Amid players felled by injury or recovering from surgery, Georgia Tech wide receiver Micheal Summers was the only scholarship player at his position to stay on the field throughout all of spring practice. The extended practice time has apparently brought an early benefit.
Summers was moved to the top of the new depth chart released Monday, along with returning starter Darren Waller. Summers, a redshirt freshman, was not among the top four receivers in last week’s depth chart, jumping past Corey Dennis, Jamie Alvarez and DeAndre Smelter.
“He’s made himself more consistent and made plays when he’s had the opportunity and just doing some good things out there,” wide receivers coach Buzz Preston said following Monday’s practice. “So hopefully he’ll keep that going.”
The depth chart is subject to change again before the Yellow Jackets open the season Aug. 31 against Elon. Preston said that he has four “main guys” — Waller, Smelter, Summers and Dennis — who are all on the two-deep depth chart.
“It’s all up to them right now,” Preston said. “Like I tell guys, this is the way it is right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s etched in stone. It’s all about performing every week, every day.”
Preston acknowledged that true freshman receivers Ricky Jeune and Antonio Messick are likely to redshirt. Travin Henry, coming back from an ACL tear, is going to have to fight his way back into contention for playing time.
Injury report: The offensive line was hit again with injury in Monday's practice. On the day that offensive tackle Ray Beno returned from the sideline, enabling four of the five projected starters to practice together for the first time this preseason, center Jay Finch was injured and knocked out of practice. Coach Paul Johnson did not specify either injury but was hopeful that Finch's wasn't serious.
Finch returned to practice last week for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in the winter.
The Jackets are also missing right tackle Morgan Bailey, who won’t be back until at least the second game of the season after an unspecified surgical procedure at the start of camp.
Johnson said he didn’t have a set date for the return of safety Isaiah Johnson, returning from an ACL tear, although the coach said he won’t play in the season opener. Johnson said, “Really, we’re kind of leaving it up to him what he can do.”
The coach cited Johnson’s veteran status as the rationale for giving him leeway on his return.
Thomas improving: Backup quarterback Justin Thomas performed well in Saturday's scrimmage, a result that has given him valuable confidence, quarterbacks/B-backs coach Bryan Cook said. Thomas made a few precise downfield throws from the pocket and also on the run on broken plays.
“And then there were a couple times where he just hit it and ran it,” Cook said of Thomas, one of the fastest players on the team. “It wasn’t designed at all. Those are things with him that make him different.”
Johnson said that quarterback Vad Lee “will probably start” against Elon but that Thomas will likely also play.
Redshirt plans: Coaches have a pretty good idea on which true freshmen they plan to redshirt. There are five true freshmen on the newest two-deep depth chart: offensive tackle Chris Griffin, defensive tackle Justin Akins, outside linebacker Paul Davis, kicker Harrison Butker and long snapper Trevor Stroebel. Davis and Butker are near certainties to play. Johnson said Akins is a likely redshirt. While listed second at left tackle, Griffin will probably redshirt so long as others ahead of him stay healthy. Stroebel, a walk-on who is the No. 2 long snapper, could conceivably play.
