March 9, 2004
Lucky seven?
Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey certainly hopes that seven proves to be an auspicious number.
The Yellow Jackets return seven starters on offense and seven on defense from last year’s squad that earned Tech’s school-record seventh straight bowl game. The Jackets, who crushed Tulsa, 52-10, in the Humanitarian Bowl, also posted a seventh consecutive winning season and a seventh straight year of at least seven victories.
Offensively, the Jackets welcome back the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading rusher in junior P.J. Daniels and the 2003 ACC Rookie of the Year in sophomore signal-caller Reggie Ball, but Tech must replace two starters on the offensive line as well as play-making wideout Jonathan Smith.
The Tech defense performed well last fall, leading the ACC and ranking 12th in the nation against the run. The Jackets return two of the ACC’s top defenders in senior free safety James Butler and junior defensive end Eric Henderson, both of whom should be strong candidates for all-America honors this season. The biggest question mark on defense, and perhaps for the entire team, is replacing ultra-productive linebackers Keyaron Fox and Daryl Smith.
“I’m excited about where we can be,” said Gailey as he enters his third spring on the Flats. “We are not there yet. We have a lot of work to do, but we have some great things to build on from last year. There is some potential, but we have a lot of work to get done.
“Our biggest concern is depth at a lot of positions. We have to find starters at the linebacker spots, and we have to develop depth at most other positions.
“Who is going to step in at tight end? Who is going to step up at a receiver spot? Who is going to play corner for us? There are a lot of things there that we are going to take a look at.”
If Tech is add to its seven-year run of success, it must do so against a schedule that features seven opponents that played in bowl games last fall, including new ACC members Miami and Virginia Tech, as well as Clemson, Maryland, NC State and Virginia, plus in-state rival Georgia.
Tech opens spring practice March 19 and continues through the April 17 spring scrimmage.
QUARTERBACKS
1 Starter, 1 Letterman Returning
Georgia Tech welcomes back sophomore quarterback Reggie Ball, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year. The 5-11, 195-pounder from Stone Mountain, Ga., started every game as a true freshman last fall, earning the job just weeks after arriving on campus. He impressed with his poise and play-making ability while setting Tech freshman records for passing yards (1.996) and total offense (2,380) and completing 52 percent of his passes. He had 10 touchdowns passing and three rushing but also threw 11 interceptions.
“There are some fundamental things that we need to work on with Reggie,” said Gailey. “Overall decision-making and teaching him to anticipate better will be the emphasis.”
Developing a capable backup is a major priority this spring as Ball is the only Tech quarterback who has taken a collegiate snap. Behind him are talented redshirt freshman Patrick Carter (6-3, 190), the younger brother of NFL receiver Tim Carter who was limited by injuries last fall, and true freshman Taylor Bennett (6-3, 200), who enrolled in January. Senior walk-on Robby Brown adds depth.
“I think it will probably be something like a 40-30-30 breakdown as far as the snaps in spring,” said Gailey. “Reggie needs to get a decent amount of work, but we need to find out what Patrick Carter and Taylor Bennett can do as well.”
RUNNING BACKS
1 Starter, 3 Lettermen Returning
All-ACC junior P.J. Daniels (5-10, 210) recorded one of the top rushing seasons in Georgia Tech and ACC history with 1,447 yards last fall. The former walk-on from Houston, Texas, averaged 111.3 yards per game, becoming just the third Yellow Jacket to lead the ACC in rushing. His season total is the second-best mark in Tech history and the fourth best in conference annals.
Over his last four games, Daniels posted two of the top three single-game rushing performances in school history, including an NCAA bowl-game record 307 yards versus Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl. Also an Academic All-ACC honoree, Daniels scored 11 touchdowns.
Behind Daniels are a pair of players who could push for playing time in junior Chris Woods (5-10, 190) and redshirt freshman Rashaun Grant (5-10, 185).
Woods was Tech’s third-leading rusher last fall after transferring from the defunct program at Morris Brown. He actually started one game when Daniels was injured and finished the year with 122 yards on 31 carries and one touchdown. Grant is a promising young player with very good speed and elusiveness.
The “X” factor could be sophomore Michael Sampson (6-1, 199), who ended last spring as Tech’s starting tailback but was not academically eligible for the season. He played in four games as a true freshman in 2002, rushing 13 times for 35 yards.
“There are three guys behind P.J. that give us some good depth at that position if they continue to improve,” said Gailey. “Chris Woods started to play better towards the end of the year, but he has got to get bigger and stronger and has to improve his blocking.
“Rashaun Grant was injured at the start of the year but looked like he was getting healthy during bowl practices. I’m excited to see what he will be able to do when he gets a lot bigger and stronger in the offseason.
“Michael Sampson is back from last year and seems to be healthy and on track to participate, but we’ll have to wait and see where he stands academically.”
FULLBACKS
1 Starter, 3 Lettermen Returning
Senior returning starter Jimmy Dixon (6-1, 225) turned in a steady season at fullback last fall. Seldom called upon to carry the ball, he caught four passes for 18 yards and is a dependable blocker.
Junior Ajenavi Eziemefe (6-1, 225), a former tailback, began to see some action at fullback midway through last season and will work here exclusively this spring. He has 335 career rushing yards, including 53 last season.
Senior Johnathan Jackson (6-2, 225), who has been a valuable special teams player, will miss spring practice due to injury for the second straight year.
WIDE RECEIVERS
1 Starter, 6 Lettermen Returning
Dependable senior Nate Curry (5-10, 190) returns at wide receiver, but the Yellow Jackets will miss the play-making ability of Jonathan Smith, who set Tech season records with 78 catches for 1,138 yards last fall. In addition to accounting for half of Tech’s receiving yards, he led the ACC in punt returns.
The speedy Curry, an Academic All-ACC selection in 2003, was second to Smith with 37 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns, returning to form after missing almost two years due to injury.
The other receiver slot is wide open, with senior Levon Thomas (6-0, 195) having the most experience. after catching 10 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown last season.
Senior Mark Logan (5-11, 200), 4 receptions, 55 yards, 1 TD, junior Damarius Bilbo (6-3, 225), 2-55, and sophomores Xavier McGuire (6-3, 210), 4-25, and Chris Dunlap (5-11, 200) will also vie for the starting position. This is a position where true freshmen should have an impact next fall.
“Nate Curry is a returning starter, and Levon Thomas gave us a lot of snaps last year, even though he didn’t have a lot of catches,” said Gailey. “We have to see who else can play at that position. Can one of these young guys come on? Who can play wide receiver for us? We recruited some very good receivers, but first we need to find out who on campus can play for us.”
TIGHT ENDS
0 Starters, 2 Lettermen Returning
Tight end is a position at which the Yellow Jackets lack a proven player following the graduation of last year’s starter and honorable mention all-ACC selection, John Paul Foschi. The most experienced returnee and the likely starter is senior Darius Williams, who showed great improvement last season, when he played primarily in two-tight end alignments. At 6-6 and 270 pounds, he has excellent size, and he caught three passes for 37 yards in 2003.
Another tight end with good size is sophomore George Cooper, who stands 6-5 and 259 pounds. Also in the mix are junior Gavin Tarquinio (6-3, 250), a former offensive lineman who has been hampered by injuries for much of his career, and sophomore Michael Matthews (6-4, 265), who moves here after playing fullback last fall and defensive end in 2002.
OFFENSIVE LINE
3 Starters, 6 Lettermen Returning
Georgia Tech lost two all-conference players on the offensive line in senior center Hugh Reilly and junior tackle Nat Dorsey, who elected to enter the NFL draft. Still, three veteran starters return from the unit that paved the way for the ACC’s top rusher, led by senior right tackle Kyle Wallace.
A 6-6, 295-pounder from Lawrenceville, Ga., Wallace is Tech’s most experienced offensive player with 25 career starts and should be a candidate for all-conference honors this fall.
Lining up opposite Wallace at left tackle is Kenton Johnson, a 6-6, 325-pound senior who joined the program in 2003 after transferring from the now-defunct program at Morris Brown. He played as a backup behind Dorsey last season.
“Kenton Johnson will be the first one we look at there,” said Gailey. “We will see if he can handle the pressure because that’s a big position on the football team.”
Tech has a pair of experienced players at guard in returning starter Brad Honeycutt, a 6-4, 308-pound junior, and Leon Robinson, a 6-4, 318-pound senior who did not start last season but has made 19 career starts.
At center, Tech must replace Reilly, who not only started for three years but played every single snap last season. Because of the importance of the position, veteran Andy Tidwell-Neal, a 6-4, 315-pound senior, moves there after starting last season at right guard. He will be backed up by promising redshirt freshman Kevin Tuminello (6-4, 275).
“You can never be too good at center, so we want to take a guy in Andy Tidwell-Neal who has some experience and put him in there right now. We have great hope for Kevin Tuminello in the future, but we have the opportunity for a guy who has played center in ballgames to step in there.
“Kyle Wallace has played the most and played the most consistently,” continued Gailey. “I think Andy played well last year, had his best season by far. Brad had his best year by far, so there are three guys who are very solid for us. Leon Robinson has to get in shape. He is recovering from a little injury, but he needs to come on and be consistent for us in his senior year.”
Developing dependable backups at all positions on the offensive line will be a major priority this spring. Candidates include junior Salih Besirevic (6-6, 280) and redshirt freshmen Matt Rhodes (6-3, 268) and Eddy Parker (6-4, 285) as well as sophomore Brad Brezina (6-2, 275), who moves to guard after lettering at defensive tackle last fall.
“Depth is a big concern,” Gailey said. “We will have to see which one of these young guys can come on and create some depth for us.”
DEFENSIVE ENDS
2 Starters, 3 Lettermen Returning
Defensive end looks to be one of Georgia Tech’s strongest positions, led by all-America candidate Eric Henderson, a 6-3, 265-pound junior from New Orleans, La.
A first-team all-ACC selection and an Academic All-ACC honoree, Henderson led the league with 11 sacks and was second with 24 tackles for loss, a Tech single-season record. After just two seasons, he has already amassed 16 career sacks and 39 tackles for loss, which ranks fifth in Rambling Wreck history.
Playing opposite Henderson will be junior Travis Parker, an honorable mention all-ACC choice while playing defensive tackle last fall, when he collected 15 tackles for loss. At 6-5 and 265 pounds, the Tech coaches feel he will be better suited to play defensive end, a position that opened up with the move of last year’s starter, Gerris Wilkinson, to linebacker.
“We’ll move Travis Parker out to end, which is a better position for him,” said Gailey. “He’s not as big and strong as you need to be inside, but he has done a great job for us inside even with his lack of size. A more natural position for him is defensive end.
“With Travis on one end and Eric on the other, people can’t pay attention too much to one side.”
Senior Chirod Williams (6-4, 235) and redshirt freshman Adamm Oliver (6-4, 250) are slated as the primary backups.
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
1 Starter, 3 Lettermen Returning
Massive sophomore Mansfield Wrotto returns after starting 11 games at defensive tackle last fall, making four tackles for loss and one sack. The 6-3, 310-pounder was a third-team Freshman All-America selection.
“I think Mansfield surprised a lot of people, probably even us as coaches, with the way he played and the way he developed through the course of the year,” said Gailey. “I think he will take another jump this off-season. He is getting a lot stronger in the weight room. I am looking for bigger and better things from him next year.”
With last year’s other starter, Travis Parker, moving to defensive end, sophomore Joe Anoai will get a shot at defensive tackle. He played as a true freshman, working primarily on passing downs, and had three tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.
“Joe Anaoi played well last year when he came in,” said Gailey. “He is pushing that 260 mark, so we will let him use his quickness and speed in there like we used Travis Parker last year.
“One of the biggest disappointments is not having LeShawn Newberry in there this spring. There is another 300-plus pounder that you would like to see get some reps.”
Newberry (6-0, 315) suffered a season-ending knee injury in preseason camp and has not been cleared for spring drills but should be ready for fall practice.
Also adding depth at defensive tackle is junior Omar Billy (6-2, 278).
LINEBACKERS
1 Starter, 5 Lettermen Returning
Linebacker is clearly Georgia Tech’s biggest question mark on defense, simply because the Jackets must replace a pair of all-ACC honorees in three-year starter Keyaron Fox and four-year starter Daryl Smith. That duo combined for 284 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, seven sacks, six forced fumbles and five pass breakups last year alone; over the last four years, they totalled 759 tackles and 88 tackles for loss. Throw in a third graduated starter in Ather Brown, and that type of experience and productivity will be difficult to replace.
Although all three starters graduated, Tech does have one returning starter to plug in as junior Gerris Wilkinson (6-3, 230) moves from defensive end back to his former linebacker spot. After making a last-minute switch to defensive end last summer, Wilkinson was very effective despite his lack of size, collecting 47 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, but he should be even better-suited to play linebacker.
“Gerris performed very well at defensive end and he will be a solid player for us at Sam (strong-side linebacker), which is his more natural position,” said Gailey.
“Then we have to find a Mike (middle linebacker) and a Will (weak-side linebacker). We will have Nick Moore, KaMichael Hall, Philip Wheeler and [Tabugbo] Anyansi all in there fighting for the jobs.”
Of the players vying for those two positons, Hall, a 6-0, 225-pound sophomore, saw the most playing time last season., collecting 12 tackles with two tackles for loss. Moore, a 6-1, 225-pound sophomore, and Anyansi, a 6-1, 225-pound senior, played primarily on special teams. Wheeler, a 6-2, 215-pound sophomore, also saw some time at defensive end.
Beyond the statistics that they amassed, Fox and Smith’s versatility and knowledge of the game made them very effective in the multi-faceted defensive schemes fashioned by coordinator Jon Tenuta.
“We will have to adjust,” admitted Gailey, “but the young guys will have to learn. You can’t hold everybody back because you have some guys that don’t have quite the experience. They have to learn to play within the system. And they have been in the system a year, so it’s not like it’s something completely new. They just have to get up to speed on everything.”
SAFETIES
2 Starters, 5 Lettermen Returning
Along with defensive end, safety is probably the deepest and most talented position on the Tech roster, led by senior all-America candidate James Butler at free safety.
Butler should be one of the nation’s top defensive players after earning first-team all-ACC honors last fall. He finished second in the ACC with five interceptions while setting a Tech single-season record for tackles by a defensive back with 119. The 6-3, 210-pounder from Climax, Ga., was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. He was also an Academic All-ACC selection in 2003.
Butler teams with strong safety Dawan Landry to give Tech one of the top tandems at the position in the ACC and the nation. A junior from Ama, La., the 6-2, 215-pound Landry is a very good athlete who excels in run support. The former quarterback was Tech’s fourth-leading tackler last fall with 85 hits, along with two interceptions.
Veteran backups Chris Reis (6-0, 210) at strong safety and Nathan Burton (6-2, 200) at free safety give the Jackets excellent depth at the position. Reis, a junior, saw extensive action last fall in certain packages, collecting 37 tackles and six tackles for loss. Both Reis and Burton a senior, are also key special teams players, as is sophomore backup Joe Gaston (5-10, 195). Redshirt freshman Avery Roberson (6-2, 190) joins the mix this spring.
“We are very fortunate with James Butler coming back who was all-conference at free safety,” said Gailey. “Dawan Landry and Chris Reis played well for us last year. So those three safeties along with Nathan Burton give us a very solid safety corps.”
CORNERBACKS
1 Starter, 3 Lettermen Returning
Reuben Houston, a 6-0, 195-pound junior, returns at one cornerback slot, but Tech must replace senior Jonathan Cox.
Houston was fifth on the team in tackles last spring with 70, including four tackles for loss. He also contributed three interceptions and a team-leading eight pass breakups.
Talented sophomore Kenny Scott (6-1, 180), also Tech’s kickoff return specialist, enters the spring as the starter at the other corner. Senior Dennis Davis (6-0, 185), who saw extensive playing time as a fifth defensive back and had two interceptions, could also challenge for a starting berth, but he will miss spring practice recovering from off-season surgery. Houston, too, will be limited in spring practice due to off-season surgery.
Several young players will compete for backup roles, including sophomores I-Perfection Harris (5-10, 175), Brian Fleuridor (5-11, 185) and Sam Williams (5-11, 185) and redshirt freshman Finesse Usher (5-11, 190).
“We want our guys to be able to play one-on-one on the outside,” said Gailey. “If they can play one-on-one outside, then that opens up some other things for you. You would like to not be a zone team all the time. That means they have to work really hard at proper technique and little things that go into being a great corner. We will be without Dennis Davis in the spring, and Reuben will be on the field but will be limited. So Kenny Scott and some of those other guys are going to get a ton of reps on the field this spring.”
SPECIALISTS
1 Starter, 3 Lettermen Returning
Tech has had the luxury of very reliable placekickers the last several years, with Dan Burnett last fall and Luke Manget before him, but the Jackets enter the spring with no proven commodoties at either placekicker or punter.
Senior Andy Thomson (5-11, 180) ended last season as the starting punter, averaging 39.8 yards on 24 punts, but Gailey would like to see much more consistent play at that position.
Sophomore David Jordan (6-4, 210), who handled some kickoffs last season, enters the spring as the top kicker, but did not attempt a field goal or PAT. He should be pushed by redshirt freshman Travis Bell (6-1, 205).
“There is a lot of uncertainty,” said Gailey. “We don’t have a proven kicker or punter going into spring practice. We will work on that very hard and and see who can handle the pressure. We will evaluate at the end of spring exactly what we need to do and how we will try to fit in [true freshman] Kyle Belcher when he arrives on campus in the fall.”
Tech does have the luxury of senior Andrew Economos (6-1, 225) returning for this third season as the Jackets’ long-snapper on punts and placements.
Sophomore Kenny Scott returns after returning kickoffs for the Jackets last fall, averaging 22.3 yards per return, but Tech must find a punt returner to replace Jonathan Smith, who led the ACC with an 11.7-yard average, including two touchdowns.
