Adding a second offensive-line coach has not paid immediate dividends for Georgia Tech. Coach Paul Johnson left little doubt about his frustration with the line’s play in the team’s second scrimmage of spring practice, held Saturday morning at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“Something’s going to happen,” he said. “Not going to watch that again. Sick of it.”
Tech added line coach Ron West to the staff to replace special-teams coordinator Ray Rychleski, pairing him with line coach Mike Sewak and giving Johnson his preferred setup of two line coaches. The line, an inexperienced group that is missing two-year starter Freddie Burden at center for all of spring (hand surgery), has suffered from players missing their assignments.
“Pretty frustrating,” he said. “Doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”
After losing three starters from the 2015 offensive line, the lack of experience is considerable. Tech has played Will Bryan and Trey Klock at tackle, who started a combined nine games as freshmen last season. Andrew Marshall, who has mostly played at center, has been at left guard. Michael Muns, a walk-on, has played center in Burden’s stead. Right guard has been a “revolving door,” in Johnson’s words, including Chris Griffin and Shamire Devine. Griffin has been limited as he returns from a torn ACL suffered last offseason.
In January, Johnson said that improving pass protection was going to be his first priority in spring practice after Tech's passing efficiency rating fell from 12th to 95th, in part because of faulty protection. The problems through eight spring-practice sessions go beyond pass protection, evidently.
“Just keep practicing, just keep working on it,” Johnson said of the solution. “What we’re doing clearly isn’t working.”
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