Georgia Tech Football: Bowl Bound?

Considering the inexperience at linebacker, the defense is going to depend a LOT on how well the line performs.  Fortunately, they are a unit that I would place among the best in the conference and the country.  The success of this defense will live and die with how well the line performs.

The linebacking corps and secondary are highlighted with underclassmen.  Who are some of the talented players the coaching staff is counting on, and where is the leadership going to come from?

Among the linebackers and secondary, there are three names that are going to stand out.  First is safety Morgan Burnett.  Morgan was starting by the end of last year as a freshmen—something very rare under Coach Tenuta due to the complexity of the defense he ran.  That speaks well to his talent and how well he grasps the game.

Second, I think Brad Jefferson and A.T. Barnes are players in the linebacking corps that will prove to be another in a long line of great GT linebackers.  Jefferson has been used a lot in special teams, so he has been on the field, while A.T. Barnes has started a few games as a result of injuries.  Barnes was also in the game in passing situations and proved to be an incredible blitzer.

Both have all the athleticism that Wheeler and Guyton displayed but need experience.  Certainly, though, the leadership will largely come from the senior linemen—Walker, Richard, and Johnson.

Lastly, what is your season prediction?  Will new head coach Paul Johnson bypass the rebuilding process and get this team to a quality bowl game?

I think this first season will be a success if Georgia Tech gets to ANY bowl game.  In 2009,  I think GT fans can look forward to more success.  But the drastic shift in philosophy on offense is going to take some time to work out, and the early season road trips to Boston College and Virginia Tech are going to be difficult.

Additionally, with 2 I-AA schools on the schedule, the team MUST win seven to even be considered at all for a bowl.

It's really tough to predict how good this team will be until we get to see how much progress the offense has made over the summer and in early fall practice in grasping the concept that Coach Johnson wants to implement.

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