Buster Faulkner Wants the Yellow Jackets Passing Attack To Be More Explosive in 2024
Georgia Tech made one of the biggest leaps in terms of offensive production in 2023, but they have their sights on being even better in 2024.
The Yellow Jackets finished with the ACC's best rushing attack and while their passing game was solid, Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner thinks they can be more explosive than they were a year ago:
"Well, I think the next step of everything with me revolves around winning. And what do we got to do to continue to win games and take that next step forward and be able to compete for an ACC championship? And the most exciting thing about it is we got a lot of guys back, right? And then we got a lot of guys here that were early enrollees that we signed in January and so I think we've got like 38 of the 43 guys that are on scholarship going into the fall already here. So just continuing to build continuity. Obviously, it's a new season, but we did last year. It doesn't matter right? So we're just looking to improve every day. We obviously got to be more explosive, be more explosive in the passing game, and continue to run the football. That's going to be who we are."
Faulkner thinks the Yellow Jackets have the pieces in place to make that happen too:
"Yeah, and I do think at times last year really, you know, we were explosive in the passing game. but that that goes hand -in -hand all 11 right that's not just the quarterback that's not just the receivers that's the line the tight ends and protection and the running backs as well so yeah we got to be more explosive do we have the pieces yes I believe we have the pieces but that's not just the pieces on the perimeter that's pieces up front and then also in the backfield in a tight end so to be able to make it all go we need all 11."
Georgia Tech is losing Dominick Blaylock to the NFL Draft, but they are returning the rest of their production at wide receiver. Star freshman Eric Singleton Jr, Malik Rutherford, Christian Leary, Abdul Janneh, and Chase Lane are all back and Georgia Tech is also bringing back talented wide receiver Leo Blackburn, who missed last season with an ACL injury, but has returned to practice:
Georgia Tech wide receiver Christian Leary
Nathaniel Caudell
" Yeah, no, absolutely. All right, we'll start with Chase. You know, Chase was off to, I think he was a leading receiver at the time when he went down. last year. Came back, game eight or game nine, but he was never 100%. Just whenever that injury happens, it takes longer than you'd think. But he was able to get a bunch of reps in the bowl practice and get back. He looks great. He's had an unbelievable offseason. Probably looks faster and more explosive than he did a year ago, so we're excited he's back. Get him back in the mix. You know, and then obviously Leo. I think four practices maybe three practices last year and you saw flashes of a guy that could be really really good you know one thing he brings is you know some size in that room I mean getting any room he's gonna bring a lot of size but we're excited we're gonna bring him back slowly right be smart with him it's still a year out you know we want his confidence that we want the confidence to get really high and we're gonna be smart with the way we wrap him and do do those things and target him. But I expect him to have a really, really good season."
If the running game is still strong and the passing attack finds ways to get more explosive and more consistent, this Yellow Jackets offense might be the ACC's best.
