Georgia Tech Football Fall Camp Position Preview: Offensive Line

How much can the offensive line improve in 2023 for Georgia Tech?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Jul 27, 2023 2:17 PM EDT

In this story:

There is perhaps no other position on Georgia Tech's team that needs to take a bigger leap in 2023 than the offensive line.

The Yellow Jackets have not fielded a solid offensive line in quite some time and the poor play up front has kept the offense from making any progress. Now, it is not the only thing the offense needs to improve, but there needs to be a sizeable improvement up front in 2023.

The Yellow Jackets were 117th in sacks allowed and 127th in tackles for loss allowed, as well as having the running game rank among the bottom half of the ACC and the country. The good news for Georgia Tech is that most of the snaps from last season are back and the Yellow Jackets were very young last season on the line.

Georgia Tech is having three departures along the offensive line. Pierce Quick decided to not continue his playing career and Paula Vaipulu entered the transfer portal. Backup offensive tackle Wing Green is no longer on the team.

The Yellow Jackets have a new offensive line coach coming in this season as well. Geep Wade is coming over from App State and he hopes he can help this unit find another gear this season. Wade has familiarity with new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, having coached together at previous stops.

Georgia Tech offensive tackle Jordan Williams will be a leader up front this fall — How much can Georgia Tech's offensive line improve?
Atlanta Journal-Constitution- Credit: Danny Karnik, Georgia Tech Athletics

Quick is the only player gone from last year's team that played significant snaps. Jordan Williams, Corey Robinson, Weston Franklin, Joe Fusile, and Jakiah Leftwich were the starters for many games last season and all five guys are back.

Corey Robinson started every game for the Yellow Jackets at left tackle after transferring over from Kansas. The redshirt freshman finished with a grade of 49.2 on PFF (Pro Football Focus), a 47.55 run-blocking grade, and 53. 8 in pass-blocking. Those grades can be improved upon certainly and Robinson is going to look to do just that heading into his second season as a starter.

Quick and Vaipulu started 11 of the 12 games at left guard, but Fusile is likely to take over there after starting at right guard for much of 2022. Fusile was a great story last year, emerging as a starter after walking on with the program. He finished with PFF grades of 58.1 on offense (the highest of any returning lineman), 61.8 in run blocking, and 46.2 in pass blocking. Fusile was praised for his leadership in the fall and he will be looked to for that this season.

Franklin is going to be the starter at center again this season. Franklin started every game at the position last season and I think he is in for a breakout season for the Yellow Jackets. Wade praised Franklin this spring and talked about important it was to have a leader at the center position:

"It is huge. That position is huge. We put a lot on that position to run and reach, to block back, to make calls. The thing about spring is that you are not game planning so you are seeing everything so that is good and you learn how to really sit back and teach, hey if this linebacker is here, ID here and we are really going through a lot and he is really catching on and I wish I had more of him and we are trying to go out and recruit more guys like him.

One thing that I will say about him and Joe Fusile is that those guys have benefitted from AJ in the weight room and have gotten bigger and stronger, got twitchier. When you get stronger, you get twitchier and that makes you a better football player with hat speed so Joe Fusile, I think he is a different player this year because of the work he put in the offseason."

The left side of the line seems secure, but what about the right side?

Fusile was the main starter here last year, but Jordan Williams moved over from tackle to guard late last season. Williams could stay there, but Princeton transfer Connor Scaglione is a candidate to take over at right guard. Scaglione is a grad transfer and has plenty of experience. Keep an eye on this position in camp.

Right tackle could go a few different ways. If Williams stays inside , expect Jakiah Leftwich to start at tackle. He started at tackle last season once Williams moved inside. If Scaglione takes the guard spot, Williams will start at right tackle.

Alongside Scaglione, Georgia Tech also welcomed in Charlotte transfer Jordan Brown this offseason.

The Yellow Jackets made the offensive line a priority in the 2023 recruiting class, bringing in five players. Only one played during the spring and that was Elias Cloy. Cloy had a good spring at right tackle and looks to be the backup there. Gabe Fortson, Patrick Screws, Ethan Mackenny, and Benjamin Galloway were summer arrivals. Getting spring reps is important for young lineman and that is why Cloy is going to have a leg up on the others for the time being.

Other guys to watch during camp include Paul Tchio, Brandon Best, Tyler Gibson, Ryan Purves, and Will Scissum. These guys are going to be fighting for backup spots and looking to provide depth.

Getting improvement up front is going to be one of the keys to Georgia Tech's season. A good deal of improvement should make the offense far better and help the Yellow Jackets challenge for a bowl game. If there is little to no improvement, that is going to make getting to a bowl game difficult once again.

Georgia Tech vs Louisville will kick off on Sept. 1st at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

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