A trio of former Georgia Tech players begin their NFL careers in Hall of Fame Game
Tonight is the start of the NFL Preseason, but it also marks the start of three NFL careers for three former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
E.J. Jenkins, Charlie Thomas, and Hassan Hall are likely to see their first NFL game action since signing as undrafted free agents in April. Thomas and Hall are suiting up for the Cleveland Browns and Jenkins will be playing for the New York Jets. All three players are fighting for roster spots and tonight is an important step to earning that.
Here is how you can watch tonight's Hall of Fame Game:
How To Watch The 2023 NFL Hall of Fame Game:
Who: New York Jets vs Cleveland Browns
When: 8:00 p.m., Thursday
Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
TV: NBC
Live Stream: FuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)
Three former Georgia Tech players will take the field tonight in the Hall of Fame Game
Thomas had a fantastic season that resulted in him earning second-team All-ACC from the AP. He finished the 2022 season with over 100 tackles, had two sacks, two pass deflections, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He was a constant playmaker for the Yellow Jackets and he is not going to be easy to replace.
Because of his size at 6'2 207 LBS, I don't think that Thomas is going to be a traditional linebacker that plays a lot of snaps in the box. I think he could make a mark as a safety or linebacker in nickel packages that is used in coverage and as a blitzer. Thomas tallied 10 career sacks at Georgia Tech, as well as reeling in four interceptions. His coverage grades of 80.5 in 2021 and 70.1 in 2022 suggest that there is potential for Thomas to be a good coverage player and the 10 sacks show he can be an effective blitzer from different places around the field.
One thing to know when looking at Jenkins's numbers last season is how Georgia Tech played as many as four quarterbacks last season. Injuries had this position in flux for much of the season for the Yellow Jackets and it was hard to find any consistency in the passing game.
Jenkins caught 17 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns while averaging over 18 yards per catch. His best game this season perhaps was against Florida State, when he hauled in three catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
It will be interesting to see if the Jets view Jenkins as a wide receiver or a tight end. I think he has the flexibility to do both and I will be keeping an eye on where he will be lining up tonight.
Hall came in as a transfer last season and was in a competition for carries with guys like Dontae Smith and Dylan McDuffie at the start of the season. As the year went on though, Hall took over as the lead back for GT and led the team in rushing with 521 yards. The Yellow Jackets also had one of the worst offensive lines in the country and that made running the ball difficult most of the time and Hall did not get a true chance to show how explosive he can be.
While he did not receive an invite to the 2023 NFL Combine, Hall made sure to put on a good showing for his pro day. He ran a sub 4.5 forty-yard dash, had a 37-inch vertical jump, which was the best among all participants that day, a 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump and he had 18 reps on the bench press. He left an impression that day among the NFL scouts that were in attendance.
I am not saying he is going to follow the same path as Jordan Mason did last season for the 49ers, but I think it is a possibility that he makes a roster and has a strong training camp and preseason and makes an NFL roster.
Follow us for the latest on Georgia Tech Athletics!
Facebook: All Yellow Jackets
Twitter: @AllYellowJacket
Follow Jackson on Twitter: @jacksoncaudell
Follow Madison on Twitter: @Madison_Meyers7
Follow Matthew on Twitter: @kistner__
See all of the latest Tech News at AllYellowJackets.com
Check out the Georgia Tech Homepage
Listen to the Goal Line Stand Podcast for the best Georgia Tech and national college football coverage!
More Georgia Tech Related Content:
Georgia Tech practice photo gallery: 8/2
Georgia Tech OC Buster Faulkner reflects on time at Georgia and with Todd Monken
Georgia Tech OC Buster Faulkner on quarterback battle: "We are in no hurry to announce it"
Four-star 2024 target Jaeden Mustaf sets commitment date
No Yellow Jackets make the preseason All-ACC team
Photos from day one of fall camp at Georgia Tech
Brent Key on being picked 12th in the ACC "I could care less"
Brent Key talks quarterback battle after day one of fall camp
Georgia Tech picked to finish 12th in ACC Preseason Media Poll
