Georgia Tech hasn’t yet updated its depth chart — or “above the line” list, as head coach Geoff Collins refers to it — but the Yellow Jackets have already made a decision about how they plan to handle their quarterbacks against Clemson.
It won’t be unveiled until the teams kick it off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.
“I know what we’re doing at (quarterback),” Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude told the media Tuesday. “I’m not telling anybody else what we’re doing. Coach Collins knows. The quarterbacks know.”
Georgia Tech (1-1) has played three quarterbacks in its first two games. Freshman Jeff Sims began the season as the starter after starting all 10 of the Yellow Jackets’ games last season as a true freshman, but the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder left their opening loss to Northern Illinois with an injury to his non-throwing arm. That gave Jordan Pate, a redshirt freshman, his first career start last week in Georgia Tech’s 45-17 win over Kennesaw State.
Sims was available only in an emergency situation last week, Collins said, which briefly forced sophomore Trad Beatty into action after Pate’s helmet came off at the end of a play. Collins declined to update Sims’ status for this week’s game while speaking with the media Tuesday but said all three quarterbacks are “above the line,” a designation Collins gives to Georgia Tech’s players who could contribute each week rather than releasing a depth chart.
The Yellow Jackets’ ATL list is updated each Thursday, according to the team’s weekly game notes.
“We don’t talk about injuries in this program, but we do have three ATL quarterbacks that have got to get ready and got to prepare at a high level to go into a hostile environment against one of the best defenses in college football this year,” Collins said.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said the sixth-ranked Tigers (1-1) are preparing as if they will see multiple quarterbacks from Georgia Tech, adding Sims is probably the “more dangerous” runner of the group. But the Yellow Jackets are throwing the ball more often in their spread pro-style offense, which Collins implemented when he took over the program following Paul Johnson’s resignation following the 2018 season.
At least, they have so far this season.
Pate went 17 of 23 passing for 254 yards last week and has thrown five touchdowns already while completing 70.7% of his passes. Sims completed four passes for 23 yards against NIU before sustaining his injury.
But after facing teams from the Group of Five and Football Championship Subdivision levels, the level of competition is about to stiffen significantly for Georgia Tech. Patenaude said he’s been preaching to his quarterbacks the same message many of Clemson’s opposing signal callers hear when preparing to go up against Brent Venables’ defense, which has yet to allow a touchdown this season.
“Get the ball out quick,” Patenaude said. “Don’t hang on to it.
“Their catalogue of defense is as big as anybody I’ve ever coached against. If you say, ‘Hey, do they play this?’ The answer is yes. You can’t get totally consumed with that because, as a quarterback, you have to play to what you see. You have to know what you’re seeing, and you have to rely on your training to make a good decision.”
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
