Tech OL Jordan Williams a key to success for the Jackets in 2022
As spring ball gets underway for Georgia Tech, there is one position group on offense whose performance could matter the most as far as this season’s success.
Without a doubt, the offensive line is that group that must be tone-setters for Geoff Collins in 2022 in order to turn the tide. Yes, there are a ton of improvements that the defensive side needs to make, but the big guys upfront in new OC Chip Long’s offense are going to have to be better for the Jackets to win more games.
Jordan Williams is a guy who is going to be heavily counted on out at right tackle, especially with the experience he has accumulated in his time on The Flats.
Williams is a third-year starter for Brent Key out of Gainesville High and technically is a Covid sophomore this upcoming season. He started in nine games during the 2020 season and appeared in all 10 while having more of an injury-plagued in and out of the lineup season this past year as did a lot of other guys in the trenches, unfortunately.
His experience in 2020 and 2021 is something that has guided him along the learning curve, and with that, he looks to break out this season.
“My first year was me just trying to learn how to compete at the college level instantly,” Williams said. “Taking that from freshman year and going into my second year [it] was just learning everything about the game, and what the defense could be running. Now, it’s going out there and putting it all together and playing physical. It’s going to be a more physical line upfront [in 2022].”
Coach Key stated that Williams has had a great offseason so far, cutting down about 35 pounds from his 2020 weight to be able to play faster. Williams has been working on becoming not only a vocal leader in the wake of Ryan Johnson’s departure from the team but also being able to play with that different level of physicality mentioned by him beside newcomers Pierce Quick and Paul Tchio at the guard spots. Jordan has also been working at left tackle as well, adding some position flexibility which never hurts.
“It was really me losing more weight, dropping body fat and replacing it with muscle,” Williams added when asked about what made Coach Key say he had a great offseason. “Whatever Coach Lew says I do it, 100-percent, give it my everything and it is paying off.”
When asked about how different things feel with Coach Long, Williams pointed to the added aggression and tempo that he is instilling into his offense in an attempt to field a transformed and consistent unit this season.
“It’s not really a learning curve I would say, it’s probably just more that Coach Long is a little more aggressive and [plays] with a little more tempo,” Williams said of his new OC. “That’s the only thing that’s changed, Coach Key is still preaching the same stuff, just more in detail [and] we got a little more stuff we can do but that’s about it.”
Williams acknowledged the pass protection issues that plagued Tech in 2021, as Jeff Sims and Jordan Yates were often running for their life before even getting past their first and second progression at times. According to him, this is a massive problem Coach Key is working hard to correct in spring ball now and better protect whoever is running the show this fall.
Exemplifying the glass-half-full mentality Tech running back Dontae Smith tweeted out recently, Williams said the offense has been “more energized” with Coach Long’s new leadership and play style as an OC, which is something that can only excite anyone following the program. This is a completely new year with new guys coaching and playing in key spots, so the hard work and leadership will show itself if the Jackets are finally able to put it all together on offense and put points on the board consistently en route to their first bowl appearance since 2018.