Football season is rapidly approaching.
Georgia Tech begins fall practice tonight and it will be the start of what could be a special season for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech is returning the bulk of their offense, one of the ACC’s best in 2023, and have made a lot of investment on the defensive side of the football with a new coaching staff and new talent from the transfer portal. While they do face a grueling schedule, this has a chance to be the best Georgia Tech team in years.
With practice beginning tonight, what could the depth chart look like for the Yellow Jackets on offense this season?
Note, this is just a projection.
1. Haynes King
2. Zach Pyron
This is not exactly hard. King is one of the ACC’s best quarterbacks and Georgia Tech is fortunate to have a talented backup with experience with Pyron. The big question facing King this season will be if he can cut down on the turnovers, as he led the ACC in interceptions last season and they were costly in games against Boston College and Bowling Green.
King is one of only two players in the nation with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes, and five touchdown runs this season (joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels), and one of only six ACC players to achieve those numbers in a regular season since 2000. He led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards.
Pyron threw for 565 yards and three touchdowns and completed 60% of his passes during his time as a starter in 2022
The PFF (Pro Football Focus) grades are not going to blow you away when you take a closer look at Pyron. He finished with a 56.7 Overall grade, with 48.0 in passing and 71.5 in rushing. Pyron showed his athleticism and while I don’t think he is as an effective runner as Sims, he can move in the pocket and make throws on the edge. He was used as a runner in certain offensive packages last year and I wonder if that will continue in 2024.
1. Jamal Haynes
2. Trey Cooley, Anthony Carrie, or Evan Dickens
Jamal Haynes is the unquestioned leader of this group and is one of the best running backs in the ACC. Behind him though, Georgia Tech needs to figure out who it can rely on. Cooley had a great start to the year last year, Carrie is a super talented freshman, and Dickens is also a talented young back who redshirted last year. Finding out who is going to be the No. 2 back behind Haynes this season is going to be one of the storylines to watch on offense.
Haynes was such a great story last season. He made the change from wide receiver to running back during fall camp and that move paid dividends. Haynes earned all-ACC honors as a running back (third team) and was an honorable mention all-purpose performer. He led Georgia Tech with 1,059 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and six yards per carry ranked second on the team. Those numbers ranked fifth in the ACC in rushing yards and he was tied for sixth in the conference with seven rushing touchdowns and his 6.0 yards per carry ranked third in the league. Haynes had a strong bowl performance against UCF rushing for a game-high 128 yards on 18 carries. He also had a good outing against the Georgia Bulldogs rushing for 81 yards. Haynes was the second highest-rated player on the Yellow Jackets per Pro Football Focus with a 76.9 score and looks primed for another big season in 2024. I think he is in for a huge season and is not getting the recognition he has earned.
Cooley had a red-hot start to the season a year ago but was not a huge part of the rotation towards the end. He ranked fourth on the team in rushing yards (274), rushing attempts (64), and yards per carry (4.3). His three rushing touchdowns were tied for third on the team total touchdowns ranked fourth on the team.
He had an outstanding showing last season against his former team Louisville. In that game, he rushed for 52 yards and two scores on nine carries. His best statistical game came in last year’s home opener against South Carolina State. In that game, Cooley had 154 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on just 12 touches.
Dickens appeared in 11 games last season and was primarily used on special teams and as a reserve running back. He saw his most action in a blowout win against South Carolina State with a career-high six carries for 29 yards. He also rushed three times for 15 yards and took a carry against Ole Miss. The upside of Dickens is still very high and he was a true freshman last season. Look for the running back to challenge for carries this season.
Anthony Carrie was one of the best prospects the Yellow Jackets landed in the 2024 class. He is a dynamic running back who possesses great balance with exceptional vision. Carrie has a great burst and is difficult to bring down once he has a head of steam. His big breakout season came during his sophomore season at Carrollwood Day where he rushed for 20 touchdowns.
1. Malik Rutherford
2, Christian Leary
1. Leo Blackburn
2. Abdul Janneh
1. Eric Singleton Jr
2. Chase Lane
I know I am just listing two each here, but there are other talented wide receivers that Georgia Tech has. It is one of their deepest position groups and a variety of guys can see the field.
Eric Singleton Jr was the highest-rated player in the Yellow Jackets 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports and he looked like he might be a potential superstar last season.
Singleton Jr. ranked fourth among all freshmen nationally (true or redshirt) in 2023 with 59.5 receiving yards per game and was tied for fourth among true freshmen nationally with six touchdown receptions. His 714 receiving yards and six touchdown catches both ranked among the top 10 overall in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while his six TD receptions were the second-most by a freshman in Georgia Tech history. Could he have an even better season in 2024? I think it is certainly possible and the chemistry between him and King was noticeable last year.
Singleton is not the only dangerous receiver for the Yellow Jackets.
Malik Rutherford was the second-leading receiver on Georgia Tech. He caught 46 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 10. 5 yards per catch. His biggest performance came in Georgia Tech’s big win over North Carolina. Rutherford caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He was a reliable player and could stretch the field with his speed. He is also a player who can get the ball in a variety of ways.
Christian Leary was the fourth-leading receiver for Georgia Tech this season, catching 25 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, while also returning kickoffs. He was also responsible for Georgia Tech;s most iconic play last season vs Miami. Like Rutherford, he is a player who can get the ball in a variety of ways.
Chase Lane had a good start to the year, but injuries cost him some time. I think he could have a really good 2024 season if he stays healthy. The former Texas A&M Aggie was a big play machine in some games last season (Louisville) and has talent to be a consistent threat on the outside.
Duquesne transfer Abdul Janneh had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. After taking a big step up in competition last season, Janneh should be ready for a bigger role in 2024.
Leo Blackburn is one of the most physically impressive players on the Georgia Tech roster at 6’5 220 LBS and if he is able to stay healthy this season, he could add a whole new element to the Yellow Jackets offense. He has barely seen the field in his time on The Flats, but he has made highlight catches (Duke game, 2022) and plays when healthy. Blackburn could be a major X-factor on Georgia Tech’s offense next season.
Avery Boyd, Zion Taylor, and Isiah Canion are other players to watch.
1. Brett Seither
2. Jackson Hawes, Ryland Goede, or Luke Harpring
This is another position battle to watch on offense. While I will list Seither as the projected starter, that is just a guess and any of these four players could start and I think all four of them will play.
Hawes was praised consistently this spring for his ability to catch the ball over the middle and his usage in the redzone. I think he could add a pass catching element to the offense.
Brett Seither is the player that is returning with the most production from last season. Seither found a way to make an impact in some games, mostly by catching the football. Seither caught a touchdown in the first game of the year against Louisville, had a 35-yard touchdown in the upset win over North Carolina, and had a 28-yard catch against Georgia. Georgia Tech has a lot of depth at wide receiver and they use a lot of multiple wide receiver sets so Seither does not get a lot of opportunity to make plays, but he took advantage of the times that he did. He finished with seven catches for 101 yards and four touchdowns.
Georgia Tech also went to the transfer portal to try and find some help at tight end. Former Mississippi State and Georgia tight end Ryland Goede and former Yale tight end Jackson Hawes.
Per PFF (Pro Football Focus), Goede had 158 run-blocking snaps and 54 pass-blocking snaps, twice the amount of snaps that he played where he ran a route. He finished with a 60.3 pass-blocking grade and a 60.9 Run-Blocking grade per PFF. Mississippi State was a more run-heavy team last year and Goede was used more for blocking than receiving. That does not mean he can’t turn into a reliable receiver, but I think it could offer a glimpse of the kind of role that Brent Key and Buster Faulkner envision for Goede in 2024.
Our own Najeh Wilkins wrote this about Hawes when he first committed to Georgia Tech:
“Hawes brings experience and depth to the Georgia Tech program at the tight end position. Hawes has played nearly 1,400 snaps and has started two of his three seasons. You can immediately plug him in and he will make an impact. Hawes has made clutch plays in big moments throughout his career and caught a pass in every single game he played last season.
At Yale, Hawes was a second-team All-Conference tight end this season and last season. his career, the tight end had 35 catches for 375 yards and six touchdowns. In 2022, he led Yale with four touchdown receptions and finished the year with 13 catches for 139 yards. He also caught a game-winner that season against rival Harvard in a 19-14 victory that clinched the Ivy League championship.
Luke Harpring was one of the highest-rated commits in the 2024 class for Georgia Tech (Four-Star No. 201, No. 15 TE according to 247Sports) and he is going to be coming into what is a position of need for Georgia Tech. Harpring has immense upside and his athleticism could allow him to get on the field and make an impact for Georgia Tech.
1. Ethan Mackenny
2. Corey Robinson
1. Joe Fusile
2. Jordan Brown
1. Weston Franklin
2. Brandon Best
1. Keylan Rutledge
2. Benjamin Galloway
1. Jordan Williams
2. Jameson Riggs
Georgia Tech is returning four starters from one of the ACC’s best offensive lines and they added a talented transfer guard as well. The depth is going to be something to watch, as the Yellow Jackets don’t have a lot of experience behind their starters, but neither do most teams.
Our own Rohan Roman provided a nice summary of the jump that the offensive line made last season:
“In 2022, per PFF, the unit graded out with an abysmal 42.8 pass-blocking grade and a run-blocking grade of 50.8. The grades matched up with the on-field results.
The 2022 Jackets ranked in the bottom four of the ACC in passing yards, yards per game, passing yards per play, passing TDs, and offensive efficiency. On the ground, they were in the middle of the ACC in yards per carry and rushing yards per game. The combination of a struggling passing offensive and mediocre rushing offense resulted in an offense that struggled to get first downs and could not convert third downs. In short, the struggles of the offensive line were central to many of the Jackets’ 2022 offensive woes.
The starting five – left tackle Ethan Mackenny, left guard Joe Fusile, center Weston Franklin, right guard Connor Scaglione, and right tackle Jordan Williams – changed the narrative in 2023. Per PFF, their 64.0 pass-blocking grade and 59.4 run-blocking grade denoted them as an average unit with a reliable baseline.
On the ground, they opened running lanes that helped the Jackets lead the ACC in rushing offense with 197.1 yards per game. Starting running back Jamal Haynes was top-five in the ACC for both yards and yards per carry. Their performance in the ground game was one of the most consistent aspects of the season for the Yellow Jackets. Even against Georgia’s defensive line, they were able to open up holes and keep the backs clean. Haynes had 5.4 yards per carry in the game and based on their 2023 performance, the Jackets should be able to run against any defensive line they encounter.
When quarterback Haynes King dropped back to pass, the line was able to keep him relatively clean. Their 1.25 sacks conceded per game was second in the ACC and 20th nationally. They allowed King to throw for the second-most passing touchdowns (26) and fourth-most passing yards (2755) while racking up the second-most offensive yardage (3403) in Georgia Tech history. However, this unit was much more of a mixed bag in pass protection. King had to use his legs quite a bit to escape from pressure and the youth of the left side definitely showed at times.”
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Publish date : 2024-07-24 07:52:32
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