Georgia Tech is two weeks away from the start of spring practice, but coach Paul Johnson sometimes has a hard time letting go of 2013.
“I wasn’t happy,” he said. “I don’t think anybody was happy. That’s not our goal, to go 7-6.”
Johnson said he still thinks in particular about losses to Virginia Tech and Georgia, losses at home to two of the Yellow Jackets’ biggest rivals decided on the final possession. In the 41-34 double-overtime loss to the Bulldogs, for instance, there were plays he felt the Jackets failed to execute in the first half could have extended the lead past the 20-0 advantage they took before falling.
“What if we’d done this or what if you’d run that, or should we have blitzed or should we not have blitzed,” Johnson said. “You replay all of it.”
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Johnson shared updates and insights about his team, which begins spring practice in advance of his seventh season on March 24. Among them: an admissions leeway he has been granted by school president G.P. “Bud” Peterson, changes in the coaching of the offensive line and possible scheme adjustments for the offense.
The incoming signing class was among Johnson’s largest and was significant in another way. With the academic success that the program has had since his arrival after the 2007 season, Johnson went to Peterson last year for help. He had ammunition. The Jackets were honored by the NCAA last June for having an NCAA-measured Academic Progress Rate in the top 10 percent of FBS.
Of the 15 players who were part of Johnson’s first signing class in 2008 and who stayed for four or more years, 14 earned degrees. Of the 16 players in the 21-player 2009 class who stayed four or more years, 15 earned degrees and the 16th is completing degree work.
Up until last year, Johnson said, he was permitted to have 20 percent of the signees fall below the school’s admissions standards so long as they met NCAA qualifying standards, signees termed by the program as exceptions.
“(Peterson) said, with the success we’ve had, he would give me more leeway if I thought guys could make it through,” Johnson said.
Johnson said that Peterson removed the 20 percent cap and gave him autonomy to offer scholarships to prospective players as long as they were NCAA qualifiers, which are a lower standard than Tech’s.
It is not a privilege that Johnson said he intends to abuse, if for no other reason than practicality.
“It would be really stupid for me to go sign 20 guys and they’re miserable because they can’t do the schoolwork, then they make you miserable and everybody around them miserable,” he said.
But the liberty has been freeing. Johnson and his staff believe they can gauge whether a high school player will have the drive to make it through Tech, regardless of his transcript and standardized test score. In the past, when those candidates fell below Tech’s admissions standards, it often meant they had to give up recruiting them.
“What happened was, you’d get the recruiting board and you would have them — exception, non-exception,” he said. “And you would have to make a choice on who you were recruiting. Because if you were going to take five (exceptions), well, as soon as you hit the five, (you couldn’t recruit any more) and now we don’t have to do that.”
On signing day Feb. 5, Johnson said he didn’t know if he would make staff changes and that “you’re always evaluating.” Johnson said he does so annually and eventually decided that he didn’t feel changes were necessary.
However, Johnson had said on multiple occasions last season that the offensive line needed to be coached better. With three fifth-year seniors who had started a total of 83 games going into the season, the line was expected to be Tech’s best. However, the line underachieved, in part due to injuries.
Asked about the coaching – Mike Sewak is the offensive line coach – Johnson said that there were issues on the offensive line.
“I think they’ll be taken care of,” he said, but declined to elaborate. “It doesn’t do any good to elaborate.”
Blocking on the perimeter was a factor in one of the most anticipated elements of last season — the introduction of the diamond formation — being largely scrapped. The Jackets exploited it to great effect when it was first used in a 38-14 win over Duke. But, he said: “After that, the more we did it, the less effective it became.”
Johnson also said that the diamond formation, in which the quarterback lined up in a shotgun flanked by the A-backs with the B-back immediately behind him, also limited what Tech could do and that the Jackets often abandoned it because of how defenses lined up.
“It’s not computer games,” he said. “You do what you feel like gives you the best chance with the personnel that you have.”
Part of the offseason has been spent reviewing video and compiling data from the season. One statistic Johnson noted: The Jackets completed more passes when the quarterback took the snap from under center rather than in the shotgun, which has often been the formation of choice among fans wanting to see more passing.
“For all the aficionados who know that those guys should be in the ’gun,” he said.
Going into spring drills, though, Johnson has more that he wants to try with quarterback Justin Thomas now running with the first string, following the transfer of Vad Lee to James Madison. Thomas will be competing with Tim Byerly, Ty Griffin and early enrollee freshman Matthew Jordan for snaps.
“He’s like everybody else,” Johnson said of Thomas. “He’s got things fundamentally he’s got to get better at.”
Developing consistency with his footwork and dropbacks are on the list.
One player he will be throwing to is wide receiver DeAndre Smelter, who last week chose to give up baseball to concentrate on football full-time. Smelter was recruited to play both sports out of high school in Macon, but chose baseball. After three seasons limited by injury, Smelter, a pitcher, joined the football team last season and became the program’s most consistent wide receiver. He was planning on continuing to pitch and participate in spring practice before deciding on football.
“I think it’ll help him,” said Johnson, who added that he didn’t know about the decision until after Smelter informed baseball coach Danny Hall last Thursday. “He was going to be in spring practice anyway except for (conflicts with baseball) games. The biggest thing would be the weight room.”
With the loss of 12 starters (11 seniors and Lee), it will be a spring with plenty of competition, particularly on both the offensive and defensive lines. The defensive line will be augmented by former wide receiver Travin Henry, who will switch to defensive end in hopes of winning playing time. B-back Broderick Snoddy will also split time at A-back.
The practices will be filled out by four early enrollees. Near full participation is expected. Linebacker Anthony Harrell will be held out due to a leg injury. Offensive tackle Chase Roberts and A-back Deon Hill have not yet been cleared, Roberts due to a concussion suffered during the season and Hill because of complications related to his Crohn’s disease.
“I’m excited about this team,” Johnson said. “I think we’ve got guys who want to do what we’re going to do, which is important. We’re going to look at some different stuff, some changes, and we’ll see how it goes.”
Johnson declined to explain further — “Not right now,” he said — but added they will be evident to observers.
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “They’ll notice ’em.”
