: Who is going to run the offense?

Sophomore Josh Nesbitt looks to have the physical tools, but was slowed by a groin pull in the spring.

"Clearly he's the guy that we tried to push in that direction, but he's going to have to win the job," the coach said.

Redshirt walk-on Bryce Dykes had a good spring. Senior Calvin Booker may be a stretch for the system. Incoming freshmen Jaybo Shaw and Tevin Washington were recruited for the system. Actually, Shaw ran the same system in high school. So the question of who will be the backup, or start if Nesbitt falters, remains TBD.

How do the rest of Tech's skill position players fit the scheme?

Sophomore Jonathan Dwyer, who is 6-0, 222 pounds, looks like a nice piece as the starting B-back, or fullback. He has fine speed as the lone back behind the QB.

The A-backs, who'll generally flank the tackles, bring more questions. Wide receiver Greg Smith and redshirt freshman Roddy Jones are atop the post-spring depth chart. Two recruits, Embry Peeples and Marcus Wright, appear to be prototypical for the position — under-sized and quick. Are roster moves coming here?

The starting wide receivers on paper are redshirt sophomores Demaryius Thomas and Correy Earls. Behind them? Youth and youth, led by freshman Tyler Melton.

Wideouts be critical in the passing game, of course, and no less important in blocking for the rushing game.

What about the line? How will it handle the new blocking schemes?

All-ACC left tackle Andrew Gardner is back, but three starters are gone and two who started some (A.J. Smith and Cord Howard) had injuries or surgery during the spring.

A certainty: this will be a thinner line, perhaps in more ways than one. Several players are trimmer.

"There's a lot more running, especially tackles," said Gardner, a senior. "A lot of plays you're expected to run 20 yards downfield. There are a lot of blocks [one linebackers and on defensive backs]."

The d-line, with three potential first-round NFL draft picks, would seem to be fine. Is that true?

This is the team's deepest unit, and perhaps one of the nation's best, led by tackles Darryl Richard and Vance Walker, and end Michael Johnson.

The better they perform, the less blitzing will be required, which will give the linebackers and defensive backs freedom to stop the run or drop back and disguise pass coverage.

"I think when you have a unit that has three seniors that have played a lot of football [Johnson, Richard and Walker] ... it's not, 'Can you get it done?' " Richard said. "It's an expectation."

And just who will play in the secondary?

Only corner Jahi Word-Daniels returns as a starter.

Safetey Morgan Burnett played plenty last season, and has big-time talent. After that? Hmmm.

Sophomore Mario Butler and redshirt freshman Dominique Reese may compete for one of the corner spots. Or, Reese could stay at safety. Former Marist standout Cooper Taylor could surprise folks at safety.

Which freshmen will bubble to the top?

Freshmen are likely to be more of a factor this season than in coming years, when Johnson can stockpile his own recruits.

The Jackets have starters back on offense (Gardner, Greg Smith, who started nine games at wide receiver and Thomas the other four, Howard and A.J. Smith) and four on defense. The kicker and punter must be replaced, as well.

"We're going to have some freshmen play, or be on the depth chart, but I don't know who," Johnson said. "By sheer numbers, we're going to have to.

"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."

Can the Jackets clean a polluted mindset that seemed to have overtaken the team last year?

Some players have spoken about how the offensive and defensive coaches were occasionally at odds in the past, and how that trickled down to the players.

"We don't have individuals here," Michael Johnson said. "It's not about offense and defense, or special teams. It's about the team. There's not going to be any me. If there is, you can go."

Gardner believes the Jackets will surprise fans this season.

"I don't see anybody not working," he said. "We're trying to make this work, and win this year. I [Johnson] is tired of questions about his offense, how he handled that, how we won't be good this year and you can't be good in the first year. I certainly think he's looking forward to this year so he can prove himself."