Georgia Tech redshirt freshman Jordan Mason will start at B-back for Saturday’s season opener against Alcorn State.
Coach Paul Johnson said Tuesday that Mason would start in place of KirVonte Benson, who will be held out of the first quarter of the game for a minor infraction of team rules, pending a meeting that afternoon regarding his academics. Wednesday, Johnson affirmed that Mason will start.
Mason will be one of two or possibly three redshirt freshmen to start Saturday in their first college games. Cornerback Tre Swilling was named a starter in Tuesday's depth chart, as was offensive tackle Zach Quinney, but Quinney's spot in the starting five is not secure.
Mason, listed at 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, has impressed teammates in the preseason. A-back Qua Searcy touted him as “a baller” and said that he thought he gained more than 200 yards in the team’s scrimmage against the scout team last Friday.
“He’s a tough runner,” quarterback TaQuon Marshall said. “He’s a big, physical dude. He’s just hard to bring down. Just every time I see him run, I’m like, dang, that dude, he’s really big.”
With Jerry Howard also returning, along with Benson, a second-team All-ACC selection last season, Johnson said that the depth at B-back is “probably the deepest it’s ever been, as far as players.”
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