No fewer than 18 members of Georgia Tech’s 2020 freshman class have played this season, some of them because of injuries but many because they have earned spots on the field.
While the most noted are quarterback Jeff Sims, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and right tackle Jordan Williams, defensive ends Jared Ivey and Kyle Kennard have been playing regularly. With injuries and attrition, the defensive line has had to rely more than planned on Ivey, Kennard and Akelo Stone.
“We started getting a lot more reps on special teams, at first a little bit out of necessity,” coach Geoff Collins said. “But then, they’ve just solidified their positions by how well that they’ve played.”
Collins credited general manager Patrick Suddes, his recruiting staff and the assistant coaches for their work in evaluating and recruiting the players who make up the class.
“Just excited to see how we build upon this group and put another class together and then another really good class together,” Collins said. “It’s going to be exciting.”
With four games remaining, Tech coaches are hoping that experience gained during the team’s three consecutive off weeks – an open date and then two postponements – will benefit those Yellow Jackets. Defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker called the extra practice time “gold” for the freshmen. Tech plays Duke on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“Just think about an 18-year-old young man and how his body’s developing every single week,” Thacker said. “And then, obviously, the practices we’ve been able to have where we’re focusing on technique and effort.”
By teaching more on technique and correcting mistakes rather than laying out the game plan, Thacker said that once those players are once again preparing for an opponent, they are “able to execute faster with more violence. So the development those guys have been able to have these bye weeks, has been critical.”
* After the three-week break, Collins said that “we feel good” from an injury standpoint.
“We’re trying to get every position to be as healthy and as strong as possible,” he said.
The Jackets have been hit hard by injuries at wide receiver and defensive line, where multiple players have suffered season-ending injuries in both groups.
Offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said that freshman wide receiver Nate McCollum is in position to play more. McCollum was on the field for 45 snaps against Notre Dame, Patenaude said, and “he had one minus the whole time. Really understands what he’s doing, is a really fluid athlete, very good speed, tough kid.”
* Running back Jordan Mason, who missed four games with a foot injury suffered in the season-opening win over Florida State, has used the time off to recover completely and looks like his old self, Patenaude said.
“He’s been able to put his foot in the ground and really roll,” Patenaude said. “I’m really excited to see what he does Saturday night. I think he’s got a little fire in his belly.”
In his two games since returning from injury, Mason ran 13 times for 52 yards, with a long of 14 yards. Last season, he ran 172 times for 899 yards (5.2 yards per carry), earning third-team All-ACC honors.
* Last week, after Duke also had its game for this past Saturday with Wake Forest taken off the schedule on Tuesday night – potentially opening up the possibility for the Jackets and Blue Devils to move their game up a week – Collins said he didn’t look into the possibility.
“I didn’t get into that,” Collins said. “I was just worried about what I can do on that day to help our team get ready in the current situation we were in.”
On Monday, Duke coach David Cutcliffe said he brought up the possibility last week with athletic-department administrators.
“What went through my mind was, why don’t we make hay while the sun shines?” Cutcliffe said.
He particularly took note of how UCLA and California faced each other in a game earlier this month that was played on a Sunday, less than 48 hours after it was scheduled, after both teams’ original opponents had to cancel.
“But I guess that wasn’t in the cards, so it didn’t work out that way,” Cutcliffe said.
* Patenaude spoke with understanding and appreciation for former Tech quarterback James Graham, who put his name into the transfer portal last week. Graham started eight games last season as a redshirt freshman, but was beaten out for the starting job this year by freshman Jeff Sims.
Patenaude said that, after ceding the No. 1 job to Sims, Graham was supportive to the offense and the quarterbacks.
“He’s got a great spirit to him, but I think at the end of the day, he wants to play,” Patenaude said. “He wants to be that dude.”
Patenaude said that he’ll do anything he can to help him find a destination.
“I love James,” Patenaude said. “He was my guy. We went through a lot of bumps and bruises last year.”
