Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson may be ready to throw freshman wide receiver Jalen Camp into the deep end.
Camp, who impressed in the preseason, has not demonstrated mastery of the offense in practice, which is what has prevented him from receiving more playing time. Johnson said that Camp has only played at wide receiver in one game thus far, not the sort of return that coaches (or Camp) would want for taking off his redshirt and playing as a first-year freshman.
With five games remaining in the regular season, the time may have arrived to try to give Camp the chance to contribute.
“Sometimes, you’ve just got to put him in and see what happens,” Johnson said.
Johnson also said that reserve wide receiver Antonio Messick, who has only played in two games this season, has impressed him in practice in recent days and may earn a shot at playing time.
At wide receiver, Tech has mainly relied on starters Ricky Jeune and Brad Stewart, with Mikell Lands-Davis rotating in.
Given what Camp showed in the preseason, Johnson said that “we thought for sure” that Camp would have a role in the offense at this point of the season. Johnson prefers to give freshmen a redshirt year, but will play them in their first season if he believe they can help the team win that season.
Camp is one of five members of the 2016 signing class who have played this season. The others are defensive tackle Brandon Adams, guard Parker Braun, center Kenny Cooper and B-back Dedrick Mills. Adams and Cooper have also played on a limited basis.
Adams’s conditioning level is preventing him from playing more, defensive line coach Mike Pelton said. Coaches are having a hard time finding a spot for Cooper to play. The offense is playing an unusually low number of possessions and snaps, reducing opportunities, and starter Freddie Burden is an integral member of the line and difficult to take out of the game.
