Depth, inexperience issues for Tech offensive line
Greetings-
In the final few weeks of the offseason, we’re taking a look, position group by position group, at the 2011 Georgia Tech team. Coming off of a 6-7 season, Tech’s first losing season since 1996, the Jackets have questions to answer along with hope for an improvement on both sides of the ball. Let’s take a look at the roster…
THE OFFENSIVE LINE
Projected starters: LT Phil Smith (Jr., 6-5, 292), LG Will Jackson (So., 6-3, 285), C Jay Finch (So., 6-3, 283), RG Omoregie Uzzi (Jr., 6-3, 300), RT Tyler Kidney (So., 6-2, 262).
Others to watch: Ray Beno, Morgan Bailey and Catlin Alford will push for playing time at tackle. Guard J.C. Lanier will try to build on his first spring tackle on offense. Incoming freshmen Trey Braun, Shaq Mason and Errin Joe are candidates to get playing time immediately.
Key losses: The Yellow Jackets graduated two-time All-ACC center Sean Bedford and saw tackle Nick Claytor leave after his junior season for the NFL draft.
Key fact: Alford, Bailey and Beno were among those missing portions of spring practice, which hindered the line’s chances to develop cohesion. The absences opened room for walk-on Kidney and Braun, an early enrollee, to get useful practice time.
Key fact II: According to espn.com, Georgia Tech’s offensive linemen have the fewest number of combined returning starts in the ACC with 37. The league average is 73.4. Uzzi, a second-team All-ACC guard last year, and Smith have 25 of them.
Key question: Can coach Paul Johnson and line coaches Mike Sewak and Todd Spencer get this group ready to hold its own? In part because of the injuries, the offensive line was routinely outplayed in spring practice. Further, aside from backup center Nick McRae, the other four second-teamers have played a combined four games, which is a stunning number. From the moment fall practice starts, there’s a lot of coaching and drilling to do.
Recent developments: Finch has made considerable gains in the team’s summer strength and conditioning workouts. Lanier switched from defensive line in the spring after playing in just one game as a redshirt freshman.
Outlook: Fair to poor. Uzzi, Jackson and Smith helped the Jackets lead the nation in rushing, and Finch and McRae were key backups. The rest of the line is a considerable question mark. Injuries to Tech’s most experienced linemen will be costly. For what it’s worth, Johnson said he thinks the unit will be fine.
Your turn: How do you think the offensive line is going to look?
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137 comments Add your comment
Gator
July 7th, 2011
5:30 pm
I think Georgia sucks……….
GT Alum
July 7th, 2011
5:31 pm
Paddy is right. Washington will not start. Good kid, great backup QB. It will either be Synjyn or Vad.
Brock
July 7th, 2011
6:28 pm
Seminole
July 7th, 2011
5:29 pm
I think Tech sucks………
Well ,see now seminole, that’s what you get for thinking and not being used to it.
gtfan123
July 7th, 2011
6:49 pm
This is my first year as a Yellow Jacket father. My son is attending GT and is on the team as a preferred walk on for the OL. In his high school play as a lineman he never had a flag tossed on him. He grew up just 5 miles from virginia tech and chose to go to GT for the nuclear engineering program. The Team from what I have witnessed is growing together as a team something that didn’t always come out last year…Looking forward to the games Go O LINE….GO Jackets….what’ the word?
AMG
July 7th, 2011
7:12 pm
Making the o line work right is what CPJ does year after year. It is the nuts and bolts of his offense. We have the talent up there and three fluff games to start the season, look for the unit to be very good by the 4th game.
SJW
July 7th, 2011
7:21 pm
After last year’s dud, I feel even worse about this team. What were the stats though for the 2009 team? I’m glad Nick Claytor is gone though, he never bought into the offense. Mediocre season at best.
bgloyd
July 7th, 2011
7:25 pm
Looking very light!!
Stinger 2
July 7th, 2011
7:27 pm
Someone mentioned Vad Lee possibly being used in the shotgun formation as he was in high school. I would say that there is no way that this will happen as long as CPJ is the coach. Passing has not and will never be a significant part of his offense. His teams average 8-10 passes per game at most and this happens only when they get behind. The OL issues are not the real problem at GT. CPJ `s unwillingness to adjust the TO to include
a real passing attack is why GT will remain medicore at best.
SmyrnaGuy
July 7th, 2011
7:55 pm
Paul Johnson needs to hire Ryan Keys to show the fans how to “punch ‘em in the face”
Paddy
July 7th, 2011
8:06 pm
Seminole…..I always considered Fla St fans as respectful. After reading your posts, not so much. But it is obvious you never attended college.
Tech Guy
July 7th, 2011
8:25 pm
You are a lucky man, PerimeterCenterJacket.
Delbert D.
July 7th, 2011
8:37 pm
“How do you think the offensive line is going to look?”
Better next year; all the starters return.
ramble
July 7th, 2011
8:38 pm
gtfan123… congrats to your son. Best choice he will ever make and on a side note, it’s “WHAT’S THE GOOD WORD?”
RetardIdiotJacket fan
July 7th, 2011
8:45 pm
Tek will be just fine
Delbert D.
July 7th, 2011
9:00 pm
Cut-blocking schemes do not require the size and overall talent that other OL blocking schemes do. Alex Gibbs proved that time and again with his teams in the NFL. Among other things, helped a 6th-round pick/6th-string tailback make the Pro Bowl in his 2nd year and lead the team to Super Bowls wins in years 3(MVP) and 4 (NFL MVP with over 200 yards rushing).
GT Fan...
July 7th, 2011
9:59 pm
Dawgfan (from 1:00pm) …
You proved you are a mental midget. You bang on Kansas saying they would’ve been 0-12 had they not played cupcakes like GT. Well genius, one of KU’s 3 Ws was against UGA basher, Colorado, who finished a whopping 5-7! I guess you can included your Dawgs in the cupcake basket along with GT since based on the games, KU would’ve beaten UGA too.
You make us Tech folk laugh. Keep’em coming since it’s so obvious that ACC football means nothing to scholars such as yourself.
hey dude
July 7th, 2011
10:26 pm
262 starting tackle won’t make it… Tech team is good but every year its drawback has been oline play. If Johnson thinks he gonna make another go at it… 300 pound linemen have to be in the discussion
superDawg
July 7th, 2011
10:41 pm
hey dude ole pj thinks speed will beat brute power:well good luck.Oh and by the way chop blocking does not hurt.
and you look dumb
July 8th, 2011
4:17 am
superdawg,
Try again because every team that has played GT has talked about the d-line being banged up after playing GT and taking those blocks. It may not hurt initially, but just like leg kicks in MMA it will wear a person down and hurt as it goes along.
WnE
July 8th, 2011
5:27 am
Depth issues on the O-line?
Why that’s not possible at all, after all Coach Fish fry is in his 4th season, there’s no way he’d OVERLOOK the OL & DL to keep 10+ ABs on scholly that are mostly 170-180 pounds with a couple of guys that get close to 200lbs, not to mention another 5+ guys that get schollies each yr. that are “Athletes” that don’t really have any DEFINED position coming into GT, that usually end up being dead-weight recruits that cannot crack the Depth Chart and help GT on the FIELD.
For all you CPJ-boot-licking-toadies that doesn’t think that he does anything WRONG, even though we have all those A-Backs & Athletes on scholly our TOP TWO ABs both had LESS than 60 carries each last season.
Quite simply this lack of carries means that CPJ could carry HALF as many ABs on scholly and still get good production and use those extra schollies on the OL & DL and have a much more SOUND FB Program.
Our problems on BOTH LoSs are due to Coach Kung Fu Panda’s mismanaging his 85 schollies.
JM
July 8th, 2011
9:24 am
what’s amazing is GT still has the least experienced o-line in the ACC. It seems that every year we hear that the line is adding alot of new players. When will this unit go into a season with mostly veterans? The answer always seems to be “next season”.
T3
July 8th, 2011
9:57 am
GT had a lot less to work with in 2008 than it has in 2011.
In 2008, NO ONE (starters or otherwise) had ANY experience running CPJ’s offense.
In 2011, EVERYONE (starters & back-ups) have MUCH MORE experience running/practicing
CPJ’s offense.
Many of the projected starters have been red-shirts, and have been running/practicing in CPJ’s offense for more than a year. THAT makes a VERY big difference.
Here’s how I see the season:
1. (W) Western Kentucky
2. (W) Middle Tennessee
3; (W) Kansas
4. (L) UNC (UNC is kind of due one here)
5. (W) NCST (No Russell Wilson and NCST loses TONS from 2010 defense.
Yes, this win will make everyone take notice)
6. (W) Maryland (Yes, CPJ despises Randy Edsall. CPJ WONT lose this game.)
7. (W) UVA (UVA lost almost the entire Offense from 2010. Still rebuilding)
8. (L) Miami (Too much size & talent. I think Miami will win the ACC-Coastal)
9. (L) Clemson (GT wont be rested enough from a VERY tough Miami game)
10. (W) VT
(After 2 Week layoff. GT was EMBARRASSING VT at home in 2010 until Nesbitt got hurt)
11. (W) Duke
12. (W) UGA
(GT has averaged 34 pts/game vs UGA under CPJ.
UGA’s defense STILL cant stop GT’s run game.
A MUCH better GT defense in 2011 will be the differerence.
So, there you have it: 9-3,
a trip to the Gator Bowl, and
WnE’s head explodes.
blazer
July 8th, 2011
10:14 am
if tech’s schedule is so weak then, i guess we will go 11-1 and only lose to VA. Tech.
threetrone
July 9th, 2011
10:36 am
Tech spends too much time in the b ackfield faking handoffs. A shotgun is linear from the center to the QB, while everybody eligible runs downfield, maybe some backs also, unless they are required to block for the QB. Even a tight end runs downfield, a position not seeing any time under CPJ, a waste of position, used as a lineman only. A shotgun is what was taught to some of us at Tech as a decentralized organization. From one head, or the QB, many receivers are running downfield for a catch. Most teams use this, and they succeed, primarily because there are so many receivers, the chances are high one will be open. Most teams will cream us again with this decentralized offense. We use a centralized offense similar to a wishbone, a pyramid shaped organization. It aint’ winnin’ for us, and neither is the artwork going into the uniforms. Watched a Clemson rerun this week, and they wore all white shoes and socks, with all orange pants, jerseys and helmets. Tech shares Heisman with Clemson some, and we share the color white therefore, like we do with Auburn. Tech should wear all white shoes and socks this year. We gotta drop the black color in uniforms experimentation also. Black conveys no message whatsoever to me as an alum other than perhaps the guy for Cumberland who ran the ball back the wrong way for a Tech touchdown against Tech in the 222 – 0 blowout.
threetrone
July 9th, 2011
10:40 am
not wishing for typos, I meant “backfield” in first sentence; or maybe it was printed on ajc page that way, not by me
Supersize that order, mutt
July 9th, 2011
4:12 pm
threetone, the wrong way run was by Roy Riggins of California in the 1929 Rose Bowl Game. There might have been one or more wrong way runs in the Cumberland game too, but I have never heard of them, and the Riggins run is the one that will live in posterity
Supersize that order, mutt
July 9th, 2011
5:27 pm
Oops, sorry, that was Roy Riegels, not Riggins.
Wreckmaniac
July 9th, 2011
10:22 pm
Dawgfan: FL State and Clemson as well as Va Tech are three teams than can play with any of your
SEC teams. Just hang around. You have a lot to learn.
By the way, who is Coastal Carolina and NM State ? Is NM a state ? Just be glad that your pups aren’t stepping up to another Ok State or Colorado this year.
NYJacket
July 9th, 2011
10:42 pm
The Jacket offensive line is going to do just fine.
threetrone
July 10th, 2011
6:53 pm
Supersize, thanks for clarification. At least I got the Tech part for the ‘29 RB as a link to the 222 – 0 blowout. I am not a football player from Grusha Tech, so that’s why I only offered a link at best.
threetrone
July 10th, 2011
8:06 pm
Tech’ OL needs to pass protect for a SHOTGUN- for MANY plays, just like the winning teams run until red zone penetration. Additionally, Tech needs to learn about uniforms from Auburn and Clemson. I believe there is, or should be, a secret Heisman alliance of respect amongst them for football where Auburn’s orange might represent Clemson’s football years under Heisman, Clemson’s white might represent Auburn’s and Tech’s white for their football program under Heisman, Clemson’s orange represents Auburn’s orange under Heisman, Auburn’s white represents Tech’s and Clemson’s white under Heisman, etc. Such gentleman’s agreement Heisman sharing should make them a strong alliance. Tech mistakenly brings black into the alliance, or black and white, or black and gold from last year. Tech needs to believe that “black is out”. Therefore, Tech definitely should wear white and navy like Auburn, now that navy was found at Tech in a long lost manuscript as a school color, now enabling Tech to identify with Auburn much more. They wore that dark blue color when Hamilton was there, and white pants, and identified with Auburn strongly, and look at how well Tech did those years. What if Tech had worn white helmets those years…but no orange? I think I could identify with that now within a Heisman alliance. If Clemson wears all white socks and shoes, they are acknowledging Auburn and Tech and themselves. When Tech fields a team that wears black and white athletic shoes, they refuse to respect a double team of Auburn and Clemson linemen against a single Tech lineman in bw shoes. Let’s bring Heisman back to Tech and kick black out.
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techengineer
July 11th, 2011
8:48 pm
AllI can say is that I’ve been disappointed with the Tech line play since PJ arrived and this year looks to be the worse.. Could you imagine this frail looking line going up against the BC Clemson and GA fronts of the two or three years?? For goodenss sakes where are the recruits??
What is interesting is how the well the Navy linemen have done the past 5-7 years eventhough they are much smaller than GTs.. They fire off hard and hardly ever miss blocks. Did you see Navy almost take Oh St out the year before last? They were able to block Oh Sts DLine!! Now that’s saying something… Why can’t we get the same sort of production from GT’s linemen??
techengineer
July 11th, 2011
8:53 pm
T3: I like that analysis.. Very good. However, I’d like to believe they’d get either NC or Mia two teams which they have beaten pretty consistently under PJ. That’s hard to even imagine when we think back to the whipping that MIA put on us the year before last but they’ve had success against both NC and MIA… We need one of them to make it 10-2!
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