Aug. 24, 2005
ATLANTA–With the season opener just 10 days away, Georgia Tech’s offensive line is finally taking shape with starting guards Matt Rhodes and Nathan McManus returning to practice this week.
“At least we’ve got all the bodies out there,” said Tech head coach Chan Gailey after Wednesday’s workout at Rose Bowl Field. “We’re not completely healthy yet, but we’ve got all the bodies out there. And they’ve made it through two practices, which is a plus.”
Georgia Tech, which opens the season Sept. 3 at 16th-ranked Auburn, features an extremely young offensive line. After graduating three starters from last year’s line, Tech has just one senior among the starting five in senior right tackle Brad Honeycutt, a two-year starter at guard who moved to tackle in the spring. In fact, the Jackets have just two seniors and no juniors among its first two units.
Projected to start along with Honeycutt are Rhodes and McManus, both sophomores, at the guards, sophomore Kevin Tuminello at center and redshirt freshman Andrew Gardner at left tackle.
The second line is comprised of senior Salih Besirevic and redshirt freshman A.J. Smith at the tackles, sophomore LeShawn Newberry and redshirt freshman Jacob Lonowski at the guards and sophomore Eddy Parker at center.
Besirevic, the 6-7, 295-pounder from Denver, Colo., remains a very valuable part of the offensive line as a veteran backup who can play every position except center. He actually started Tech’s first two games of last season at right tackle, so he joins Honeycutt, Rhodes and Tuminello as the only Yellow Jacket line who enter the season with any starting experience.
McManus and Tuminello played as backups last season, with Tuminello starting one game in place of Andy Tidwell-Neal, but Gardner will be making his debut in the Tech lineup after a redshirt year in which he added about 40 pounds. Now 6-6 and 285 pounds, the former all-county basketball player at Sandy Creek High in Tyrone, Ga. is the Jackets’ most athletic lineman.
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