Freshmen report to Tech, Georgia

Georgia Tech freshman Chris Reis was one of the few players not carrying luggage, and he didn&#39;t seem overwhelmed by the experience of reporting for his first year of college football. <br> <br> Of course, he didn&#39;t have to travel that far from home. <br> <br> ``I only live 20 minutes up the road,&#39;&#39; said Reis, a free safety from the Atlanta suburb of Roswell. ``I&#39;m not really nervous yet. Definitely, some nerves will be there during practice.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> He and the Yellow Jackets&#39; other 21 freshmen will hit the field for the first time Saturday, getting nearly a week to themselves before the full squad practices Thursday. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s exciting when you see everyone again and you know that something is about to happen,&#39;&#39; new coach Chan Gailey said. ``We&#39;ve been talking a lot, but now we get to actually do. You recruited these guys and you know what they look like on film, but now you get to see them in person. That&#39;s always exciting.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> At Georgia, 34 freshmen made it campus for preseason practice. Four players who enrolled in school in January will report with the rest of the varsity Tuesday. <br> <br> ``We&#39;re excited to see everyone and their parents again because this is a special group,&#39;&#39; coach Mark Richt said. ``This is the first group that we recruited for the whole year, and we&#39;re looking forward to seeing what they can do.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The Bulldogs were ranked No. 11 in the preseason Coaches&#39; Poll, while Georgia Tech was unranked. Both teams open their seasons at home Aug. 31; Georgia plays Clemson, and the Yellow Jackets face Vanderbilt. <br> <br> Gailey, who came to Georgia Tech after serving one season as offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, wasn&#39;t sure how many, or if any, of the 22 freshmen would redshirt this season. He said all have a chance to crack the lineup. <br> <br> ``It really depends on injuries, or if we lose somebody to grades and we have a depth problem,&#39;&#39; Gailey said. ``It&#39;s just hard to say. But everybody will have the opportunity to earn a spot, you bet.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The Yellow Jackets have seven walk-ons, and the Bulldogs have nine.