Last season, Georgia Tech went to a bowl game for the first time since 2018 and won a bowl game for the first time since 2016. It was a truly impressive first season under head coach Brent Key, and now Georgia Tech is looking to get back to a bowl game and go even further. The Yellow Jackets have one of the toughest schedules in the country heading into the 2024 season, so it will be a tough challenge, but they return most of the starters from one of the top offensive lines in the country, and if their defense improves, they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the ACC.
Some bowl projections for the 2024 season are starting to emerge, another sign that college football is on the way: A new bowl projection from 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford has the Yellow Jackets facing UAB in the Military Bowl.
“As the saying goes, there's no bigger jump for a coaching staff than the transition from year one to year two, so we're excited to see Trent Dilfer and the Blazers show positive progress as they finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible. Expectations are high for the Yellow Jackets as they welcome back former Texas A&M point guard Haynes King, who threw a career-high 27 touchdowns in his first season at Georgia Tech last fall.”
UAB is hoping for better results in head coach Trent Dilfer's second season. UAB went 4-8 in his first year at the helm, but hopes to reach a bowl game in 2024.
I think this will be a bowl game that heavily favors Georgia Tech, primarily due to their strong offense.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is one of just two players in the nation (joining LSU's Jayden Daniels) with over 2,700 yards passing, 600 yards rushing, 25 touchdown passes and five touchdown runs this season, and is one of just six ACC players to achieve those numbers in a regular season since 2000. King led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards. King returns for one more season at the Flats 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 opponents.
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 he can 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.
New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci is looking to rebuild Georgia Tech's defense this season and make it ACC-ready. 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.
