Geep Wade Talks Georgia Tech's O-Line, The Growth of the Returning Players, and The Freshmen Competing This Spring
Another week of spring practice is underway for Georgia Tech and the Yellow Jackets are rolling towards their annual White and Gold Spring Game.
Unlike some recent years, Georgia Tech goes into the spring knowing they have one of the best offensive lines in the ACC and bring back the majority of guys that played major snaps last year. The O-Line is going to be a big strength for the team this year and a big reason for their turnaround last year was first year offensive line coach Geep Wade.
After practice on Tuesday, Wade met with the media and here is everything he had to say about the group he coaches:
1. On bringing back his core guys up front and how much that speeds up the installation process...
"A bunch and we're not slowing down for the young guys too. With our offense, we're not a base offense. So we can't slow down all the motion shifts, the box changes, and all that. So we don't slow down, and the young guys have picked it up fast, really, really, really, really fast, and they're football guys. They're wired the right way, they love football, they eat up with it, they're always over here, and that's what we want in that room. We want junkies. "
2. On Keylan Rutledge and the right guard position...
"Yes, sir. Keylan's the guy we recruited that I've got total belief in. And he's a special kid. So his progress is progressing. We're taking our time. Coach Key's making sure we're taking our time with his progress, but I have a good feeling about him in the future, so hopefully that comes for fruition. We started out with Ben (Galloway) there, working there, and then we made some changes and we moved Ethan (Mackenny) down, tried to get, you know, just some different looks, and he's done a great job. He moved down last Wednesday, so this was his third practice. at guard, and he's done well. He's a different kid, you know what I mean? Sometimes it takes a year to mature, and he was a kid that came in June, we threw him in the fire, and so I think he's taking a different approach. And the way he works, he'll become a better player. Ben's right now, right there, so he's the ones and twos right there, so we're sure trying to develop him. And I've got total faith in Ben, too. So we're trying to build depth there. Those kids care about that. football. They work their tails off. So I think we'll be OK at that spot."
3. On Joe Fusile and Weston Franklin...
"Well, in football, last year was last year. And our first meeting here, my first meeting when I first got here, you know I tried to set a standard of what we're gonna play it all that and this meeting this year was different you know, so last year was last year, that's in the past and I told these guys whatever we do, now it's gonna be harder alright so we have to elevate our game and to me those kids being at their age to elevate your game you got to work on your deficiencies. As a coach, I have to work on my deficiencies to be a better coach so they have really, really, worked hard on their deficiencies, and they're great leaders, you know? I go out there and sometimes I'll be coaching the twos, they run four plays, I only watched them, you know, because those guys, it matters, and they're ball guys. That's what the position should be played like. So, you know, we're just trying to build a culture. It's never gonna be right. It's never gonna be perfect, you know? But if you have confidence in yourself, play fast and you hit someone in the mouth, then It'll take care of itself so we have to I mean you know yeah there were some games we played okay last year but there were some games we played bad you know we got to be more consistent we gotta do we do better you know one thing I can say though is I think we kind of find who we are, you know, toward the end of the year, and we've continued that. So I think that helps the kids out, you know, not doing too many things. You know, we kind of, as a new staff, Coach Key's first year, I think we found out who we are, what we do. And so, you know, every day we work, you know, even after the scrimmage, it's okay, we got to do this better. We got to run off the ball. We got to run our feet on contact. So there's always something, especially, we got to run our feet. We got to run our feet. We got to run our feet. We got to run our feet. There'll be something to the last Thursday before the bowl game. That position's always there's something you got to fix and something you got to fine -tune."
4. On Corey Robinson, Jameson Riggs, and Tana Alo-Tupuola...
"Well, and I don't ever, I'm not a media guy, you know, and I'm like, but you said Corey Robinson first, can I say something about him? Okay, so Corey Robinson got benched after game one, right? And worked his tell -all for eight weeks straight, and then that kid helped us win games in the year. So I've got total belief in Corey Robinson, and with him being out right now, it's just allowing others to win. really just develop faster. And you know, Jameson Riggs is just a football guy, you know, and I think it comes easy for guys like that. So he's a guy that-- he doesn't look like a freshman out there, you know, but he has freshman moments. So we've got to fight through those a little bit. But I think this now, having this time, when he comes back home, in August, his game should be elevated to another level, so he can work on his deficiency in the summer. But they're physical football guys. And when we recruit guys here like that, that's what we want. I don't care if they're two inches shorter. I don't care if they weigh 10 pounds less. If they have that mentality and they do it, then we're going to be OK. And I think Tana is a perfect example of that. You know, Tana is a-- a center at this level, making all the calls and not having issues. Now, yes, it's moments. And he's got to play more physical at times and all that. But I really think that those guys are wired the right way. They elevate their game every day without me having to tell them."
5. On the depth at the center positiion...
"I feel great about the depth. Right now, Tana's with the twos. And I'm sure before Spring gets over, we'll throw him in there with the ones just to take a couple hits off Weston. And then Gabe's running with the third group right now. We've kind of moved him around, starting to make guard. -guard, because Harrison Moore was at center for the first two practices and did well. We just needed him at other places, so we moved Gabe back there, but we're building depth there with Harrison Moore can snap, and his athleticism is what we really want that position. And, you know, Tana is very athletic. You don't know that he's 314 pounds, so, and that's a good thing. We want to get bigger in there and try to keep the same. athleticism to you know just to kind of hunker down you know but I feel really good about the depth of that position."
6. On Jordan Williams...
"We've got probably... probably a higher expectations for him than he does for himself and he's a guy that I thought played very high level toward the end of the year last year. But I think he needs to elevate his game to another level. Jordan's a kid that's played a lot of ball here. One thing I can say about Jordan is when we got here last year, I've got a little knick here, a little knick there, but here and he's a guy that's played a lot of ball here and he's a guy of ball here and he's a guy that's played a lot of ball here and uh, it's, he's a different guy right now. And I, you know, uh, I think the world of Jordan, uh, I know that, uh, our group thinks the world of Jordan and, uh, he, he, he can help us win a lot of games around here next year"
JACKSON CAUDELL
Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation