Georgia Tech veteran safety Savion Riley came out of Wednesday’s fall camp practice sounding like a player who’s grateful to be back and eager to take on a bigger role.
Riley said the injury he worked through was “a true process,” and that he’s thankful to be healthy again and back with his teammates. He also said he trusts Coach Semore and Coach Sunseri’s approach and is ready “to just help my teammates the best of my ability.”
For Riley, the next step is about more than just lining up at safety. He said being one of the older players has become “a blessing,” because it gives him a chance to bring younger players along while learning and passing on what he’s being coached himself. Riley said he wants to grow into that leadership role and help everyone get on the same page.
He pointed to several younger players who are picking things up quickly, including Tae, who he said improved last year and is continuing to grow. Riley also mentioned Fenix, Chris Hewitt and Kealan Jones, saying the freshman group is soaking in what Coach Sunseri and Semore are putting in place.
On the defensive side, Riley said the new system is “definitely different schematically.” He made clear he respects the previous coach, but said the biggest change has been the attention to detail. In his view, Georgia Tech is spending more time breaking things down tactically and getting the small things right.
Riley also praised the addition of D Hop, saying he’s helped the receivers improve and has raised the level of competition on both sides of the ball. That, Riley said, has benefited the secondary too, since it creates more one-on-one work and gives players a chance for short breaks while staying challenged.
He had similar praise for the tight ends. Riley said Kevin, Corbo and Gavin have all been strong competition, and joked that Kevin’s 6-foot-5 frame makes red-zone coverage a problem. Even so, he said the group has been a valuable test for the defense.
Looking ahead, Riley said he’s excited for what’s coming, especially with the emotions that were already high heading into last season. He said he knows a lot of the players on the other side and expects both groups to compete hard when the time comes.
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Georgia Tech is part of that same conversation, too, because once the top of the ACC starts to wobble, the rest of the league has to wonder who gets chased and who gets overlooked. Miami, Virginia Tech, NC State, Louisville and Pitt are all getting mentioned in the broader shuffle, and the Yellow Jackets are in the mix as one of the schools other conferences could evaluate if the ACC ever starts to break apart in earnest. For now, the question is less about an immediate move than about where Tech fits if the next round of realignment finally starts to pick winners and wait-list everyone else. [Read more 🡒]
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One of the more interesting camp watches is Harris, whose value comes from how many different jobs he can handle in the secondary. He has been cross-trained at nickel and can also line up at strong or free safety, giving the coaching staff a flexible option as the competition along the offensive line also takes shape, especially with new portal additions and returning players pushing for roles. [Read more 🡒]