Spring Practice Outlook: the A-backs.....

Perhaps no position on our team will be deeper than A-back, where we return three players with a great deal of game experience & three others with some experience and a great deal of potential. While it's the B-back in our offense who is essentially the "feature" back that gets most of the carries & notoriety, the A-backs are vital to our success & can't be overlooked. The A-back has essentially three jobs in our offense: 1) block, 2) run the ball when called on to do so, & 3) act as a receiver when necessary. It is vital to our success that all our A-backs are able to perform those tasks. Note that I placed blocking first among an A-backs responsibilities as their ability to seal the edge & block on the second level of the defense greatly defines how successful we will be running the football. I'll break down the A-backs blocking responsibilities in another post (arc vs. load, etc...) but suffice it to say there's a lot going on for an A-back, both pre & post snap. So let's look at who will most likely man the position in 2010. A quick reminder: we use two A-backs on almost every play & CPJ likes to be at least five deep at this position so depth is critical. The A-backs:

• Roddy Jones (RS junior/ 5'9", 194): Roddy's coming off a tough year in which he never really got on track after dislocating his wrist lifting before Fall practice. The injury was a painful one & greatly hampered Roddy to the point it seemed he just couldn't find a groove. A two year starter, Roddy is primed for a big season in 2010 as his responsibilities will increase in the offense. A tough runner with a low center of gravity, Roddy is an effective blocker & adequate receiver and we expect a big year from #20. A brief reminder of Roddy at his best. FWIW, baseball won't be a problem, he'll be at all our spring practices.

• Embry Peeples (Junior/5'10", 175): perhaps the fastest of our A-backs, Embry is a threat to go all the way anytime he has the ball (ask Vanderbilt). One of our better receivers, Embry will need to improve his blocking in order to garner more playing time. Watch for him in what I hope is an improved passing attack this year...

• Chris Jackson (Redshirt sophomore/ 6'1", 205): originally a Tech commit, Jackson, a high school wide receiver, ended up at Alabama after Gailey was fired & CPJ was hired. Jackson played on special teams as a true freshman at Bama but was released from his scholarship after the season & transferred to Tech where he will play A-back this year after sitting out all of last year per NCAA rules. Big things are expected from Jackson as he is a strong runner with very good hands & the size to block effectively. Expect him to be a fixture at A-back this year but he does have the ability to move to WR if we need him there. Perhaps our most productive newcomer when all is said & done....

• Marcus Wright (Junior/ 5'7" [maybe], 178): the "Super Smurf" is a fan favorite in our section & it's easy to see why: he's blazing fast & blocks like crazy. No one throws themselves around out there more than #3 and his effectiveness at blocking players much bigger than him is a credit to his desire & technique.

• Orwin Smith (Sophomore/6'0", 195): saw time on special teams as a true freshman last year & limited offensive snaps. A steady, workman-like player who doesn't do anything spectacularly but does everything well. A strong runner who relies on toughness & not moves. If his running style is any indication, should be a good blocker. Coaches wanted to get him on the field more as a true freshman but learning the offense is very complex & Smith simply needed more time. Spring & Fall camp will give him that time & we expect a big year. Our offensive "sleeper" this season.

• Robbie Godhigh (redshirt freshman/5'7", 175): a preferred walk-on last season, Godhigh impressed during Fall camp with his toughness & willingness to block. Very thick with a low center of gravity. We expect him to contribute this year & he'll end up with a scholly before his Tech days are over.....
• We're also bringing in two freshmen this year at the A-back slot, Deon Hill & Tony Zenon. While we don't expect either to contribute immediately, we'll closely follow their development once they are on campus. And don't forget B.J. Bostic. CPJ will find a way to get the ball in his hands & it might be at A-back, either this season or in the future.

So those are the A-backs heading into spring practice. We'll of course keep you up to date on what happens during Spring practice & heading into the Fall. And it's 194 days until toe meets leather....