Football: QB Christian Campbell Moving to Safety in Spring Practice, Per AJC Report

A recent AJC report revealed that redshirt freshman QB Christian Campbell will be moving to safety to start spring practice. The move is thought to be based on a few things -- Matthew Jordan's progress as a backup last season, a recent broken hand for Campbell (which could affect ball-handling as a QB and hinder development), and the incoming crop of quarterbacks, Lucas Johnson and Jay Jones. Safety is a position Campbell hasn't played much of (even in high school), but which his athleticism will be a good fit for. He should start at the free safety position, but it's not out of the question that he could also play strong safety (although that would require him to bulk up from the 195 pounds he was listed at last year).

This looks to be a strong, smart move for all involved. Campbell was thought to be the post-Thomas heir apparent to the QB position prior to last season, a philosophy only strengthened when Matthew Jordan moved to A-Back to start the year. However, a season-ending injury to Tim Byerly required Jordan to move back to QB, and his subsequent performance and development seem to have him anchored under center (more) permanently now.

That said, with the graduations and departures of Jamal Golden and Demond Smith after last season, the safety position is wide open for competition. With minimal experience in the secondary, Campbell will have some catching up to do in the spring, as he's competing with the likes of Corey Griffin, Shaun Kagawa, Jalen Johnson, and potentially some others. However, this move makes sense in the long run, as it ensures that one of the better athletes on Georgia Tech's team will regularly be on the field instead of waiting on a chance to enter the game.