As the competition boils with no sign of relenting, auditions for B-back, the featured position in the Georgia Tech offense, will likely last into the season.
Preston Lyons, Charles Perkins and David Sims are in a virtual dead heat for the starting job. Richard Watson has an outside shot, too.
"Those guys, they're running hard and just trying to make an impression," quarterback Tevin Washington said. "They get the ball, they're straight ahead. They're trying to make a play."
Earlier this week, coach Paul Johnson said he might even rotate three players once the season begins.
"We'll see how they play," he said. "It's a long year. Everybody will get their chance."
Lyons, a senior from the Marist School, entered the preseason as the starter by a close margin over Perkins, but Johnson on Tuesday called those two and Sims interchangeable. Perkins, a redshirt freshman from Collins Hill High, has potential but limited experience. Sims, a sophomore, moved to B-back from quarterback in the spring and has vaulted into the competition with an impressive August. Watson, a junior and Johnson's first B-back recruit, has experience as a backup but has been sidelined with concussion symptoms.
Without question, B-back is the deepest position on the team.
"You've got to come out and play your best or someone's going to take your spot," Lyons said. "When you have three or four guys competing like that, it definitely brings out the best in everyone."
In Johnson's first three years at Tech, the B-back spot was filled by Jonathan Dwyer in 2008 and 2009 and Anthony Allen last season. They were first-team All-ACC selections each year, and Dwyer was ACC player of the year in 2008.
At Navy, Johnson had seasons where he used one B-back and others where two shared it. What may make the Tech decision tougher is that each player brings different attributes.
Inside linebacker Julian Burnett, who has vast experience colliding with each, offered his insights.
On Perkins: "Charles, over the offseason, he worked real hard. He's gotten pretty big. He's just a hard runner. It takes a lot to get him down sometimes."
On Lyons: "Preston hits the hole better than anybody, I think. He just gets in the gap so quickly that you've just got to be down on your read."
On Sims: "It seems like David's got so much balance, even if you can wrap up, hit him, hit him from all sides, some kind of way he stays on his feet and just keeps running."
On Watson: "He kind of charges, hard to bring down. Just a hard runner."
Lyons won the top spot in the spring with his consistent running and blocking ability, the latter which is Perkins' shortcoming. Perkins played last fall on the scout team and, like Sims, only began training in the position in the spring.
Perkins inherited the No. 21 jersey that has been passed down from Calvin Johnson to Dwyer, perhaps an indication of his potential for greatness. Sims has powerful leg drive, an important trait for the position; he showed well in the scrimmage, unofficially gaining 44 yards on nine carries. Few, if any, Jackets players have had a better camp than Sims.
Sims said the competition won't end soon. "Not even bowl game week," he said. "We're still going to be pushing each other to try to get the best out of each other."
Lyons has a 39-inch standing vertical leap, which set the Tech record for running backs. It's 2 1/2 inches better than former Georgia Tech basketball star Iman Shumpert's.
"He's actually a pretty good athlete," Johnson said. "People look at him and don't give him much credit."
The decision likely won't come soon. Choosing between capable and deserving candidates might not be an easy choice, but it beats the alternative.
Said Johnson, "I wish we had more of them."
