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Offense
| Position | First String | Second String |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Justin Thomas | Matthew Jordan Chase Martenson |
| BB | Patrick Skov | Marcus Marshall Marcus Allen |
| AB | Broderick Snoddy | Mikell Lands-Davis Quaide Weimerskirch |
| AB | Isaiah Willis | TaQuon Marshall Clinton Lynch |
| WR | Ricky Jeune | Brandon Oliver Harland Howell |
| WR | Brad Stewart | Antonio Messick Jalen Johnson |
| LT | Bryan Chamberlain | Will Bryan |
| LG | Trey Braun | Jake Whitley |
| C | Freddie Burden | Andrew Marshall |
| RG | Shamire Devine | Trey Klock |
| RT | Errin Joe | Eason Fromayan |
The majority of the changes in this depth chart came from all of the injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Starting at quarterback. On the call-in show, Paul Johnson mentioned that Tim Byerly had surgery on his knee and is done for the season. With that injury, that means Matthew Jordan will stay as the primary back-up and not move back to A-back. Chase Martenson will also serve as a good third string quarterback.
At A-back, Tech suffered a loss in Qua Searcy. Johnson mentioned on the call-in show that Searcy would be out for a while (eight weeks is the number I've heard) with a lower extremity injury. This one hurts. We were already thin at A-back after losing Dennis Andrews before the season, and Searcy was looking really good. What is interesting to me is who was added to the depth chart in his place: Mikell Lands-Davis and Quaide Weimerskirch. Both of them came in as B-backs, but due to need are moving to A-back. They're both big and physical, so they could be a tremendous help in terms of blocking.
At wide receiver, Micheal Summers is the only absence. His injury hasn't been announced, but from what I've heard, it's a collarbone injury, so Summers could be done. With his injury, that means Brad Stewart will be getting the start.
Defense
| Position | First String | Second String |
|---|---|---|
| WDE | KeShun Freeman | Antonio Simmons Anree Saint-Amour |
| DT | Adam Gotsis | Francis Kallon |
| NT |
Patrick Gamble Jabari Hunt |
Brentavious Glanton |
| SDE | Rod Rook-Chungong | Tyler Stargel |
| LB1 | Tyler Marcordes | Victor Alexander Beau Hankins |
| LB2 | Paul Davis | Domonique Noble Brant Mitchell |
| LB3 (4-3) | Chase Alford Brant Mitchell |
David Curry |
| NB (Nickel) | Lawrence Austin | Lynn Griffin David Curry |
| CB | Chris Milton | Lance Austin |
| SS | Jamal Golden | Shaun Kagawa Corey Griffin |
| FS | Demond Smith | A.J. Gray |
| CB | D.J. White | Step Durham Meiko Dotson |
On the defensive side of the ball, there are no major changes. Something that did change (and it might just be a typo) is the free safety-strong safety switch. If this isn't a typo, this makes no sense to me.
The other change I noticed was Brant Mitchell being listed as a co-starter at linebacker when the Jackets line up in a 4-3. Mitchell's a good linebacker and could be the sole starter by the end of the season.
Special Teams
| Position | First String | Second String |
|---|---|---|
| K | Harrison Butker | Shaun Davis |
| P | Ryan Rodwell | Shaun Davis |
| LS | Sean Tobin | ---- |
| SS | Casey Wilson | ---- |
| Holder | Ryan Rodwell | ---- |
| KR/PR | Jamal Golden | Broderick Snoddy |
There doesn't look like there are any changes here, but something that I think was just an oversight was the inclusion of Qua Searcy at returner. Obviously, he's injured, so I doubt he'll be a back-up returner. We've left him off of the depth chart accordingly.
Can the Yellow Jackets effectively replace their injured players?