Georgia Tech will lose its quarterback after its bowl game, but has three more seasons ahead with its promising B-back. At the end of his freshman season, B-back Dedrick Mills has met the high expectations held for him when he shined in spring practice as an early enrollee.
“He’s a guy that loves to play, loves to play the game and I wish that he’d got to play more games this year for whatever the circumstances were, but I think if he’ll continue to work and continue to do the right things, he’s got a bright future,” coach Paul Johnson said. “He can be really good.”
With size, power, determination and a facility for the mental side of the game, Mills thrived in the B-back position for Tech. He finished the regular season with 602 rushing yards in eight games, the most of any ACC freshman. His 75.3 yards-per-carry average would have been ninth in the ACC had he played enough games (nine) to qualify. With 97 yards against Kentucky in the TaxSlayer Bowl, he’ll finish with the highest per-game rushing average for a Jacket (77.7) since Anthony Allen averaged 101.2 per game in 2010.
Despite being a first-year freshman – he turns 20 next Tuesday, the day the Jackets arrive in Jacksonville, Fla. – Johnson trusted Mills enough to give him the ball in two of the most critical plays of the season, his game-winning four-yard touchdown run against Boston College in the season opener and his five-yard carry into the end zone in the comeback win against Georgia. On both plays, he lowered his shoulder and drove defenders into the end zone, summoning the fight and ability to gain leverage that are essential to the position. His 11 rushing touchdowns, fourth most for freshmen nationally, testify to his capacity to acquire the thorniest real estate on the field.
“The football part has never been a problem for Dedrick,” Johnson said.
Going forward into 2017, Mills’ role gains importance for two reasons in particular. The Jackets will break in a new starting quarterback with quarterback Justin Thomas’ graduation. Thomas has been a focal point and a player who has taken pressure off the offense with his playmaking flair both running and passing. Whoever replaces him – Matthew Jordan, TaQuon Marshall, Jay Jones and Lucas Johnson are candidates – will likely depend more on Mills to gain the tough yards that keep the offense moving.
Second, B-back Marcus Marshall’s decision to transfer to James Madison leaves Tech with a dearth of experience at the position. With No. 3 B-back Marcus Allen graduating, the backups are slated to be Quaide Weimerskirch and KirVonte Benson, redshirt freshmen who have one combined carry between them.
Another factor is that Mills was suspended twice this season, once for one game and once for two. (He missed another game due to a concussion.) The suspensions were unrelated, but he is in a position of having to walk a narrow road for his final three seasons. Johnson has not specified the infractions, but has been in his corner.
“Dedrick hasn’t done a whole lot of things that a normal student would be in trouble for,” he said. “In fact, nothing probably. But when you’re playing, you’re held to a higher standard.”
Mills’ high-school coach at Ware County High, Franklin Stephens, described Mills as “a good kid” and was hopeful that Mills would learn from the decisions that led to the suspensions. But Stephens also recognized that any player on any team will only receive so many opportunities.
“They’ve got to learn and they’ve got to be accountable for their actions,” he said.
This past Tuesday, Mills gave a statement about his absences that might encourage Tech fans.
“Next season, there isn’t any of that,” he said. “It’s just pushed me to the next season. I’ll be at every game, I’ll be going hard, 100 percent.”
Mills showed maturity this semester, grinding his way through classes that he said did not start well.
“It was pretty tough,” he said, “but at the same time, I did what I had to do to get through the semester. I ended up with mainly all B’s for the whole semester. I tried to maintain a good GPA and play football at the same time.”
As things would have it, Mills was asked in a post-practice interview for his thoughts on the handful of potential first-round draft picks who have chosen to sit out bowl games to avoid the risk of injury. Mills was adamantly against it, saying football is his life.
“I feel like every time I touch the field, I owe my teammates something, I owe my family something,” he said.
So long as he can maintain that attitude away from the field, the Jackets and their fans figure to be pleased with Mills’ repayment of that debt.
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