Georgia Tech 2007 Preview

It may be tempting from afar to think that last season was as good as it may get for Georgia Tech, which had perhaps the most talented player in college football in wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the ACC’s leading rusher, a solid defense, one of the nation’s top punters and a good kicker.

The unfortunate facts that Tech lost its final three games, each by three points, and that Johnson has opted to go pro would not seem to bode well for 2007.

But the Jackets may be better-equipped for this season.

There is no replacing Johnson, the junior who many NFL teams ranked as the best player in this year’s draft, but redshirt freshman Demaryius Thomas got off to a flying start in the spring.

More important, four of five starting offensive linemen are back, and running back Tashard Choice, punter Durant Brooks and kicker Travis Bell return as well.

Oh, and Tech lost only three starters on defense, and junior quarterback Taylor Bennett — who took over for suspended senior Reggie Ball in the Gator Bowl and passed for 335 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to West Virginia — was spot-on in the spring.

If the Jackets forge team chemistry similar to last season’s, then Tech has a chance to push those losses to Georgia, to Wake Forest in the ACC Championship Game, and to WVU further in the rear-view mirror.

Quarterbacks
The enigma is gone. Ball was effective early last season before injuries rendered him erratic. Bennett is a different kind of player. Ball was dangerous as a run threat, which sometimes helped the passing game. But his lack of height (5'11") affected the passing game; former offensive coordinator Patrick Nix rarely called on Ball to throw to the tight ends, and the Jackets only threw over the middle in emergencies, or so it seemed. The 6'3" Bennett will be throwing the ball all over the place for new coordinator John Bond, who came from Northern Illinois. There are signs that Bennett’s Gator Bowl performance was no fluke. He threw five touchdown passes in the final spring scrimmage. Tech lacks experience at the position. Bennett has started two college games, and the backup position is unsettled, though Calvin Booker, a transfer from Auburn, and highly touted incoming freshmen Steven Threet and Josh Nesbitt give coach Chan Gailey options.

Running Backs
Choice is neither the fastest, nor the biggest, but he’s among the wisest. That’s a way of saying he’s patient in looking for holes, follows blocks well, and runs hard all the time. He rushed for 1,473 yards last season, and the Oklahoma transfer passed the 100-yard mark nine times. Choice tends to be more effective as the game wears on and has worked hard in the offseason to add a little speed. The senior has the benefit of a fine fullback in senior Mike Cox, who can catch the ball better than most. Senior Rashaun Grant may be used in more of an H-back role, and sophomore Jamaal Evans will vie for playing time with talented incoming freshmen Jonathan Dwyer and Roddy Jones. Grant may be more accomplished as a receiver than Choice, although his numbers didn’t reflect that as he was on the field much less.

Receivers
Starting wide receiver James Johnson (39 receptions, 608 yards, seven touchdowns) is the leading returnee, and Thomas and sophomore Greg Smith appear likely to battle for the spot on the other side. Thomas had a fantastic spring, even if Gailey has tried not to act overly excited about his prospects. “He’s turned into a very good receiver,” Gailey says. “I think he’s got a chance to be extremely good before it’s over with, but we’ve got to walk before we run.” Redshirt freshman wideout Correy Earls also showed well in the spring, and 6'6" sophomore tight end Colin Peek appears most likely to stand out at his position. Incoming freshmen wide receivers like D.J. Donley and Willie White will get a good look early in the summer as coaches look for depth.

2007 Schedule
S. 1	at Notre Dame	W
S. 8	Samford	W
S. 15	Boston College	W
S. 22	at Virginia	W
S. 29	Clemson	W
O. 6	at Maryland	W
O. 13	at Miami	*
O. 20	Army	W
N. 1	Virginia Tech	*
N. 10	at Duke	W
N. 17	North Carolina	W
N. 24	Georgia	*
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
You’d have to go back a long way to find a season when Tech returned so much experience up front. With starting center Kevin Tuminello, guards Matt Rhodes and Nate McManus and tackle Andrew Gardner, Tech is in pretty good stead. Tuminello does a fine job running the line, and this unit proved to be especially solid in the run game. It’s unclear whether Gardner will remain on the left side or switch to the right. The other tackle spot will be decided in the summer. Junior A.J. Smith, sophomore Cord Howard and incoming freshman Nick Claytor are considered most likely to compete for the spot.

Defensive Linemen
This unit was very dependable last season and loses only one player from the rotation. Departed tackle Joe Anoai will likely be replaced in the starting lineup by junior Vance Walker, who played plenty in 2006. In many pass-rushing situations, second-team All-ACC senior end Adamm Oliver will move inside as supreme rusher Michael Johnson moves to end. Johnson suffered from some sort of abdominal injury in the spring after missing the first two games of last season with a groin injury. His status is unclear. The Jackets will have more depth outside, where starters Oliver and Darrell Robertson figure to be backed up by Johnson, sophomore Robert Hall and perhaps incoming freshmen Derrick Morgan and Jason Peters. They are among Tech’s most highly regarded recruits.

Linebackers
One starter is gone. Former weak-side linebacker KaMichael Hall will be replaced by Gary Guyton, who is moving from the strong side. Back in the middle is senior Philip Wheeler, who considered entering the NFL Draft. If he improves even a little on his junior season, some believe he will be a first-day pick in next year’s draft. Then, there are questions. Sophomore Shane Bowen is expected to compete with redshirt freshman Anthony Barnes, a 6'3", 235-pound athletic specimen who originally was to enter Tech in the fall of 2005. Depth is relatively untested in this unit as Hall, Wheeler and Guyton logged nearly all the meaningful snaps last season. The starters, though, will be quick — especially Wheeler — and all will be called upon to blitz plenty.

Defensive Backs
Again, only one starter is gone, and again there is some question as to who will replace that one starter, senior cornerback Kenny Scott. The safety spots, however, appear set with seniors Jamal Lewis, an All-ACC performer, and Djay Jones. Senior Avery Roberson is virtually certain to start at one corner, while junior Jahi Word-Daniels seems to have a tentative hold on the other. Senior Pat Clark, who yo-yoed in and out of the rotation last season, will be a key player at corner as well. Talented sophomore Laurence Marius began the spring in position to start at one corner but slipped to second on the depth chart and then left school. However, the door has been left open for him to return. Defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta — who rotates defensive backs frequently — will go into the summer on a mission to add at least one player to his working rotation of Lewis, Jones, Roberson, Word-Daniels and Clark. The status of Marius, plus a few incoming freshmen like safety Morgan Burnett, cornerback Mario Butler and others leaves the end of this rotation in flux for now.

Specialists
Brooks, who was a second-team All-American and a Ray Guy award finalist after averaging 45.5 yards (40.6 net), anchors this unit. He’s not only strong-legged but also very adept at pinning opponents inside their 20-yard-line. He was a legitimate candidate as Tech’s MVP last season. Bell was an All-ACC placekicker as a sophomore but has been streaky since. Kickoffs were a tremendous problem for Tech last season and will be a focal point for special teams coach Charles Kelly. While the Jackets have many candidates, there are no obvious return specialists yet.

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