The “Above the Line” chart for Georgia Tech’s Thursday night game against Pittsburgh is absent nine of 10 players who were unavailable for Saturday’s game against N.C. State
That includes running back Jahmyr Gibbs, defensive ends Chico Bennett, Jordan Domineck and Curtis Ryans and cornerback Tre Swilling – all starters or backups who play regularly. The lone player of the 10 who were on the “Above the Line” chart for the N.C. State game before being declared unavailable but is on the chart for the Pitt game is safety/nickel back Kaleb Oliver. The other four not on the chart are center Kenny Cooper, quarterback Tucker Gleason, tight end Billy Ward and wide receiver Marquez Ezzard, whom coach Geoff Collins revealed Monday is out for the season.
The chart was released Tuesday, a day after defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker said that “we’re preparing to have everyone back and available” for the game against Pitt.
Should the nine remain out – players on the chart don’t always end up playing, and those not on the list sometimes end up playing – it would obviously constitute a significant obstacle for the Jackets against the Panthers, who are favored by as much as seven points and given a 73% chance to win by ESPN.
Gibbs’ playmaking ability in the run and pass game is difficult to replace. Gibbs suffered a hamstring injury against Duke on Nov. 28 and was on crutches on the sideline of the N.C. State game. Bennett, Domineck and Ryans have been among the top four defensive ends in the rotation. Swilling is a three-year starter at cornerback.
It would leave Tech especially thin at defensive end and in the secondary. There are four players listed on the new chart at defensive end, including Charlie Thomas, who normally plays nickel back but played defensive end for the first time in his career Saturday because of the shortage. There are also only two players listed at the nickel back position, Jordan Huff and Wesley Walker. Huff, a redshirt freshman, played the first defensive snaps of his career in the N.C. State game. (Oliver has been playing nickel, but is listed with the safeties.)
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