Countdown to Kickoff: No. 9

Joshua Nesbitt

The countdown to kickoff is officially on as Georgia Tech‘s season-opening matchup at Colorado on Aug. 29 is less than 100 days away.

Until then JOL will be counting it down with one Jackets’ player daily that wore the corresponding number of days remaining until toe meets leather in Boulder.

With it now nine days until kickoff in Boulder, today’s focus is on No. 9 Joshua Nesbitt, who was the first quarterback to run Paul Johnson’s option attack after he took the head coaching job at Georgia Tech in 2008, and Nesbitt set the bar very high for all the QBs to come in the future with his control of the offense, physical running style and ability to hurt the defense with his arm as well.

Nesbitt was a highly-rated recruit in the class of 2007 thanks to in incredible high school career at Greene County High (Ga.) in Greensboro where he was a two-time First-Team All-State pick and the Class AA Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, throwing for more than 5,000 yards and 63 touchdowns and running for than 1,700 yards in his final two prep seasons. Despite being recruited by multiple premier programs, Nesbitt decided to stay close to home and sign with Georgia Tech as part of former head coach Chan Gailey’s impressive 2007 recruiting class.

After serving as the backup quarterback in 2007 behind Taylor Bennett and being used on special packages while running for 339 yards and passing for one touchdown, Nesbitt got his first real chance once Johnson took over the program in 2008 and inserted him as the starter to lead his option offense. As a sophomore, Nesbitt went on to rush for 693 yards and seven touchdowns and throw for another 808 and two touchdowns during Johnson’s first season, which included a share of the ACC Coastal Division title, a win over rival Georgia and a berth in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Nesbitt and the Jackets really hit their stride offensively in 2009 as the quarterback had a huge season, running for 1,073 yards yards on 279 carries with 18 touchdowns and throwing for 1,701 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the way to Tech’s 11-3 campaign that included an ACC Championship Game win over Clemson and an Orange Bowl berth. He was named First-Team All-ACC along with six other teammates.

Nesbitt finished off his career on The Flats with a strong senior season in 2010 before a late-season arm injury at Virginia Tech cost him the final few games. He still ran for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns and threw for 674 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games.

Nesbitt ranks first in Georgia Tech program history in career rushing yards by a quarterback with 2,806 while also being seventh in career rushing yards overall. He’s third all-time in career rushing touchdowns with 35 and has the third-highest single-season rushing touchdown total with his 18 in 2009.

Nesbitt signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and eventually was elevated to the 53-man roster late in that season before being waived the following preseason in 2012.

Nesbitt was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. He was also announced as a member of the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 a few months ago and will officially be inducted into that fraternity during a ceremony at the College Football Hall of Fame this October.

Honorable Mention

–Scott Sisson (Kicker from 1989-1991; made 60-of-88 career field goal attempts and 119-of-121 career extra points; First-Team All-American and First-Team All-ACC during Georgia Tech’s national championship season in 1990; Made one of the most famous kicks in program history with his game-winner against No. 1 Virginia in 1990; Selected in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Patriots and went on to play for the Buccaneers, Jaguars and Vikings as he made 36 career field goals professionally; Was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2003)

–Kerry Watkins (Wide receiver from 1999-2002; Finished career with 2,680 receiving yards on 171 receptions with 22 touchdowns; Second-Team All-ACC selection in 2002; Fourth in program history in career receptions (171), third in single-season receptions (71 in 2002), third in career receiving yards (2,680), fifth in single-season receiving yards (1,050 in 2002) and third in career receiving touchdowns (22); Signed with the Patriots in 2003 but released prior to the season and then went on to play eight seasons with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League and won two Grey Cup championships); CFL career included 515 receptions, 7,431 yards and 48 touchdowns in the regular season and 44 receptions, 735 yards and two touchdown in the postseason)