They will be led by returning starter, Josh Nesbitt, who finished last season with 808 yards passing and 693 yards rushing in 11 starts. His average of 63 rushing yards per game was good for 8th best overall in the ACC and led all quarterbacks. Nesbitt was only a sophomore last season and it was his first as a starting quarterback. His development will be the key for Tech turning a good offense into a prolific offense among the nation’s best. Last year he only completed 44% of his passes, which is a number that will need to be closer to the 55-60% range. Nesbitt has set lofty goals for himself of 2,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing, which has only been accomplished seven times in NCAA history. When broken down game by game, however, it seems like a more obtainable goal of 154 passing yards per game and 77 rushing yards per game over a 13 game season. This of course assumes that he is healthy for every game, which was a problem last season.

The quarterbacks take many more big hits in the option offense, which makes the back-up position extremely important. Jaybo Shaw came in last year as a true freshman and performed well, leading Tech to two victories. The offense looked very crisp when he played the majority of the snaps and his efficiency rating was on par with the best quarterbacks in the nation. Unfortunately, he seems to be more injury prone than anybody on Tech’s squad and went down with a broken clavicle during fall scrimmage. Shaw will miss at least the first four games of the season and possibly more.

Nevertheless, this gave third string quarterback, Tevin Washington, a chance to step up. The red-shirt freshman has done just that and he was probably the most consistent and efficient quarterback throughout fall practice. He is not as good of a passer compared to Shaw and Nesbitt, but he is intelligent and makes smart decisions with the ball. He also isn’t as explosive of a runner as Nesbitt, but once again he makes the most of his opportunities. Washington looks ready to me, but this can only be confirmed once he has the chance to step out onto the field to prove it.

At wide receiver, Tech has one of the best in the ACC in Demaryius Thomas. Bay-Bay had 627 receiving yards last season, which was good for 8th best in the ACC. Interestingly enough, 230 of those yards came in his break out game against Duke, the only game that Shaw started in last season. This total was the second best individual receiving performance in Tech history, demonstrating Bay-Bay’s enormous potential in this offense. He is a big target at 6’-3”, 230 pounds and runs excellent routes. Bay-Bay also showed great chemistry with Nesbitt during fall practice and I look for him to approach 1,000 yards receiving this year.

The other returning starter at receiver is Tyler Melton, who caught only 5 balls all of last season. Melton played as true freshman last year and contributed mostly as a blocker. Tech will need more offensive production out of their second receiver this year and the answer might be transfer Kevin Cone. Melton has been bothered by an injury recently and Cone has stepped up his game during this time. Cone has decent size for a receiver and great hands. He will look to impress the coaches during the opener and possibly split time initially with Melton when he returns from injury.
To me the answer at the other wide receiver position is a true freshman. Stephen Hill or “The Phenom” looked better offensively during fall practice than every receiver on Tech’s roster. He is a big target at 6’-4”, he has exceptional speed and athleticism (he is rumored to have hit his head on the rim dunking a basketball and also broke the state long jump record in high school), and probably has the best hands on the team. He would be unstoppable along side of Bay-Bay in this offense. Hill is still very raw, however, and he first needs to prove that he can be a capable blocker before he sees significant playing time.

Behind Dwyer at B-back will be red-shirt sophomore Preston Lyons. He sat out last season after transferring from Colgate University, but has looked very impressive in fall practice. Lyons follows his blockers well and will provide Dwyer with a capable back-up that Tech lacked last year. He is also a decent receiver and has showed that he can be a lethal weapon on screen passes.

The Yellow Jackets have the most depth at any position on the team at A-back. The top returning rusher is red-shirt sophomore, Roddy Jones. Jones seemed to get more and more comfortable with the offense as the season progressed last year and finished with 690 rushing yards on only 81 carries. This amounted to an average of 8.5 yards per carry, which was easily the best in the ACC among the top 20 rushers in the league. Jones picked the best possible time for a break out game last season, galloping for 214 yards against UGA. This is turned out to be the most rushing yards ever by a Tech running back against UGA. Unfortunately, Jones injured his wrist during a freak accident at the start of fall camp and he will not be available for the opening game this year. However, he was able to participate in certain drills during fall practice and should be ready for Tech’s first ACC opponent, Clemson, in a nationally televised Thursday night game.

Jones’ initial absence will give the other projected starter, Anthony Allen, a chance to showcase his talent in the opener. Allen is a red-shirt Junior that sat out last season after transferring from Louisville. He is a running back with game breaking potential and he set a single game rushing record of 275 yards while at Louisville. Allen has shown great vision during fall practices and he also has a large repertoire of jukes and spin moves to choose from. He will make some defenders look silly this year, this is a certainty. Allen also has great hands out of the backfield and I anticipate that he will go for at least 1,000 yards combined rushing and receiving.

The other plug in starter while Jones is injured will be Embry Peeples. Peeples is a very quick running back that gained valuable experience last year in the offense as a true freshman. He will likely see significant playing time this season along with his teammate Marcus Wright. Wright is a very similar back, but with even more speed out of the backfield. He came to Tech as a Parade All-American in high school after rushing for 3,374 yards and 45 touchdowns as a senior! Wright also played last year as a true freshman and will look to build on that effort this season. He is a sneaky option as a pass receiver, often getting wide open down field because the defense has a tough time spotting him coming out of the backfield.
Lucas Cox will be another key reserve at A-back that has a completely different style compared to the other A-backs. Cox is a jack of all trades who at 245 pounds has the size to play B-back, but also the agility to make an impact at A-back. The red-shirt junior was the third leading running back on the team last season with 200 yards rushing on only 26 carries. He also has very good hands and will be a strong option in the passing game. He is also probably the best blocking running back on the team.

The final player that has made a big splash during fall practice is true freshman Orwin Smith. He is not a very flashy runner, but Smith will put his head down and lower the boom on opposing defenders. He had a couple of highlight runs during fall scrimmage and if he shows a little more consistency within the offense, he should see the field at some point this season.

The left tackle position is between returning starter Nick Claytor and senior Brad Sellers. Sellers is a much smaller lineman weighing in a little over 250 pounds compared to Claytor who weighs in a little over 300 pounds. However, CPJ actually prefers quicker lineman that can get down low to make cut blocks on defenders, which can give a smaller lineman the advantage. Sellers looks to have the advantage over Claytor at the moment for the starting nod after a solid fall practice campaign, but both players will see significant playing time. Claytor came to Tech as a nationally ranked offensive lineman out of high school and started the final five games last year as a red-shirt freshman after two of Tech’s starting linemen were injured for the season.

Austin Barrick was the other beneficiary of injuries to Tech’s lineman last season which allowed him to start the final three games of the season at right tackle. Barrick is a red-shirt junior that converted into an offensive lineman after initially starting at tight end in 2007. He will be backed up by red-shirt freshman, Phil Smith. Smith is very athletic for a player his size and will likely blossom into one of Tech’s better lineman in the next couple of years.

The right guard position will be manned by returning starter, Joseph Gilbert. As a red-shirt freshman last season, Gilbert gained valuable experience by starting in all but one game. Behind Gilbert is highly touted freshman, Omoregie Uzzi, who red-shirted last season. Uzzi is another talented young player that will develop into a great player as he gains experience in the offense.

Center is another toss up between returning starter Dan Voss and red-shirt junior Sean Bedford. Voss is a veteran on the team after starting every game last year and the final 7 games from the season prior to that. Nevertheless, the senior has been rotating first string snaps with Bedford, who has played himself into contention. Bedford is a former walk-on that has a legitimate possibility to overtake Voss as the starter even though they will both see a lot of playing time this year.

At the other starting safety spot will be sophomore, Cooper Taylor. As a true freshman last season Taylor showed some serious playmaking ability, especially against FSU which turned out to be a break-out game for him. He demonstrated his athleticism in that game when he alertly picked off a pass and then nearly returned it for a touchdown. Eventually he made the game saving tackle down at the goal line by putting his helmet on the ball in order to force a fumble that ultimately sealed FSU’s fate. He finished the season second best on the team in tackles with 69 total, despite the fact that he only started in 3 games. The coaches could not overlook his talent and experimented with him at the wolf position during fall practice in order to keep both of their starting safeties from last season (Burnett and Reese) in tact. This did not work out as anticipated and Taylor was moved back to his natural safety spot. He has also been clocked as the fastest player on the team and will look to use that speed covering ground on the opposing team.

Dominique Reese started every game last year at safety and had a solid season racking up 44 tackles and 3 interceptions. This year, however, he will start the season on the bench and provide Tech with a more than capable back-up for both the safety and wolf position. He will still see significant playing time and will contribute heavily to the defensive production. The remainder of the back-ups at safety are very inexperienced and true freshman Jemea Thomas has won the other second string position. Thomas came to Tech as an A-back, but quickly switched over to defense and has had an immediate impact. He looked impressive during fall practice and showed off some vicious hitting ability that will be much more useful against the opposing team.

Tech doesn’t have as much talent at cornerback compared to at safety, but does return two starters from last season. Mario Butler is a Junior from Florida that produced last year with 41 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and an interception. He will look to improve upon last season and work to become the true shut-down corner that Tech has been lacking for several seasons now.

Rashaad Reid started on the opposite side last year as a true freshman, but it looks as if Jerrard Tarrant will begin this season as the starter. Tarrant was actually slated to start over Reid last year before he was suspended indefinitely due to a legal issue. Tarrant is a physically stronger player than Reid and he looked like the best cornerback out of everybody during fall practice. He positions himself well and should have a decent amount of opportunities for interceptions this season.

This leaves Reid as the odd man out, but Tech will again have the luxury of rotating an experienced player into the game for nickel packages and also to spell the starters. Reid was named by some publications as a freshman All-American last season after logging 45 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 3 interceptions. It will be interesting to see how often he is used and who ends up being the starter for the majority of the reps the season. Tech faces a similar predicament as they do at the safety position as there is not much experience beyond the first reserve. Martin Frierson is senior that has never started in a game, but does see game action on special teams. Rod Sweeting is a true freshman that played well during fall practice and has a good chance to overtake Frierson as the other primary back-up by the end of the season.

As it stands, the starting linebackers will be Sedric Griffin and Kyle Jefferson. Griffin played in every game last season and has been making steady progress over his career building up to this, his senior year. He is the hardest hitter on the team and made several bone shattering tackles throughout the course of fall practice that looked like they belonged in the SEC rather than the ACC. Griffin is coming off of a solid season where he garnered 53 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. Those totals were all best or second best among the linebackers on the team, but he will need to nearly double his total this season if he expects to achieve his goal of All-ACC.

Jefferson is another solid, hard-hitting linebacker with a lot of potential. He showed some signs of stardom as a true freshman in 2007, but then unfortunately was hit with the injury bug at the beginning of last year, which he never fully recovered from. However, he did demonstrate his play making ability towards the end of last season with strong games against UNC and UGA. This has carried over into spring and fall practices this season and he has emerged as a leader on the defense. Jefferson is a strong candidate for a break out season where he finally realizes his full potential.

Kyle Jackson’s presence will be missed, especially if he is out for an extended period of time. Jackson was the third best tackler on the team last year with 61 tackles and his average of 5.1 tackles per game was the second best in the ACC among freshman linebackers. His talent cannot be ignored and he will push Jefferson or Griffin for the starting job when he is back to full speed. If anything, depending on the performance of the wolf position, he might force the coaches to make a defensive adjustment in order to include him on the field at the same time along with Jefferson and Griffin. Regardless, when healthy he is a very capable back-up to Jefferson or Griffin.

Steven Sylvester is another young linebacker that contributed as a back-up last year as a true freshman. He made some good plays in fall practice and is a player that will be waiting in the wings for his opportunity to shine. If not this year, he will be a force to reckon with in his junior season after Griffin graduates. BJ Machen and Malcolm Munroe are two highly touted, athletic red-shirt freshmen that will be grooming their skills for the future.

The wolf position is a hybrid linebacker that also has the ability to play safety in pass coverage if needed. Linebacker Anthony Barnes and Safety Dominique Reese will rotate in and out of the position. Barnes is much stronger and will likely play the majority of the snaps, unless it is a passing situation, where Reese will be on the field. Barnes is another player that showed some potential as a red-shirt freshman before a sophomore season last year that was riddled with injuries. He has since slimmed down and spent a lot of time working on his pass defense so that he can play the wolf position effectively.

Reese is a returning starter at safety that looked to be slotted to start again this year until an injury during fall practice set him back. That combined with a failed experiment with Cooper Taylor at the wolf position eventually led to Taylor’s promotion to starting safety in Reese’s absence. As a result, Reese will be a back-up safety and a situational starter. His position has been referred to by teammates as the “husky” because he isn’t quite strong enough to be a wolf. He could also be identified as the 12th starter, because he started every game last year and will be the first person off of the bench on most occasions.

Behind Barnes will be former Virginia Tech transfer, Mario Edwards and trailing Reese will be Rashaad Reid. Edwards was a key-back up last year and his role will remain the same this season. He is a versatile player that can play the wolf position or in the secondary. Reid is a player that started last year as a true freshman and will likely play a much more significant role as a back-up or starting cornerback.

Overall I think that our linebackers are in good shape. Injuries do concern me though as both Jefferson and Barnes missed significant time last season and of course Jackson is injured at the moment. The secondary would be stretched very thin if Reese, Edwards, or Reid were forced into significant action at the wolf position. It will also be interesting to see how the role of the wolf position develops as the season roles along. Nevertheless, if Jefferson and Griffin are able to stay healthy they should lead the team in tackles. It’s hard to imagine both of our safeties leading the team in tackles again this year like Morgan Burnett and Cooper Taylor did last season.

Tech will see its biggest losses along the defensive line, where they lose 3 out of their 4 starters. Last year Georgia Tech benefited from an experienced defensive line that was widely regarded as one of the best in the nation. Michael Johnson was an All-American and Darryl Richard and Vance Walker were named to the All-ACC team and all three players were also drafted into the NFL. The new defense will be tasked to replace a combined output of 36 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles by those three players alone!

Luckily, the lone returning starter is Derrick Morgan, who had a great season in his own right, but did not get the publicity that the other three players did. He looks to build an outstanding sophomore season where he finished with 9.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, and a blocked kick. Don’t forget that the blocked kick came as the clock expired against Gardner-Webb to seal the victory for Tech. Morgan will see double teams this season that he did not face last year, but he is still primed for a huge year and by the end of the season he will be discussed as a potential candidate for the NFL draft. He showed impressive quickness, agility, and lateral speed for a defensive end during fall practice and he also has one of those motors that just doesn’t quit.

At the other defensive end spot will be red-shirt junior, Robert Hall, who gained valuable experience last season by playing and contributing in every game. Hall is more than capable of holding his own and will be expected to step up and produce this year, especially since he will likely only have one blocker to beat in order to get into the backfield.

Junior Anthony Egbuniwe and true freshman Izaan Cross will back up Morgan and Hall. Egbuniwe has limited playing experience, but looked impressive during fall practice and plays with the type of passion and emotion that gets the crowd fired up. Cross has been arguably the most impressive freshman from this year’s class and his strong play has secured him the other reserve spot. Cross has a very mature body and attitude for someone his age. He will see significant playing time this season and have an immediate impact on the defense.

The defensive tackles will more than likely be Tech’s biggest weakness on defense. Both starters, Ben Anderson and Jason Peters, did not play very much last season and are undersized for the position, weighing in at 274 pounds and 272 pounds respectively. Most offensive lineman that they face will have at least a 30 pound mass advantage. Jason Peters came in as a freshman as a highly ranked defensive end, but may struggle some this season adjusting to the switch to defensive tackle.

Tech does have some decent back-ups at the position in Logan Walls and TJ Barnes, who will both likely play just as much time as the starters. Barnes is an absolute monster, standing at 6’-7” and 353 pounds, but has never played a down in a college football game. He red-shirted as a freshman last season due to the depth along the defensive line, but still was able to practice with the team. In doing so, he caused huge problems for the running game of the offense while participating on the defensive scout team. I look for him to do more of the same this season during live game situations and opposing teams will have an extreme difficulty time moving him off of the ball. Barnes can also be beneficial in the passing game by deflecting passes at the line of scrimmage with his huge reach. Barnes should start by the end of the season and the only flaw in his game ironically is his size itself, as he is easily fatigued and needs to sit out more than other players.

Our defensive line will do well this season getting pressure on the opposing quarterbacks due to the experience and talent that we retained at defensive end. Stopping the run will be another story and I worry about the defensive tackles being pushed around by some of the monster offensive lineman that they will face. However, TJ Barnes will be in the mix and he can probably play both defensive tackle positions by himself. Therefore, the biggest concern with this unit is actually depth – or lack there of. If any of the starters goes down for an extended period of time, there is not much experience to speak of behind them. The second string defensive line has a lot of potential, but nothing to back it up with as of yet. Nonetheless, I think that having an impact player like Derrick Morgan terrorizing the opponent’s quarterback is a key to every solid defense. Throw in a monster like TJ Barnes to clog up the middle and that is a formula for success.