A look at Georgia Tech

So what's going on over in Paul Johnson Land?

As part of our "Enemy Lines" series previewing Clemson's 2011 opponents, we consulted Kelly Quinlan of the Rivals.com-affiliated site JacketsOnline.com.

TI: How surprised do you think Paul Johnson was about last year's
slide, and how confident do you think he is of a significant recovery
this season?

QUINLAN: "I think Coach Johnson knew they were in trouble last year during fall camp and he tried about every motivational technique he had, but the team chemistry was horrible and there were a lot of guys playing as
individuals and there was a serious lack of leadership from the upper-
classmen last year. This year is a little bit of a rebuilding year for
Georgia Tech since the team is very young with only four seniors in
the projected starting lineup, but they have a favorable home schedule
and some winnable non-conference games so they should be able to win a
few more games than they did in 2010."

TI: What is your take on Tevin Washington as the man running Johnson's triple-option show, and what are the chances that he's unseated by someone else?

QUINLAN: "I think Tevin’s days as the starting quarterback are numbered. True freshman Vad Lee has come on in a big way in camp and is pushing for the starting job. Tevin is more of a game manager and Lee is the total
package as a runner and passer. I think Lee will be starting by the time ACC play begins and he brings a dynamic passing element to the triple option Coach Johnson hasn’t really had before."

TI: What is your assessment of the overall talent level in this program? Johnson now has four recruiting classes under his belt, so the current roster should provide a pretty good gauge.

QUINLAN: "The team depth and quality of the depth is better than Georgia Tech has seen in years. The first recruiting class he had in 2008 was kind of thrown together at the last minute, but every class since has had
true freshmen come in and make an immediate impact and they will do the same again in 2011. I think looking at the depth chart you see a good mixture of sophomores and juniors starting at key positions which shows how well they have recruited the last few years."

TI: The Jackets have allowed an average of 25 points and 365 yards per game the past two years. Are they talented enough on that side of the ball (particularly in the secondary) to be significantly improved this
season?

QUINLAN: "The biggest issue Georgia Tech had defensively in their adjustment to Al Groh’s 3-4 defense last year was stopping the run. After watching the team in the spring and fall camp, they seem to be much better in that area and their linebackers secondary is more talented and athletic than the previous few years so they will be able to cover mistakes in that area better. I think Georgia Tech will end up with a top 6 ACC defense in 2011 and they may lean on it heavily if they are breaking in a true freshman quarterback."

TI: The offense really seemed to miss the big plays in the passing game by Demaryius Thomas. Is there anyone there capable of being a similar threat on deep balls?

QUINLAN: "Stephen Hill was the guy tapped to be that replacement and he has the speed and ball skills, but doesn’t have the hands of a Thomas or the toughness. Hill struggled to catch the inconsistent passes of Joshua
Nesbitt last year and with Washington or Lee at quarterback, Hill should have an easier time catching the ball. True freshman Jeff Greene is also a player to watch. He has great hands, is very quick and is very strong, he could be a breakout guy at wide receiver this season as well."

Special thanks to Quinlan for sharing his time and insight.

LW