The focus for Week 0 is on Florida State vs Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland. Florida State is the defending ACC champion and one of the favorites to win the conference and make the College Football Playoff. ESPN's College GameDay will be covering the game, and while most people expect Florida State to win handily at the start of the year, Georgia Tech sees this as an opportunity to show they are legitimate ACC favorites and surprise the college football world. I think they are more than capable of doing that, but it won't be easy.
Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell has utilized the transfer portal as effectively as anyone, and despite losing a number of players from their ACC Championship team, Florida State has once again been able to replenish its talent pool. Add in some high school talent acquisitions and it's easy to see why many project FSU as a College Football Playoff contender.
So who are the players to watch and how will the matchups between these two teams fare? Let's start by looking at the Seminoles.
Georgia Tech Offense vs Florida State Defense
Georgia Tech's offense was one of the best in the ACC last season and should be poised to get off to a strong start in 2024.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is one of only two players in the nation (joining LSU's Jayden Daniels) with 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. With one more season at the Flats, King could be the best quarterback in the conference this year. One reason to bet on the Yellow Jackets is that they may have the best quarterback on the field against many opponents. King has been good, but he has had issues with turnovers and will not be effective against a talented team like Florida State.
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.
Florida State has one of the best defensive lines in the country and could give Georgia Tech a lot of problems.
Despite losing Jared Vers and Braden Fisk to the NFL Draft, FSU still has a deep line up front: Georgia transfer Marvin Jones Jr. and Patrick Payton might be the best pass-rushing duo in the conference, while Joshua Farmer and Miami transfer Darrell Jackson are a formidable duo on the inside.
Linebacker could be a question mark, as they will lose Tatum Bethune and Cullen DeLoach, two of the best in the ACC.
The secondary might be the best in the ACC, with Fentrell Cypress, Shyheim Brown and Azaraye Thomas all being great players and will give Georgia Tech's receivers a tough battle.
I think Georgia Tech's game plan is to run the ball hard to set up everything else. The running game was a big strength last season and should be again this year. A good running plan against FSU could limit the pass rush and neutralize the Seminoles' secondary. Considering linebacker may be the biggest question mark for Florida State's defense, this may be the smartest plan. It should be a fun chess match between two strong units.
Georgia Tech defense vs. Florida State offense
The other matchup is evenly matched, but could be a disadvantage if Georgia Tech's defense doesn't improve enough, but they're hoping that won't happen and new defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci is counting on them to be ready to go against Norvell, who has one of the best offenses and play-callers in the country.
In his one season at Duke (2023), Santucci led 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 a loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red zone defense. Duke allowed just 10 points combined in two wins against teams that finished the season in the top 25 (#20 Clemson (28-7) and #21 North Carolina State (24-3)) and finished the season with an 8-5 record overall, including a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.
Georgia Tech's defensive line may be the biggest question mark, especially on the defensive end. On the interior, Zeke Biggers, Miami transfer Thomas Gore, Penn State transfer Jordan Van den Berg and Horace Lockett have potential, but does Georgia Tech have enough power at the edge rusher position? USC transfer Romero Height could help, but Georgia Tech needs this unit to perform.
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.
Florida State has a great play-caller in Norvell, but the offense this season isn't nearly as talented on paper as it was last season.
Clemson/Oregon transfer DJ Uiagalelei will take over for Jordan Travis, which I think is a big drop in the bucket. Uiagalelei is an inconsistent and inaccurate passer, but he could be a good fit in the Seminoles' offense and I'll be interested to see how Norvell utilizes his running ability. It's fair to say Georgia Tech has an advantage at quarterback.
Running back is another issue, but it may be a bigger possibility than quarterback. Florida State will lose Trey Benson, but Alabama transfers Roydell Williams and Lawrence Toafili should be a good duo, but neither have performed at a high level. Georgia Tech had the worst rushing defense in the country last year, so stopping FSU's ground game will be a big challenge.
Florida State lost Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson to the NFL, but the talent is still there. Alabama transfer Malik Benson, former five-star recruits Hykeem Williams and Jaki Douglas are potential starters, and Kentron Poitier is another player to watch. Tight end Kyle Morlock is a big target and could make a breakout impact this season.
The strength of FSU's offensive line is on the interior, with TJ Ferguson and Maurice Smith being a strong duo at left guard and center, but there may be questions about other parts of Florida State's offensive line.
I think both teams have question marks. Florida State has more talent and I think it's reasonable to expect Norvell to retool his offensive line. If Georgia Tech can slow down the running game and allow Uiagalelei to win with his arm strength, that might work in the Yellow Jackets' favor. Still, there are question marks as the Yellow Jackets will need to mount a pass rush. I think Georgia Tech's defense will be better than last year, but they're a tough opponent to start with.
This is an intriguing matchup and I think the Yellow Jackets can win this one, but they will have their hands full.
