A Deep Dive Into the 2024 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Intro Georgia Tech will be one of the interesting teams in the ACC this year a solid season in bry's first year with yellow jackets as this team excited has this program and fan base excited about where they are headed this used to be a team that was competing for conference championships and obviously over the last few years things have kind of dropped off but that being said you look at what happened last year and you're looking at a team that is in a drastically different place now they're looking to take another step forward after seven- six season and we'll see what happens there before we go into this deep dive make sure you subscribe to the channel make sure you like and share the video it's going a long way in keeping this deep dive Series going so let's dive into Georgia Coaching Staff Tech rank key like I said I I think I was one of the many people that was skeptical about his arrival I didn't really know what to expect from him and I didn't know what I should understand about where he was going to take this program I think there were some that believed in him obviously and they turned out to be right and it was a really fun year a very interesting year as well because you had the two game stretch in which they lose to Bowling Green and then they beat Miami and that was just a very interesting part of the season but this is a team that is looking to build upon the successful overall season that they had last year and the coaching staff obviously knows what they're doing they have a good plan in place they have Key's long-term vision for this program obviously has them excited about where they're headed and how can you blame them Frank key is exceeding expectations year two will be interesting though it's a new conference it's going to be some different challenges you will see some different tests for them but this is still a program that should have plenty of excitement even with everything changing around them we going into the Transfer Portal transfer portal because there obviously was some auditions that are really exciting some potential starters right off the bat because when you look at this team obviously a 7-6 season was good but you still needed to add some Talent via the transfer portal because you lost a couple of key players that will definitely hurt in terms of the ceiling but you also added some players that could help in that regard I think losing Kyle Canard was obviously a huge one also losing KJ Wallace wasn't exactly great either but I think that this this did a good job of bringing in players that could potentially I don't know if they'll necessarily one for one replace them but bringing in a guy like Romel height from USC could be a really interesting addition a guy like Warren Burell from Tennessee is another guy to keep an eye on and I think that they added some good depth pieces to and the starters like we will talk about in a little bit there's good talent on this roster still Yes you lose some talent but the guys returning are a big reason why everyone's pretty excited surrounding this Georgia Tech program and we'll take a look at what these new guys will do at their respective positions and talk about what should be expectations for those players as well we obviously start as always with the offense and Haynes King is going to have to find a way to improve his numbers from last year not because they were bad but because that's what it's going to take to take that next step in order to become a better program your back must QB & RB get better as well now that being said H King did a lot of really exciting things last year this is someone who I think a lot of people rode off because of what happened at Texas A&M things just didn't go his way it just wasn't a good match overall and he hits the transfer portal and Georgia Tech benefits tremendously now there was definitely plenty of skepticism coming into the season because we didn't know what to expect from hannes King I don't think a lot of people knew what to expect expect from him but he exceeded expectations in his first year over 2,800 yards passing 27 touchdowns you'd like to see his interceptions go down quite a bit if you're going to take a Next Step but one of the things with his passing is that if he reduces those 16 interceptions he will throw more touchdowns he'll throw for more yards that's going to help this offense tremendously so one guy obviously doesn't make this offense but one guy can have a huge impact on how successful they'll be this year he also was a good runner I think people kind of forgot that a little bit from his time at Texas A&M 737 yards and 10 touchs on the ground so a dual threat that can do it at all for this offense can be a valuable asset to the rushan attack a rushing attack that should be very fun to watch this year and it's a rushing attack that finished 13th in the country last year so you're looking at a rushing attack that's going to be very good and offense that should be pretty balanced and a lot of that falls on Haynes King but but also he has plenty of talent around him so yes he has to take a step forward but also he'll have plenty of talent surrounding him Jamal Haynes comes back after a solid season in which he rushed for over a thousand yards seven touchdowns average 6.1 yards per carry also a solid contributor in the passing attack 20 catches for 151 yards and one more score Trey Coy is another guy to keep an eye on there he will be a contributor after having 274 yards and three touchdowns in at 2023 the some depth at the running back position that could be contributors as well Evan Dickens is someone to keep an eye on there and a young guy coming in that the staff really likes Anthony KY a freshman that could have a bigger impact it's gonna be tough with cool and haes running the show but if he you know one of them goes down or someone isn't living up to expectations that's where he could get into that rotation if ping goes down that's probably where you have the biggest concern Zack Pyon is back but I don't think you have the ne the level of confidence that you need to be excited about what he can do for your offense obviously Hanks King does a lot of great things but you need him to stay healthy not that that's a super big concern for that but when you're playing a collision sport like football it's always going to be a concern if you're not careful and weird things can happen but if hannes King stays healthy feels pretty good for this offense an offense that when you look at the numbers you feel pretty solid about what you did last and that was kind of like a breakout season so can you continue that success can you continue doing certain things really well running the football is one of them throwing the ball a little bit better will be obviously a huge portion of that as well and when you look at the WR & TE wide receivers coming back Hanes King has plenty of options to utilize in 2024 who take the step forward we will see but you have like I said you have guys that can step up one of the names that we'll talk about here Eric Singleton this is someone who I think is flying out of the radar in the National Spotlight single pin's not someone who's getting a ton of recognition 714 yards nearly 15 yards per catch and six touchdowns he is someone who is going to get a lot of more a lot more love than he did in 2023 I think the college football fantasy Community is a little bit higher on Eric Singleton than the majority of analysts that you will take a look at but he is someone who could have a big year if he can take a step forward become a thousand yard yard receiver Georgia Tech's in really good hands I I like what he's capable of doing I I really think that he is a special player who can take that step forward and if like I said if King can take that step as well and find ways to be more consistent with his arm Singleton is going to benefited from that probably the most that being said there's plenty of other options too Malik Rutherford is back after a 500 yard season four touchdowns last year as well Christian lirry is a name to keep an eye on only 25 catches last year for 309 yards but again if you are seeing an improvement on that passing attack you're going to see some of these guys take steps forward in terms of production you will see that Improvement quite a bit other guys to keep an eye on Chase Lane is someone who's struggled with injuries last year and if he's healthy there are a lot of people surrounding this program that believe the chase Lane can be the alpha of this group can be a major contributor a big time weapon for this offense so if he's healthy I really like what this group has in terms of death death Leo blackburns another guy to keep an eye on limited production over the last couple years but someone who could be an explosive weapon as well Abdul jany is number guy too 20.3 yards per catch in 2024 on just six catches try to get him a little bit more involved someone who is a bigger body receiver who's a proven weapon that can um maybe a proven I should say but you see the potential you know that he's capable of doing it and if you can get him the ball a little bit more again a lot of that circles back to Hayes King and what he's capable of doing and then you're looking at a passing attack that's in great hands the tight end position a little bit more unknown than wide receivers bred cther is coming back 101 yards and four touchdowns last year on just seven catches so a a Red Zone Target that you can definitely utilize a solid frame at 65 233 pounds you have a couple options behind him too again you're not seeing a ton of proven Commodities in terms of ACC weapons but this is a passing attack that should improve from a group that finished 68th last year again a lot of that is on haes King but you have other guys that can take steps forward yes you had a solid season but there is more room for growth in this group so that's really exciting though that's an opportunity for this group to improve an opportunity for this unit to get better and that helps Georgia Tech long run in terms of winning football games the OL offensive line obviously plays a huge role in that as well so this will be a group that everyone has their eyes on for sure and it's a solid group it's an experienced group that has a ton of talent and it'll be fun to see how they perform because again this offense took steps that I don't think a lot of people anticipated and a lot of that had to do with the offensive line you get four guys back that are familiar with the Georgia Tech program and then you add a transfer as well Cory Robinson and Jordan Williams will man The Tackle positions plenty of experience there 45 starts under their belts Joe fusile and Weston Franklin are the other two returners Helen rutage comes in from Middle Tennessee now the one thing I'll say about Middle Tennessee is that they have produced a number of interesting transfers over the last couple years a lot of guys that are going to play in the group of five level have found ways to elevate their game to power five programs or or four whatever we're calling it now but that's a guy to keep an eye on yes he's coming from Middle Tennessee but a lot of these players from the blue Raiders have proven that they can handle life in a more difficult setting this is a group that is definitely capable of taking another leap in terms of development because you have that experience that's also going to help in terms of communication this is a group that knows what each other is expected to do you can figure out who's going to do what where each guy will be and understand that this group knows as a collective unit that they are going to be well off in 2024 when you look at the depth they have behind him you have some pretty solid players behind those guys so if the one of them goes down for whatever reason you're looking at a group that is going to still be fine I don't think you lose a ton or take a huge step back because you have guys like Ethan McKenzie and Brandon best behind certain positions and and you also get some transfers coming in that could contribute to that as well so you have good depth you have good talent you shouldn't have too many concerns about this offensive line playing in the ACC obviously presents its unique challenges and we'll talk about the schedule later in this video and obviously that's going to be the biggest challenge for this group is life in the trenches and you knew that coming in that's not a surprise to anyone that's not a surprise to Georgia Tech they know what's expected of them they know that this offensive line plays a huge role in what this offense can do on the field in terms of production and they are ready for that challenge the defense is where things must improve I think that this group had certain aspects of it that were solid but you also need to see them take steps forward and this staff knows that and they've done a good job of developing guys in place as well as bringing in certain players to help maybe Elevate that ceiling maybe even raise the floor so we start in the defensive line mcka Scott and Kevin Harris are probably the two names to DL keep an eye on Scott is kind of a surprising player on on the edge but he has really emerged as a guy who's going to be a factor in 2024 Kevin Harris is an explosive weapon on the edge as well playing that edge role more so than a defensive end you also add a guy like romelo height to come in from USC and potentially rotate in with Kevin Harris maybe even start so though you have solid players on the edge that can make plays it's just a matter of can you take that step forward we talk about taking a step and improving your game elevating your game to a level where you're competing in the ACC and making life difficult for the opposing tackles that you're going to face the opposing offensive line the interior of this line is really interesting to me because you have two solid starters and Zeke Biggers and Thomas Gore two guys that can be disruptive have proven that they can be disruptive at times and again finding ways to get better and you're going to have a solid group that is ready to prove itself maybe has that chip on their shoulder because of what happened last year maybe not the best year that they're proud of but you find ways to get better and you'll find that your defense will improve when you look at the numbers it wasn't a great group stopping teams wasn't exactly their Forte but this is is a unit that can get better and find ways to get the quarterback disrupt the ball carrier that kind of stuff behind those two players Horus Lockett is an underrated tackle a underrated depth piece for this Georgia Tech defense Jordan Vandenberg comes in from Penn State the staff really likes what he's capable of doing expect him to be a part of that rotation a prominent figure in that group in that defensive line because if you're able to get to the quarterback better than you did last year if you're able to disrupt certain things against the run this is a group that finished 131st against the run so they're better at defending the pass but you have to defend the run better teams aren't going to worry about throwing the ball especially if they don't have a great quarterback they can just run the ball they don't need to worry about what your defensive line is going to do but if you find ways to improve in that category in terms of being more disruptive then Tyler sanducci's group is going to be much better than it was in 2023 the linebackers behind them lots of potential here as well some production LB returning in a Kyle efford 81 tackles last year and I think that he takes a step forward in 2024 obviously the defensive line plays a role in that as well if they are able to be better than they were last year then the linebackers take a step forward as well TR as Tatum is another guy who I I really like I think this is solid Duo maybe not the best duo that you're going to see in the ACC but they don't necessarily need to strive to be that they can if they would like but this is a group that just needs to understand who they are be who you are play within your strengths know what you're capable of doing and just find a way to take some steps forward again this is a group that finish 131st against the run you don't have to become an elite top 25 run defense all of a sudden you can take take steps forward into the 60 to 80 range and that helps your group a lot more than you would if you're trying to swing for the fenses and you miss you also have some unproven Talent behind them Austin Dean is someone who has had limited production in the last couple years Jackson Hamilton's a Louisville Transfer kind of the same thing there so you're looking at guys that maybe aren't as as tested as battle tested as some of these starters but you have this staff who likes what they have coming back and the linebacker position will be under the spotlight just as much as the defensive line but if that front group can figure things out then the secondary doesn't have to do as much and that secondary is very talented a big reason Secondary why they finished 53rd against the pass in 2023 and L miles Brooks obviously leads the way this is a guy who's been doing this for a while now he knows what's expected of him in terms of how to be successful in the ACC how to face Elite competition and how to be a impact player a guy who is going to help this group tremendously 67 tackles one interception last year solid size for a a safety someone who could have a a bright future in the NFL a 6 fo two 188 Pounds is great and I think that you're looking at someone who could be a sleeper in terms of the 2025 NFL draft surrounding him is where things get really interesting because you have guys that are ready to prove their worth clayon pow Lee and Omar Daniels are probably the two that I'm keeping an eye on here pow Lee will line up opposite of Brooks so teams maybe will decide to pick on him a little bit more is HE capable of handling that pressure uh also a solid frame at 62 185 pounds Omar Daniels is going to play that the star role the nickel role someone who is a little bit less proven than the guys around him but he has earned that spot he is ready to make a name for himself and he is ready to show that he is is is capable of playing at a high level another guy to keep an eye on Amari Harvey at the quarterback position the quarterbacks are interesting Harvey comes back after a solid season had three interceptions I think that this coaching staff is excited about what he can do after a breakthrough season and then you add obviously Warren Burell we talked about him the Tennessee transfer who is I think ready to take a step in this defense I think that he is ready to be major contributor right off the bat and I think that he has a lot in locked and loaded for what he can do again for this secondary it's a secondary that has plenty of talent so winning a bot in the starting rotation says a lot about your abilities and Warren Burell who will still have to fight off guys for the cornerback position but someone who is capable of doing exactly that behind them is where you have lots of options you bring in some transfers that could potentially push for Time s Gibbs comes in from Rhode Island Zachary Tob comes in from Kansas State Jaden Davis comes in from Cincinnati at safety position so you have guys who maybe aren't as proven uh whether it's just experience or you know you look at Gibbs coming from Rhode Island coming from the FCS level you haven't seen a level of competition that you are comfortable with saying hey he's ready for this challenge but we are going to find out this is the group that needs to have depth and these players will have opportunities to step forward Ron shell also a guy with the most experience of this backup group he's back once again so I really like what this secondary has coming back this a group that could still improve even though it's a group that finished 53rd and again if this defense as a whole improves I think that the secondary benefits a lot from that front group stepping up in a way because if you're able to be better as a whole be more well-rounded in terms of stopping opposing offenses again you're going to see lots of explosive offenses in this conference then you're looking at a team that can improve you can find a way to be better than you were at in your S6 season last year so what can you do to take steps forward there's certain little things they can do there's certain units that can help in that regard and that's really exciting if you Strengths & Concerns are a Jordan Tech fan when you look at the strength and concerns of this team it's pretty obvious that the uh the defense is really where the concerns start outside of the secondary secondary is a strength that shouldn't be a surprise linebacker you probably have concern about the depth behind the starters can those starters take a next the next step same with the defensive line probably you could say that the defensive line is going to be a uh a question in terms of depth as well so if you're able to find a way to step up and and prove that you're better than you were last year again we talked about that a lot that's going to be a group Haynes King obviously is a strength running back is a strength You could argue that the wide receivers are also a strength so there's plenty of of options for this offense the tight end position is a little bit more concerning at the offensive line again you have you have more strength than you have concerns which is good if you're a Jord Tech Team and I I think that this is going to be a really fun group to watch even after a seven six season that's really what's this coming down to you had a breakout season and now you have to it's kind of you don't have the surprise Factor that's probably the biggest thing with Georgia Z you're just not going to surprise teams this year this this conference knows what you're capable of doing and they're going to find ways to adapt they will find ways to bounce back and throw a change up or adjust to what you did last year so certain players KES King the defense need to take steps forward and find ways to improve you because the schedule isn't going to do them any favors especially in the first 2024 Schedule game in week zero you play Florida State in Ireland so you're not going to have much time to figure this out you have a big- time ACC foe right off the bat to start your season so no one's going to feel sorry for you if you're not ready and this is when you look at their over under at five wins that says a lot about the level of difficulty in this schedule and you start with Florida stage finding a way to get ready and and you're going to have to ramp up the intensity early and often because Florida state does not care if you are ready or not they are going to be a tough team to beat despite the number of players that they lost and Geor Tech is going to have their hands full regardless of what they're prepared to do they will be they'll have a tough time stopping Florida State they will have a tough time blocking Florida State and if you are not ready it's going to be a long night you are capable of competing with that team it's just going to be a matter of are you actually ready for that level of difficulty early in the season the Georgia State game at home could be a win for Georgia Tech say should be we saw what happened last year against a group of five teams so you're not necessarily guaranteed to win that game at Syracuse a team that could be much better in 2024 that is a tough game VMI we don't really need to talk about at Louisville everyone expects Louisville to be another solid team in 2024 Duke is kind of a sleeper team though they might be towards the bottom of the ACC this year at North Carolina Notre Dame at Virginia Tech Miami NC State and at Georgia is a brutal way to end your season that is a tough second half of your season and you are going to face plenty of talented defenses you're also going to face plenty of talented offenses that's why the over under is set at five so the ceiling for this team you can make an argument that they could go 75 and that's that's not really unrealistic it's just not the most likely the floor is definitely three and nine because when you look at the teams they have on their schedule it's tough yes you had a successful season in 2024 but again like we said before you don't have that surprise Factor you don't have the ability to hit people in the mouth when they're not expecting it these teams are ready for your best punch and now you have to find a count now you have to find a a thing that you didn't show them last year you have to find some way to show that you can adapt to this new life and Brent key and this St staff I think are ready for that challenge they are ready for what's ahead of them it's just a matter of getting back to a bow game some of these schedules you may be a better team but your record might not indicate that so I want I hope that Georgia Tech fans aren't relying on on their record to indicate if they're taking a step forward because this is a tough schedule that second half is brutal and if you find a way to get back to a ball game I think that you're going to feel really good about where you're headed in 2025 if you find a way to finish with a a successful bowl season in 2024