Key Losses: RB Tashard Choice, WR James Johnson, FB Mike Cox, TE Colin Peek, C Kevin Tuminello, OG Matt Rhodes, OG Nate McManus, DE Adamm Oliver, DE Darrell Robertson, LB Philip Wheeler, LB Gary Guyton, S Djay Jones, S Jamal Lewis

Key Returnees: QB Josh Nesbitt, RB Jonathan Dwyer, WR Demaryius Thomas, OT Andrew Gardner, OG Cord Howard, DE Michael Johnson, DT Vance Walker, DT Darryl Richard, LB Shane Bowen, LB Anthony Barnes, S Morgan Burnett, CB Jahi Word-Daniels

Chan Gailey was fired in the offseason, and the Yellow Jackets hired Navy head coach Paul Johnson. Johnson's Navy teams were known for a triple option attack, and his Georgia Tech team will employ the same offense, with some elements of the spread offense mixed in. Johnson is lucky because he has a quarterback perfectly suited to run his offense in Josh Nesbitt, as well as a top notch B-Back (the primary ball carrier in the triple option) in Jonathan Dwyer.

Defensively, Georgia Tech lost some stars, but they should be good up front. Jon Tenuta and his heavy dependency on the blitz are gone, which is probably a good thing when you consider how well the Jackets' cornerbacks fared against good receivers when left on an island.

The current school of thought is that it will take awhile for Georgia Tech's players to get used to running Johnson's new offense. That's true. However, it's also going to take awhile for opposing defensive coordinators of the ACC to get used to stopping it. We're talking about a week of preparation that will be completely different than anything else you do during the regular season.

The Yellow Jackets have two perfect candidates to run the offense effectively. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt was used in running situations last season, and he ran for 339 yards, including four carries for 32 yards against Virginia Tech. Dwyer backed up Tashard Choice and ran for 436 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry and scoring nine touchdowns.

It will take more than good players to stop Georgia Tech's offense. It will take disciplined defenders and a defensive coordinator who can avoid personnel mismatches.

Georgia Tech didn't have any standout receivers last year, and that won't change this year. In fact, leading returning receiver Greg Smith has moved to A-Back (the pitch man in the option). Second leading receiver Demaryius Thomas returns, but third leading receiver James Johnson left the program, as did promising tight end Colin Peek, who caught 25 passes.

That said, Johnson's passing offense doesn't rely on great players. It relies on mismatches, trickeration and play-action. The lack of quality receivers might not be as big a problem as it would be at other schools.

Georgia Tech has some big time players on the defensive line. Defensive end Michael Johnson and defensive tackle Vance Walker are being projected by many NFL Draft analysts as first round picks in next year's draft. Senior defensive tackle Darryl Richard returns as well. He and Walker combined for 25 tackles for loss last season.

Depth might be a question mark, but the Yellow Jackets always seem to be able to rotate eight quality defensive linemen. This group should easily be the strength of the defense this year, if only because of the three top notch seniors.

Morgan Burnett is a rising star at strong safety, and Jahi Word-Daniels is a solid, experienced cornerback. Other than that, no one in Georgia Tech's secondary really stands out. In the past, they've generally gotten burned by any team with quality wide receivers.

Of course, it's unlikely we'll see as much blitzing from Georgia Tech as we did in the past, with Jon Tenuta gone. Those defensive backs won't be on an island quite as much. Still, as a group I don't think they are as good as the Yellow Jackets' defensive line or linebackers. They can and will be beaten through the air.

Will Stewart's Take

I know what you're thinking. Small time coach Paul Johnson brings his cute little 1-AA running attack to the ACC, where it will get chewed up and spit out, right?

Not so fast. Paul Johnson's triple option is widely regarded as an innovative offense, one that is truly his and his alone, and he has made it succeed wherever he has been, to the tune of smashing school records at every stop along the way (Georgia Southern, Hawaii, Georgia State, and Navy twice, once as OC and once as head coach).

And it's not just a rushing attack. If Johnson has a good throwing QB, he knows how to use him. Hawaii QB Garrett Gabriel threw for 2,752 yards in 1990 with Johnson as his OC. To put that in perspective, only one quarterback in the history of VT football has ever thrown for that much yardage: Don Strock in 1972 (3,243 yards).

Johnson has won everywhere he has gone, to the tune of a .718 winning percentage as a head coach (107-39). So don't dismiss this offbeat hire, and he could be a steal for GT and the ACC.

But then again, John Bunting and Ted Roof were great hires too, right? So we'll see.

GT 2008 Football Schedule
GT 2008 Roster
GT 2008 Depth Chart (PDF file)