Zach Laskey’s summer measured itself in increments of 15 and 20 yards, the distances he pushed a sled weighted with up to 100 pounds of weights.
After the Yellow Jackets completed their daily strength-and-conditioning workouts, the Georgia Tech B-back often ground out a series of pushes up and down the field, low to the ground, legs driving.
“He likes the weight room,” said John Sisk, Tech’s player-development director. “He’s always trying to find ways to get better and keep that edge.”
After two seasons as David Sims’ backup, Laskey ascended to the top spot to be the featured back in Tech’s spread-option offense. The senior has sought to be equal to the task.
“I want to be the guy that when the game’s on the line, I want to be in there,” he said.
With inexperienced backups behind him, Laskey will receive the opportunity to prove himself. Particularly with coach Paul Johnson’s desire to return to the basics and lean heavily on the triple-option play, the offense will rely upon Laskey’s ability to be a sledgehammer back who can repeatedly punch out 3- and 4-yard gains while occasionally escaping for long runs. That dependability would be helpful for an offense breaking in a new starting quarterback in Justin Thomas.
Tech’s offense orbits around the B-back dive. The more that the B-back, working with the quarterback and offensive line, can punish a defense and command its attention, the more opportunities for big plays on the perimeter open up.
Laskey has steadily added muscle to his 6-foot-1 frame, starting out at 201 pounds as a freshman out of Starr’s Mill High in 2011 to 217 now. Through lunges, squats and time with the sled, he has added lower-body power while still trying to stay light enough to be a breakaway threat. Sisk, in fact, said he thought Laskey had gained speed since last season.
The muscle also will be necessary to handle the abuse that comes with the interior running inherent to the position. At 217, Laskey actually will be Tech’s lightest starting B-back, following Jonathan Dwyer (235), Anthony Allen (229) and Sims (225). With the added muscle and power, he said he can “maybe hopefully get in the pile and maybe break off and split out of there.”
He does have some experience. He ran 84 times for 485 yards and seven rushing touchdowns last season. As a sophomore, he started six games as Sims battled injuries and led the Jackets in rushing with 697 yards on 133 carries.
“He runs extremely hard, especially for his frame,” said Sims, who was not drafted or signed as a free agent, but has continued to train in hopes of signing on with an NFL team. “I think he’s actually a crafty runner, too. He knows which little holes are going to actually pop open. I think he’s going to have a really great year this year.”
Both Johnson and quarterbacks and B-backs coach Bryan Cook noted the additional confidence he gained from spring practice.
Said Johnson, “I think Zach, if he can stay healthy, is going to have a big year.”
Laskey will need to improve his pass blocking, a weakness in his game. Cook said his ability to block in open space would be “a big point of emphasis for him” during preseason camp.
Likewise, his consistency will need to improve. Last year, he was productive against Virginia (16 carries for a career-best 133 yards) and Syracuse (13 carries for 75 yards and three touchdowns), but decidedly less so against Clemson (two carries for 3 yards) and Georgia (five carries for 12 yards).
Laskey seeks to be Tech’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2010, when Allen gained 1,316. As much as it might mean personally to Laskey, it would be a significant milestone for the team, which is light on proven offensive playmakers.
“I want to be able to handle the load,” Laskey said. “I know I can do it.”
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