In the jubilant locker room following their Orange Bowl triumph on New Year’s Eve, Georgia Tech’s seniors led the team in a spirited rendition of Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road.”
It was indeed the conclusion of several careers and one of the greatest seasons in school history, but even before players had left the locker room, they were already looking ahead to 2015. With the start of classes Monday, the Yellow Jackets will soon begin again the slow, labor-intensive grind toward the coming season.
With 13 starters returning, hopes and expectations will be high for the Jackets to reach or even exceed the heights scaled by the 2014 team against a schedule that will include Notre Dame and Florida State. For a team that has often been lightly regarded regionally and nationally, it will undoubtedly be a welcome challenge.
2014 record: 11-3 overall, 6-2 ACC
Key players returning: Center Freddie Burden, linebacker P.J. Davis, defensive end KeShun Freeman, safety Jamal Golden, defensive tackle Adam Gotsis, quarterback Justin Thomas, cornerback D.J. White.
Key players who left: B-back Synjyn Days, nose tackle Shawn Green, B-back Zach Laskey, right guard Shaquille Mason, linebacker Quayshawn Nealy, A-back Charles Perkins, wide receiver DeAndre Smelter.
Old reliables: Thomas was a standout in his first year as a starter, progressing in the option game, leading fourth-quarter comebacks and showing a command of the passing game. His most outstanding player performance in the Orange Bowl was a testimony to his fitness for coach Paul Johnson's offense. As a junior, Thomas figures to improve in all aspects, making him an even more productive asset to the Tech offense.
As a sophomore, Davis led the team in tackles with 119 and was second in tackles for loss with 8.5 and sacks with four. He improved as the season went on, limiting mistakes and missed tackles, and had three double-digit tackles in his final four games. Davis will likely take on a greater role setting the defense with the graduation of Nealy, a four-year starter. An energetic leader with a nose for the ball and a hard-hitting style, Davis will be a leader on a defense that stands to bring back eight starters.
Who may emerge: B-back C.J. Leggett likely would have played this season as a first-year freshman had he not been set back in the preseason by injury, and still almost had his redshirt removed anyway. Quick with good vision, he'll be the prime candidate among a pool of freshmen to win the job with the departure of Days and Laskey. It will be critical for him, as well as early enrollee Quaide Weimerskirch, to stay healthy in the spring to accumulate as many practice reps as possible.
Defensive end Kenderius Whitehead sat out the 2014 season as a transfer, coming to Tech from N.C. State via Georgia Military College. Whitehead served on the defensive scout team and made an impression on offensive players and coaches with the daily challenge he provided, along with fellow defensive tackle Jabari Hunt-Days. Whitehead will have two years of eligibility remaining starting with the 2015 season and figures to make a bid for playing time at the end spot.
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