DeAndre Hopkins is already making a good first impression with Georgia Tech's Receivers

Hopkins was hired just two weeks ago, but he has already made an impact on Georgia Tech's receivers

DeAndre Hopkins is making an impact for Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech Athletic

DeAndre Hopkins was hired just two weeks ago, but his impact is already being felt at Georgia Tech. The former All-Pro wide receiver is the assistant wide receivers coach for the Yellow Jackets and he and Jafar Williams have a big task ahead of them to sort through an inexperienced wide receiver group before Georgia Tech faces Colorado on Sept. 3rd.

Hopkins might be still settling in, but Williams has noticed some things about him that are making him stand out early in fall camp:

"Yeah, the first thing I would say is intelligent, man. And it's a pleasure to have that guy in the room. From the first day that we got on the phone and we talked, you know, I think the biggest thing between both of us is making sure we're relaying the same message. And he has so many tricks and tools that are going to benefit our room. And it's just a pleasure working with the guy, man. He has the right demeanor when he approaches guys. He's very calculated on what he teaches. But, man, that guy is awesome. You know, I think it really, really elevated our room in terms of having, you know, all hands on deck and multiple guys being able to coach."

It is not just Williams though. When Georgia Tech receivers Jordan Allen, Debron Gatling, and Isaiah Fuhrmann spoke with the media on Friday, their sentiments were similar across the board, especially when it came to the wisdom that Hopkins is able to share with them:

"D-Hop is a great guy. I mean, as soon as he got here, like, just blending in to the culture that we have, the staff, it's been really easy to kind of get along" said Georgia Tech wide receiver Isaiah Fuhrmann. "And with D-Hop, it's, you know, just little tips and kind of things on the field, like, okay, yeah, I see this, you know, understanding how he sees the game too, without trying to annoy him too much, but also him working really well with Coach Williams and them together being really good for us as a receiving group."

Allen, who is the only player on this team that caught a pass for Georgia Tech last season, called Hopkins a perfect fit for the program:

"Yes. I think Coach Hop, he's definitely a perfect fit for our program. You know, he came in. It's been a real smooth tradition for him. He's been a real easy guy to talk to, very comfortable just having conversations with him. You know, I mean, he's a legend. So, I mean, any little bit and pieces he can give to our game, us young guys, everybody, just to elevate our game. I mean, it's been truly an honor just to be able to work with him, and it's been great."

Gatling talked about how in-detail Hopkins has been able to help the receivers, using the knowledge that he got in the NFL:

"I feel like it's been great. You know, he just adds the experience thing. I feel like I can say, like, we were running around, and I saw a coverage I ain't seen before from the defense. And he's seen it in the league before. He's telling me how to run the road off the coverage and stuff like that. So I feel like just having that- somebody who actually, I mean, I can't say just actually because a lot of our coaches played, but like somebody that played my position who did it at the highest level and consistently. And I feel like just knowing that he knows what he's talking about and believing in him, he believes in me. And I feel like everything's been going well with that."

This group has a lot to prove this season, especially with an unproven quarterback in a new offense, There are a lot of uncertainties with this position, given the lack of power four experience up and down the roster at receiver. The good news is that Hopkins and Williams are imparting their wisdom on this group and that should pay huge dividends this season.