Jon Cooper | The Good Word
There are times when a freshman, no matter how talented, gets like a deer in headlights when making the transition from high school football to college.
That’s why it’s sometimes better to just turn them loose — and why players as talented and aggressive as linebacker Jaquan Henderson often start their careers on special teams.
Punt and kickoff coverage are where Henderson did his damage as a true freshman in 2017. In 10 games, he recorded six tackles — three on kickoffs, three on punt returns.
He is looking to move up the depth chart heading into 2018 fall camp and following a superb spring. His strong showing in March and April culminated with the spring game, where he started for the victorious Blue team and made five stops (all solo), including a team-high-tying two for loss.
In Georgia Tech’s spring showcase, the Covington, Ga., native and former four-year letterman and two-year captain at Newton High School showed signs that he’ll no longer be frozen in the headlights but be right at home going full-speed into the spotlight. He credited the Yellow Jackets’ new defensive system.
“I think we played pretty fast,” said the 6-1, 197-pounder, who’ll probably be bigger and stronger come fall camp after a summer of working out. “Everybody knew what they were supposed to be doing and were making plays.”
Head coach Paul Johnson believes that simpler is better and that the simpler defensive scheme of first-year defensive coordinator Nate Woody will be easier to digest and a better fit than the Jackets’ previous system.
“I think Jaquan is a really good athlete and last year he was just overwhelmed, trying to figure out all the different schemes and all the different stuff,” said Johnson. “One of the neat things about what we’re doing now is it’s really simple and you can get your guys that can run out there and the athletes can just play. Jaquan could be really good rushing the passer and using his speed and doing that kind of thing. I’m anxious to see him play.”