Georgia Tech will face a new head coach at a new school in three of its first six games of the season. While Del McGehee (Georgia State) and Fran Brown (Syracuse) are first-time head coaches, new Duke head coach Manny Diaz is preparing for his second stint as a Power 5 head coach. Diaz served as head coach at Miami from 2019-2021 before spending the past two seasons as defensive coordinator at Penn State. After two successful years under Mike Elko, Duke will be hoping to continue its good run with Diaz at the helm, but it won't be easy.
The Blue Devils will have some new faces and will be looking to make their third consecutive bowl appearance as a team. The two teams have played against each other every season in the old ACC Coastal division but did not meet last season. In their last meeting of 2021, Georgia Tech won 23-20 in overtime.
Here's an early preview of the match between the two teams on October 5th.
Georgia Tech Offense vs Duke Defense
Georgia Tech had one of the best offenses in the ACC last year and should be near the top again this year. Duke was a good defensive team under Mike Elko (and current Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci) but is losing some talent. Diaz is a good defensive coach, so Duke shouldn't fall behind on the defensive end.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is one of only two players in the country (joining LSU's Jayden Daniels) with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns this season, and one of only six ACC players since 2000 to achieve those numbers in a regular season. King led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards. King is back for another season at the NFL and could be the best quarterback in the conference this year. One reason to root for the Yellow Jackets is that they may have the best quarterback on the field against many of their opponents. King has been good, but he has had issues with turnovers and will not cut it against some of the teams on Georgia Tech's schedule, including Duke.
Jamal Haynes had a great season last year. He made the switch from wide receiver to running back during fall camp, and the move paid off. Haynes earned All-ACC honors as a running back (third team) and was named an honorable mention All-Purpose performer. He led Georgia Tech with 1,059 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and a team-second-best six yards per carry. Those numbers were fifth in the ACC in rushing yards, he was tied for sixth in the conference with seven rushing touchdowns, and his 6.0 yards per carry was third in the league. Haynes had a strong performance in the bowl game against UCF, rushing 18 times for a game-high 128 yards. He also had a strong performance against the Georgia Bulldogs, rushing for 81 yards. Haynes is the second-highest rated player for the Yellow Jackets according to Pro Football Focus, earning a 76.9 grade and looks poised to have another big season in 2024. I think he's going to have a big season, but he's not getting the recognition he should be getting.
This will be one of the deepest wide receiver corps in the ACC, with several newcomers who could bolster this group.
Eric Singleton Jr. is the Yellow Jackets' highest-rated player in the 2023 freshman class, according to 247Sports, and he looked like he had superstar potential last season.
Singleton Jr. ranks fourth among all freshman (true freshman or redshirt) in the nation in 2023 with 59.5 yards receiving per game and is tied for fourth nationally among true freshman with six touchdown receptions. His 714 yards receiving and six touchdown catches both rank in the top 10 in the entire Atlantic Coast Conference, and his six touchdown receptions are the second-most by a freshman in Georgia Tech history. Can he have an even better season in 2024? I think it certainly is possible, and the chemistry between him and King was evident last year.
Singleton isn't the Yellow Jackets' only dangerous receiver.
Malik Rutherford was Georgia Tech's second-leading receiver. He caught 46 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.5 yards per catch. His biggest performance came in Georgia Tech's blowout win over North Carolina, where Rutherford caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He's a reliable player who can stretch the field with his speed and can also get the ball in a variety of ways.
Christian Leary was Georgia Tech's fourth-leading receiver this season, catching 25 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a kickoff return.
Chase Lane started the year well but injuries cost him time. If he can stay healthy, I think he'll have a really good season in 2024. Abdul-Janneh, a transfer from Duquesne, had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He'll add depth to Georgia Tech next year.
Leo Blackburn is one of Georgia Tech's biggest players at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and if he can stay healthy this season, he could add an entirely new element to the Yellow Jackets' offense.
The offensive line will also be one of the best in the ACC.
In just one season, head coach Brent Key and first-year offensive line coach Jeep Wade have transformed Georgia Tech's offensive line from its biggest weakness to arguably the best unit on the entire team. Georgia Tech has gone from being one of the worst rushing teams in the ACC to leading the league in rushing. For anyone who has looked at the 2022 line, it's been a pretty surprising turnaround. The good news for the Yellow Jackets is that the offensive line returns four of its five starters and added an all-conference transfer in the offseason.
Wesley Williams, Aaron Hall and Michael Reese are all returning from last year's team and I think those three will be the go-to starting three up front. Ken'Dee Charles, who transferred from Liberty, is one of Duke's most highly-rated transfers and will likely be a starter. Charles is the only player returning to Duke's defensive line, so Coach Diaz may be pleased with his roster.
The linebacker group will be led by Tre Freeman, who had over 100 tackles last year, but Nick Morris Jr. (60 tackles last season) could also have a big role. Ozzie Nicholas, a transfer from Princeton, and Alex Howard, a transfer from Texas A&M, could also play.
Safety Jalen Stinson, cornerback Chandler Rivers and safety Terry Moore are all returning in the secondary, with Stinson possibly the best player on the entire defense after recording 88 tackles and one interception last season and has All-ACC potential. Duke's only new addition in the secondary is Rice University transfer Tre'Shawn Devons.
Georgia Tech's offense should be dominant, but Duke has a good defense. Their challenge will be their defensive line and pass rush. Their linebackers and secondary should be solid.
Georgia Tech Defense vs Duke Offense
Duke's strength may hinge on the strength of Texas transfer Maalik Murphy. Murphy was a highly touted recruit who was the Longhorns' backup quarterback last season but struggled in the few games he started last season. At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Murphy is physically imposing and has strong arm strength, but the sample size is still small to judge him on. He may be an underrated player entering the season.
Last year's leading rusher, Jordan Waters, has transferred to NC State, but backup Jaquez Moore ran for over 600 yards last season and should fill in nicely for Waters and provide Murphy with a reliable running game. Duke added two running backs this year to give them some depth and competition. Star Thomas (New Mexico State) and Al Wooten II (Mercer) are names to watch.
Last year's top receiver, Jordan Moore, returns, Samir Hagans should be a starter, and Javon Harvey, a transfer from Old Dominion, should get plenty of playing time. This is the best position on the offensive line and may be the deepest.
While the quarterback position is a question mark, so is the offensive line. Left guard Justin Pickett is the lone returning starter, and Diaz went all out in acquiring offensive linemen. Bruno Fina (UCLA), Zachary Franks (Northwestern), Eric Schon (Holy Cross), Mike Barr (Lafayette), Micah Sahakian (Cornell), James Pogoric (Stanford) and Jack Purcell (Penn State) were all acquired to fill the position and provide depth. The addition of six transfers at forward indicates Diaz may have concerns about his forward line.
New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci is looking to rebuild Georgia Tech's defense this season to help it compete in the ACC. In his one season at Duke (2023), Santucci oversaw the ACC's top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, good for 16th in the nation. The Blue Devils also ranked in the top 50 nationally in rush defense, pass defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red zone defense. Duke allowed just 10 points combined in two wins over teams that finished the season in the top 25 (No. 20 Clemson (28-7) and No. 21 North Carolina State (24-3)) and improved to 8-5 overall with a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.
Georgia Tech's defensive line may be their biggest question mark, especially at defensive end. On the interior, Zeke Biggers, Miami/Georgia State transfer Thomas Gore, Penn State transfer Jordan Van den Bergh and Horace Lockett have potential, but does Georgia Tech have enough power at the edge rusher position? USC transfer Romello Height could help, but Georgia Tech will need production from this unit.
At linebacker, Kyle Efford will look to lead a group that includes veteran starter Tre'Niulious Tatum, Georgia transfer EJ Lightsey, Louisville transfer Jackson Hamilton and freshman Taj Butler.
Georgia Tech returns a strong safety duo in LaMyles Brooks and Clayton Powell Lee, and Ahmari Harvey could have a breakout season in 2024. The biggest question in the secondary is who will start at corner opposite Harvey, with Tennessee transfer Warren Burrell likely be the favorite on the outside and Rhode Island transfers Saeed Gibbs and Rodney Shelley potentially at nickel.
overview
Duke may be one of the weakest teams in the ACC and I think Georgia Tech needs to win this game at home. The Blue Devils could be a solid team if they play well, but they have questions at quarterback, offensive line and defensive line. If those issues go well, I think Duke will be solid at running back, wide receiver, linebacker and secondary. But Georgia Tech has advantages at most positions and I think they will be a much better team going into the season.
