After an offseason of turmoil and uncertainty, Paul Johnson has made a decision. Georgia Tech released their depth chart for the game against Western Carolina on Thursday night. I'm sure the first thing you thought was, "what does acedarney think about this?" Well, I'll alleviate your anxiety by telling you after the jump.
It looks like Vad Lee will not be starting this season. I'm hoping that they'll save his redshirt by not really playing him until next year. I think we all saw this coming after Paul Johnson's recent comments.
BB: David Sims, Charles Perkins or Preston Lyons
We all knew that Preston Lyons was the less talented of the three, but had the best grasp of the position. David Sims really played well during preseason camp and really earned the starting job. While Charles Perkins is a good runner (maybe the best of this group), Coach Johnson has questioned his work ethic repeatedly this fall. For a while there, I thought he was just trying to motivate the young man, but lately I've been thinking that he has been complaining for a reason.
AB: Orwin Smith & Embry Peeples, Robert Godhigh & Tony Zenon
There isn't much here that's very telling because of injuries. Starter Roddy Jones and reserves B.J. Bostic and Marcus Wright are both on the injury list and therefore not on the depth chart. Tony Zenon has really impressed the coaches this offseason, and I think Godhigh is just the next available guy. This will be interesting to watch during the game, as the AB's typically rotate out regularly.
WR: Steven Hill & Tyler Melton, Jeff Greene & Daniel McKayhan
Nothing too surprising here. Jeff Greene made a push to start, but couldn't quite push out Melton. He'll definitely see the field though.
OL: See depth chart
Nothing here that we haven't seen before. With Phil Smith's suspension, the coaches decided not to move Will Jackson out to guard and start the promising freshman Trey Braun. Of the two that are vying for the left tackle spot, I see Beno as the better player, but he may be more suited for guard than tackle. Paul Johnson has said that both players will get a look.
DL: See depth chart
Nothing surprising here at all. We'll see how those three guys do.
ILB: Julian Burnett & Daniel Drummond, Quayshawn Nealy & B.J. Machen
Nothing surprising here either. I'm excited about the depth at this group, as Nealy looked really good, and Drummond is a promising young player.
OLB: Jeremiah Attaochu & Steven Sylvester, Brandon Watts & Malcome Munroe
This is where I thought we would see a change. I really like Brandon Watts, and I think he should be the starter. However, Sylvester is a senior, so maybe that had something to do with it. Watts is definitely the better player though.
CB: Rod Sweeting & Louis Young, Jamal Golden & Michael Peterson
After a talented top two, Golden and Peterson are mirrors of each other. Golden is young and talented, while Peterson is going to rely on his experience more than God-given talent. I think I would still prefer Rashaad Reid at the nickel spot, but we'll see how it goes.
S: Isaiah Johnson & Rashaad Reid, Lance Richardson & Jemea Thomas
Given what happened to Fred Holton, who I believed could have possibly started this season, I'm not sure the coaches had many options here. I like Jemea Thomas' physicality over Rashaad Reid's coverage skills, but I'll let it play out. They'll both get to see the field this week, and I have a feeling that this position group is not settled for the entire season.