Georgia Tech wide receiver Adonicas Sanders is out with a broken collarbone, an injury that has led to the move of freshman quarterback James Graham to wide receiver.
Graham moved to wide receiver Thursday, coach Paul Johnson said following the Yellow Jackets’ seventh practice of the preseason. Sanders’ injury occurred before the team began training in full pads Tuesday.
The depth at receiver also was depleted by an injury to Stephen Dolphus, who had performed well in practice to that point. Johnson said that Dolphus’ injury should not keep him out of the season opener against Alcorn State on Sept. 1.
As for Sanders, Johnson said that “he’ll miss the first week, for sure.”
Johnson moved Graham as he was highly unlikely to play quarterback this season (he was behind TaQuon Marshall, Lucas Johnson and Tobias Oliver, and is just learning the offense) and he also has the athletic ability and size (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) for wide receiver.
Graham was a four-star prospect out of Fitzgerald High and the No. 38 recruit in the state of Georgia. Before committing to Tech, he had been committed to Virginia Tech to play wide receiver. In an interview this summer, his high-school coach called him a "crazy dynamic athlete."
Johnson said Graham’s move is for this season only. In 2015, Marshall began his career as an A-back before moving to quarterback – his position in high school – in the following spring practice.
Said Johnson of Graham, “He’s very athletic, and we’ll put him out there at receiver and give him a chance, see what he can do.”
Sanders has been competing to get a spot in the wide-receiver rotation behind expected starters Brad Stewart and Jalen Camp. He redshirted last season.
