Georgia Tech is looking for a third wide receiver. Ricky Jeune and Brad Stewart are expected to be in the starting lineup for Saturday’s home game against North Carolina, but coach Paul Johnson has been waiting for another wide receiver to make a claim on playing time and join the rotation.
Antonio Messick played about 25 snaps last Saturday against Duke as the No. 3 receiver, but evidently did not produce enough to secure the role.
The team needs “somebody that will do what we need to do in our offense,” Johnson said, “that will block and run routes and know where to go and just play receiver.”
The options are Messick, who has one career catch, first-year freshmen Christian Philpott and Harland Howell and walk-on Brandon Oliver.
Both Philpott and Howell have yet to play this season. Following the team’s Wednesday practice, Johnson said that both Philpott and Howell will dress for the game, indication that coaches are willing to consider removing their redshirts.
“Sometimes, they get a chance if other guys aren’t doing what they need to,” Johnson said.
The choices underscore the difference in depth at the offensive skill positions from the 2014 team to this season’s version. Last year, Micheal Summers was mostly the No. 3 receiver behind Darren Waller and DeAndre Smelter, two seniors who are now in the NFL. Summers was a sophomore who had started 11 games as a freshman.
This year, with Summers out with a shoulder injury suffered in the Notre Dame game, the starters are Jeune, a sophomore who played sparingly last year, and Stewart, a first-year freshman. Earlier this week, Johnson called the loss of Summers “a killer.”
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