Former Georgia Tech Wide Receiver Dean Patterson Receives A Minicamp Invite From Tampa Bay

Patterson played one season at Georgia Tech and is now set to start his journey to the NFL

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Dean Patterson (11) runs after a catch against the Syracuse Orange in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Former Georgia Tech wide receiver Dean Patterson has found his NFL home. Patterson is going to join his former Georgia Tech and FIU teammate Eric Rivers in Tampa Bay, as Patterson has received a minicamp invite from the Buccaneers.

Shot secured 🌴@DeanPatterson01 is heading to the @Buccaneers minicamp❕#StingEm 🐝 pic.twitter.com/jwKHldwj7G

— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) April 26, 2026

Patterson arrived at Georgia Tech after spending the first part of his career with FIU with Eric Rivers, who followed him to Atlanta. This past season for the Yellow Jackets, Patterson totaled eight catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns, averaging nearly 19 yards per catch.

In 339 snaps this past season, Patterson finished with a 54.6 overall grade on Pro Football Focus.

Patterson caught 98 passes for 1,406 yards and eight touchdowns over four seasons at FIU and was named second-team all-Conference USA after catching 50 passes for 685 yards and seven touchdowns as a redshirt junior in 2024.

How will Georgia Tech replace him?

Wide receiver is one of the biggest question marks on the Georgia Tech roster heading into the season. With Patterson, Rivers, Malik Rutherford, Isiah Canion, and Bailey Stockton gone, there is a lot of unproven ability with this position. Jordan is back, but there is not a lot of catches coming back to the receiver room.

Not only that, but Georgia Tech has a new wide receivers coach, Jafar Williams, who comes to Georgia Tech from Vanderbilt.

Williams went into detail about what he is looking for in his room this season:

“The number one thing, and I tell my guys all the time, the game honors toughness. I want tough guys, tough guys mentally, tough guys physically. It's my job as a coach to get them prepared, and we do everything in our power to make sure they have every resource possible within the time frame to do that. Right now, I'm looking for effort and toughness, and mistakes are gonna happen. We'll get those corrected, but just really that piece is gonna be important because when you get into the grind of a season, there's a lot of ups and downs. I want the guys that are gonna battle through those tough times."