Questions remain for Georgia Tech as season nears
ATLANTA -- There are many things you can take for granted about Georgia Tech's season opener on Thursday. Yes, Justin Thomas is going to start at quarterback. Yes, the Yellow Jackets are going to run the ball. Yes, Adam Gotsis will have his big Australian noggin right in the middle of the defensive line.
Those are things we know for sure. Such is the familiarity when a team returns 13 starters and 62 lettermen from last year's 11-3 team that won the Orange Bowl.
However, on the eve of the season opener against Alcorn State, there are questions that remain for Georgia Tech to answer. Here are five of the biggest:
No. 1: Who is going to start at B-back? The guy at the top of the depth chart is Patrick Skov, a big physical runner who graduated from Stanford and had a year of eligibility left. Having an undergraduate degree from Stanford and a graduate degree from Georgia Tech can't look bad on the resume?
It remains to be seen whether Skov can be as productive -- or as durable -- as either Zach Laskey or Synjyn Days. But he and freshman Marcus Marshall should be good enough to provide a bridge to next year, when C.J. Leggett (Georgia Tech's top running back recruit in 2013) returns from knee surgery.
No. 2: Who is going to play at A-back? While the B-back is the most important offensive piece (other than quarterback), the A-backs are there to provide that 25-yard burst, handle the perimeter blocking and serve as targets for passes.
Other than Broderick Snoddy, this area may be in flux as much as it has been since Johnson took over the program. Snoddy has shown no ill-effects from the broken leg he suffered last year against Clemson, but he still has to prove himself under game situations.
Playing time awaits whichever of the remaining candidates can step forward. Will it be Qua Searcy, who has had a solid training camp? Will it be Isiah Willis, the former walkon who has earned a scholarship? What about Mikell Lands-Davis, who was moved there from B-back? Or even Matthew Jordan, the former quarterback?
No. 3: What's the prognosis for Jabari Hunt-Days? The senior could be the wildcard that determines the direction of the defense. A former linebacker, Hunt-Days missed last year with some academic issues. But he hit
the books and the weights (and the training table) and put on 30 pounds of muscle. Stronger and just as quick, if not more so, Hunt-Days was a beast on the scout team last year. He's expected to be an impact player.
No. 4: How many freshmen are actually going to play? There were a dozen true freshmen listed on the depth chart last week, but coach Paul Johnson said Monday that most of them won't play. It is unusual to have a freshman come in and make the impact that KeShun Freeman did at defensive end a year ago. Still, there are several youngsters would come make an impact right away, especially B-back Marcus Marshall, offensive lineman Will Bryant and wide receiver Brad Stewart.
No. 5: How will the Yellow Jackets respond to being one of the favored teams? Expectations are definitely high after last year's 11-win season, which including a win over Georgia and a close call against Florida State.
Johnson said his players are "looking to beat Alcorn State and Georgia and everyone in between." There's certainly no room to take any time off; the schedule is more intense this year with the addition of Notre Dame and Florida State to the schedule.
The answers to these questions -- at least partial answers -- will begin to unfold on Thursday night when the Yellow Jackets open the season against Alcorn State.
This story was originally published August 31, 2015 at 10:48 PM with the headline "Questions remain for Georgia Tech as season nears ."