Tevin Washington has had a busy offseason.
The Georgia Tech quarterback organized 7-on-7 workouts with players from Georgia State and Morehouse. He rehearsed the footwork and reads of the triple option. He set the pace in strength and conditioning workouts. He even interned at the Dunwoody law firm Pendergast & Associates, providing input on a data management project.
"I could call Tevin right now and be like, ‘Look, meet me at such and such at 2 o'clock. We've got to lift weights and run,'" linebacker Steven Sylvester said. "He'd be like, ‘Alright, meet me there at 1:30.'"
On Wednesday, Washington will look for a big return on his labors when the Yellow Jackets open fall camp, 29 days before they begin the season against Western Carolina. A junior from Wetumpka, Ala., he is the starter going into practice. It marks the first time in coach Paul Johnson's tenure that he'll go into the season with someone other than Joshua Nesbitt at quarterback.
"He's way more self-assured going in," Johnson said of Washington. "I think he has a better concept of what's going on and what's happening."
After starting the final four games last season in place of the injured Nesbitt, Washington entered and exited spring practice as the starter. As noted, he has continued to play the part over the summer.
"Coming up through spring and going into the fall now, he knows it's his position," wide receiver Tyler Melton said. "It's his job and he's approaching it that way."
In passing drills, Washington has focused on developing timing and communication with wide receivers such as Stephen Hill and Melton. He has done drill work on the triple option, in this manner: "Just playing with my eyes and reacting and not trying to think."
Washington is healthy after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his left knee on the final play of the Independence Bowl, a loss to Air Force. He played with the injury in the spring, though limited in his ability to cut and run freely, and had surgery a week after spring practice ended. He feels 100 percent and will play without a brace.
Over and above his leadership and health, he'll have to play better than last fall, when he was 1-3 as a starter, plus as a reserve in the loss to Virginia Tech in which Nesbitt broke his arm.
Fans called for backup Synjyn Days when Washington struggled, and have provided pockets of support for incoming freshman Vad Lee. Yet while Tech had trouble scoring, the Jackets averaged 5.4 yards per play after Washington took over. Tech averaged 5.9 behind Nesbitt, who had 2 1/2 seasons of experience in running the offense before his injury.
Johnson said Washington was OK when running the option last season. In the spring, Washington was solid, if unspectacular.
"He gave us a chance," Johnson said. "If everybody around him played well, he gave us a chance to win in most games."
It usually would be a lot to ask a quarterback with little experience to do more than that. However, the standards have risen for him.
"I think I'm a lot more comfortable," Washington said. "I feel like that experience is going to pay off."
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