The Yellow Jackets are coming off an ACC Championship appearance and have the offensive talent to carry them back. But after a seven-win season marked by lackluster defense, Georgia Tech still has much to improve before it can be considered a serious contender.
Paul Johnson’s spread option system is back after helping the Yellow Jackets rack up the 25th-highest points total in the NCAA last season. Georgia Tech brings back the FBS’s third-most experienced team as measured by starts, returning 15 starters.
Johnson will have to replace quarterback Tevin Washington but will turn to sophomore Vad Lee, who saw game action in 2012. Johnson’s rotation in the backfield returns six backs with more than 100 yards rushing last year.
The Yellow Jackets’ defense, however, is a different story. Last season, defensive coordinator Al Groh got the boot midway through the year after allowing three-straight games of 40-plus points—including 49 at home to Middle Tennessee State. New coordinator Ted Roof, a former Georgia Tech linebacker and Duke head coach, has switched to a 4-3 set, but with a roster loaded with 3-4 recruits, how much impact the changes will have remains a big question mark.
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