Georgia Tech Football: Jackets hurting on the offensive line at the worst time
The Georgia Tech offensive line is hurting at the worst of times as the Jackets will face one of the best defensive lines in the country on Saturday.
Update: We did not get to mention it originally but Will Bryan will be returning this weekend.
If you were to pick up a piece of paper right now and look at how thin that paper is, you’d be looking at how thin Georgia Tech football’s offensive line depth is right now. It is simply paper thin as injuries keep adding up for the Yellow Jackets.
Heading into this weekend’s game against the Clemson Tigers, there is no one position group that is hurting more than the offensive line. Right now, the Yellow Jackets are down four offensive linemen. Those four offensive linemen are;
- Andrew Marshall (Foot)
- Scott Morgan (Upper Body)
- Brad Morgan (Upper Body)
- Jake Stickler (Upper Body)
Offensive lineman Shamire Devine also battled an injury this season and will have to be watched closely going forward. With that four offensive linemen, it is a known that Andrew Marshall will be out for the season while the Morgan brothers have been on the report for a few weeks now. Stickler left the Wake Forest game with an injury and no update has yet to be made.
If Stickler can’t go the Yellow Jackets offensive line will look like the following from left to right;
Jahaziel Lee – Parker Braun – Kenny Cooper – Shamire Devine – Bailey Ivemyer
If that is in fact how the Yellow Jackets offensive line will look on Saturday, Braun, Cooper, and Devine will have to work overtime. While Jahaziel Lee has had his ups and downs, Bailey Ivemyer would be making his first start over on the right side.
More from Yellow Jackets News
- Georgia Tech gets six new commits to 2023 class after official visits
- Georgia Tech hosts a plethora of 2023 recruits this weekend
- Georgia Tech Baseball: Danny Hall becomes winningest active coach
- Georgia Tech Baseball: 2022 season ends with heartbreak
- Georgia Tech Football 2022 Schedule Breakdown
With Lee and Ivemyer being the two least experienced players on the offensive line, the Clemson defense will surely be targeting both on Saturday night. If any of the other offensive lineman go down on Saturday, it will Paul Johnson in one of his worst nightmares.
While offensive line depth is always important, no matter the opponent. Saturday’s game makes it a little bit more difficult with the current injury situation not to mention the chance of any more injuries occurring.
It’s no secret that the Clemson Tigers have one of the best defensive lines in all of college football. All four defensive line starters give opposing offenses nightmares, and it’s headlined by two future first round picks. The Tigers four starting defensive lineman so far this season have a combined 15.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for a loss. The Clemson defense is also holding opponents to just 2.9 yards per rush.
The biggest issue for opposing offenses this season is once you worry too much about defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins, defensive ends Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant are just as dangerous. Ferrell and Bryant are where a majority of Clemson’s sacks and tackle for a loss from the defensive line come from this season.
The Jackets offensive line and offense overall has struggled tremendously over the past two seasons and entering Saturday’s primetime matchup with injury concerns on the offensive line . certainly won’t help on Saturday. The Jackets will already need their best game of the season out of the offensive line and any more injuries will make a tough situation even harder for the Jackets.