Notes from Georgia Tech’s Wednesday-morning practice, its 13th of the preseason:
1. Safety Tariq Carpenter took some snaps at linebacker in 11-on-11 work. Juanyeh Thomas and Christian Campbell were behind him at safety. The linebacker group was a little thinned as Charlie Thomas is out with an injury. The safety group is the deepest on the defense, and this could be a way for more players at that position to get on the field. It is another example of coach Geoff Collins' plan to train players at different positions and gain versatility.
2. Defensive tackle/offensive tackle Jahaziel Lee took the practice field in his new No. 51 jersey, which was assigned to him after practice Tuesday. It would seem to be indication of the coaching staff's plans to use him on the offensive line, as it is "strongly recommended" in the NCAA rulebook that linemen wear jersey numbers between 50 and 79. Lee had been wearing No. 95.
Lee was with the offensive line and defensive line for different portions of practice.
3. Derrik Allen, who announced Tuesday that he will transfer to Tech from Notre Dame, is expected to begin practicing with the team Monday, when the fall semester begins. While it's possible that Tech could seek an immediate-eligibility waiver, it's likely that he will sit out the season and then have three seasons of eligibility starting in 2020. Allen was a four-star safety coming out of Lassiter High in 2018.
4. Cornerbacks continue to rotate in pairings with returning starter Tre Swilling with the "A" defense. Position coach Jeff Popovich indicated that he hasn't settled on the other cornerback for the first unit. Zamari Walton, Jordan Huff, Devin Smith and Jaytlin Askew are among contenders. Myles Sims, the transfer from Michigan, could also be a possibility, but his status to play this season remains uncertain.
“There’s a lot of competition,” Popovich said. “Those guys are competing, but at the same time, they do a good job. They support each other, they coach each other up and so it’s been a lot of fun.”
Askew is coming off of offseason shoulder surgery that limited him last season.
“He’s got short-area quicks. He can run, he’s got long speed, he does some really good things,” Popovich said. “He’s got a natural feel for the game. He’s doing a really good job.”
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