Georgia Tech returned to the practice fields Monday for the first of 14 spring workouts leading up to the team’s annual spring game April 13. The Yellow Jackets trained in jerseys and shorts for a couple of hours at Rose Bowl Field for second-year coach Brent Key.
“All in all it was a good start for us with a lot of new things going on,” Key said. “But at the same time we got a long way to go. The expectation we have as coaches and that I have as the head coach, we’re not close to being there yet. We got 15 days to get better this spring leading into the summer so we gotta take advantage of each one of ‘em.”
Key will have the next five weeks to evaluate his roster (nearly whole already save for a few true freshmen who will arrive in the summer and any transfers Key may add to the program before the start of preseason practice in July). Positions battles aren’t nearly as imperative for a team that returns a healthy does of starters as is the building of depth at each position.
On offense, quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes, wide receivers Eric Singleton (now wearing No. 2), Malik Rutherford and Christian Leary (now wearing No. 0) are all back. The offensive line features center Weston Franklin, guard Joe Fusile and tackles Jordan Williams, Ethan Mackenny and Corey Robinson.
New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci has linebackers Kyle Efford and Trenilyas Tatum back, defensive backs LaMiles Brooks, Clayton Powell-Lee and Ahmari Harvey leading the secondary and returners Zeek Biggers, Makius Scott, Kevin Harris, Eddie Kelly and Horace Lockett up front. Tech also has punter David Shanahan and kickers Aidan Birr and Gavin Stewart still on the roster.
Getting that long list of returners to improve even more this spring is imperative, Key said.
“The whole part of spring ball is we want the players to be able to feel the reward of improvement,” he said. “We want them to be able to go out there and improve every day, get better every day, but also feel the reward for it and not get anxious and feel uptight and stressed out without having to go practice. Practices are hard. They’re meant to be hard. That’s how you build a football team is going through challenging situations and tough practices. They’ll continue to get harder and harder. But we want the guys to also feel the reward for going out and practicing and seeing the improvement that they make each day.”
Along with the sense of newness that surrounds spring practice, Key also watched a large chunk of players practice for the first time in a white-and-gold uniform. Tech has 15 true freshmen on the spring roster and 10 transfers.
Credit: Chad Bishop
Many of those new Jackets will get a good chunk of reps this spring as Key and his staff determine who is ready to help Tech when the lights come on and who may need some more development.
Key also brought in five new coaches, four on the defensive side of the ball.
“Really it all comes back to the attitude that they have coming out, the toughness they play with and being able to challenge these guys with installation,” he added. “At the same time the most important things right now are the basic fundamentals of the game and the mindset they come out with.”
Tech is scheduled to resume spring practice Wednesday morning. The program’s pro day, a chance for former college players to work out for professional scouts, is scheduled for Friday. The Yellow Jackets will then have a week off before resuming spring practice March 25.
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