Injury adds to intrigue in Georgia Tech quarterback race
The foot injury suffered by Matthew Jordan has complicated Georgia Tech’s plan to replace three-year starter Justin Thomas at quarterback. It also cracked the door open a bit wider for the three other candidates.
Jordan, the most experienced of the quarterback hopefuls, suffered a non-contact injury Saturday and will miss the rest of spring practice. It is uncertain when the junior from Jackson, Alabama, will be able to return.
“It’s unfortunate that Matthew will miss the rest of the spring, but we’re looking forward to getting him back and competing for the starting position as soon as possible,” Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said.
The injury means junior TaQuon Marshall and redshirt freshmen Jay Jones and Lucas Johnson will get more snaps and a wider berth to prove themselves during the next week.
Marshall, a smaller, quicker player than Jordan, has the most to gain. Marshall has had a productive spring and has even flashed some ability as a passer. Marshall connected to Brad Stewart for a touchdown in practice on Monday, just two days after he threw three touchdown passes in a scrimmage game and drawing praise from Johnson.
Jones, an elusive quarterback from Alabama, has shown the ability make defenders miss. Johnson, the son of former NFL player Jackie Johnson, is bigger (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) but has been dealing with some tendinitis this spring.
“When you’ve got depth, competition goes on all the time,” Johnson said.
Northside’s Tobias Oliver was the only quarterback signed in February.
About the linebackers
With P.J. Davis, the team’s best tackler, and dependable Chase Alford both having finished their careers, the Yellow Jackets are looking to fill a gap. Top candidates include Victor Alexander, Tre Jackson, Terrell Lewis, David Curry and Tyler Cooksey, who is final healthy.
“Victor has had a good spring,” Johnson said. “We signed a bunch of linebackers, so there will be a lot of competition when those guys come in.”
Alexander played 13 games last season and made 15 tackles, including 1 1/2 for loss. Lewis started three games and made 21 tackles. Curry and Jackson also played 13 games
Georgia Tech is solid at middle linebacker with junior Brant Mitchell, who started 13 games last year and has proven to be a playmaker. Mitchell had 71 tackles (fourth on the team with three tackles for loss), two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
Among the outside linebacker signees who might be able to make an impact in preseason camp are Bruce Jordan-Swilling from New Orleans, Jaquan Henderson of Newton and Kaleb Oliver of Tennessee. All were considered four-star players.
In baseball news
Catcher Joey Bart was named to the 40-player watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the best player in the country. The sophomore is hitting .323 with a team-leading 11 home runs, 10 doubles, 32 RBI and 27 runs scored. Last month he was named to the watch list for the Johnny Bench Award, which goes to the nation’s best catcher.
The baseball team (16-15, 4-11 ACC) needed some good news. After a hot start to open the season, the Yellow Jackets have yet to win a series against ACC opposition. They have dropped four straight games and host Louisville in a three-game set this weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium.
This story was originally published April 12, 2017 at 6:29 PM with the headline "Injury adds to intrigue in Georgia Tech quarterback race."