ATLANTA- Georgia Tech continued to work on Wednesday as the Jackets gear up for the final scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday. After Wednesday's session, offensive line coach Geep Wade and offensive linemen Joe Fusile, Keylan Rutledge, and Jordan Williams spoke to the media about camp and how the offensive line has looked.
Tech has been rotating left tackles since last season. Incumbent Corey Robinson II got banged up in spring ball and true freshman Jameson Riggs got the bulk of the snaps in the spring with the first-unit offense. In fall camp, redshirt junior Jordan Brown has stepped up in camp this fall and Wade has been impressed with Brown's performance at the position.
For Brown a year of adjusting and getting healthy following his transfer from Charlotte, he has been able to thus far in camp make the most of his opportunities to get into the two-deep for the Jackets.
"He has been very consistent," Wade said of Brown's rise on the depth chart in camp. "He got hurt a year ago when he got here and he has worked his way back. He is a warrior every day and he is one of those guys I told Coach (Buster) Faulkner) you trust him to do it right out there and if he gets beat, he got beat, but he is very consistent and he has earned himself where he is at right now."
With Robinson, Brown, starting senior right tackle Jordan Williams and swing lineman Ethan Mackenny going into his second year, the Jackets have a variety of veteran options at the tackle positions to mix with younger players like Riggs or redshirt freshman Patrick Screws Jr. once the season rolls around.
At the guard spot, Tech returns starting left guard Fusile while adding former Middle Tennessee standout Rutledge to the mix at right guard. Rutledge spent the whole offseason recovering from a foot injury suffered in a car accident back in December before he arrived on campus and Wade has been ramping him up in camp to take over that right guard job the only spot where Tech is not returning a starter from last year.
"I know he was banged up but Keylan just fits in with our guys and I trust Joe and I trust Keylan and I knew he would be back," Wade said. "Let's just leave it like that."
Battling for the backup guards spots will be a mix of linemen including Mackenny who can play guard or tackle on both sides of the line and started multiple games as a true freshman at left tackle last year. Wade said that Mackenny has continued to grow and get bigger and stronger while creating some position flexibility on the offensive line for him.
"Ethan has put on the weight we asked him to do because he came in here and had to play even though if you look back he got here on June 1 and got thrown to the wolves and I don't think he could even breathe until week nine. It is so hard on those kids and he is the type of kid that is very conscientious and he has played a couple of different positions for us and is kind of our swing guy," Wade said. "We've got to hone in and find a spot for him, but he is doing well and he is very talented and we want him to play at a high level this year."
The guard rotation could also include Benjamin Galloway who was a backup guard last year but didn't play as a true freshman and sophomore Brandon Best who was the backup center a year ago and played some guard in limited reps in three games.
