Georgia Tech likes depth charge infusion

ATLANTA – Throughout the preseason, a large portion of the news that came out of Georgia Tech's camp had to do with competition and just how stiff it seemed to be thanks to stronger team-wide depth. The Yellow Jackets in August were so proud of their number of talented players at multiple positions that they wore the added depth like a badge, proclaiming that they will finally have opportunities to be more flexible in certain situations and at certain positions. On Sept. 4 against South Carolina State, the Yellow Jackets finally exercised that depth across the board, as a blowout win allowed for several backups to see time on the field. But there was one position group that – regardless of score – was expected to get its share of rotations. The rest of the season, those rotations will still occur. "The more guys you've got at a position who can play, the better off you're going to be," secondary coach Charles Kelly said. The assistant believes he has a pretty good group this season, particularly at safety, where a recently unprecedented level of depth – unprecedented during the three seasons head coach Paul Johnson has been on the Flats – has descended upon the position. In turn, it has allowed him to open up the playing opportunities of his young safeties and get fresher legs on the field more often. "Any time you get into those game-type situations, you look for production, guys that are productive," Kelly said. "We were rotating, and whoever had the hot hand at the time stayed in," senior safety Mario Edwards said. "It kept your legs fresh, and it kept you in tune with the game." That's important, Edwards said, particularly if the Yellow Jackets find themselves getting into a game much like the one against South Carolina State. Running counter to what statistics from the previous two seasons indicated, the Bulldogs' game plan seemed predicated upon a run-first, pass-second mentality. For defensive backs who constantly are running up to the ball, that means exhaustion can come and strike without warning. "A lot of times, you get tired as a defense, so when you have the opportunity for someone to come in and (allow you to rest) for a few plays, that's a plus," Edwards said. "It keeps you fresh so that when you're on the field, you're 100 percent rather than the offensive guy who's kind of spent. He's tired, he just ran down the field, and you're coming back on the field 100 percent ready to go." In addition to Edwards, who totaled six tackles, true freshman Isaiah Johnson had a prolific afternoon, as well, also notching six stops. Joining them was Cooper Taylor, a sophomore who had four tackles before being taken out late in the game due to heat-related concerns. Rashaad Reid and Jerrard Tarrant also mixed in with the others. Tarrant was a starter at cornerback last season. Much like the rest of the team, Kelly said the safeties have plenty to correct this week as they prepare for Kansas' multiple-look, spread offense. "The biggest thing is putting our eyes in the right spot," Kelly said. "We got better tackling as the game went on, but we missed some tackles early on that we've got to make. Some of that's being anxious and juiced up. "But we've got to emphasize that on an on-going basis. We've got to get people down so we don't give up big plays." While no big plays really hurt them Saturday, the Yellow Jackets did give up a 32-yard first-down pass on their fifth play of the game. It happened, in part, after a safety overcommitted trying to make a quick tackle on the screen pass. "It's like a lot of people say, ‘Well, some of those guys have played back there before.' Yeah, they have, but not in this [new 3-4] system. The calls are different," Kelly said. "So communicating those things is going to be a big emphasis." So will maintaining this newfound depth.