Georgia Tech 2024 Report Card: Wide Receivers Continue To Be An Exciting Position With Upside in 2025

Another very productive unit for the Yellow Jackets in 2024 that amassed 2,534 yards and 13 of the 17 receiving touchdowns scored this year.

For the Yellow Jackets, it starts with Malik Rutherford and the season he had. When he was on top of his game, he made defenses pay. Rutherford led the team in catches (62) and also had 702 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

There were two notable games for Rutherford when he went off and torched defenses. In the second game of the season against cross-town rival Georgia State, Rutherford finished with seven catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded his longest catch of the season from 52 yards out on a deep ball that the defense didn’t stand a chance against.

The other was a road game against the Louisville Cardinals. Again, Rutherford crossed the 100-yard mark. He finished with seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown. Rutherford set career-highs in catches, receiving yards, and rushing yards. He finished with a PFF grade of 72.4 the third highest on the team. Rutherford was named All-ACC honorable mention.

Initially Rutherford hit the transfer portal leaving a big void for the Yellow Jackets to fill, but he rethought his decision and decided to return for his final season with the program. Obviously, great news for Yellow Jackets fans and the offense in 2025.

It’s hard to believe that after being named freshman all-American you can improve your numbers but Eric Singleton Jr did that. The numbers were slightly better for Singleton during his sophomore season in catches and yards. Singleton Jr. had 56 catches for 754 yards and three touchdowns this year for the Yellow Jackets compared to 48 catches, 714 receiving yards, and six touchdowns in his true freshman season.

He had two games with over 100 yards receiving against NC State and VMI and six games with over 80 yards receiving. His best games came against VMI and Georgia. Against VMI, he finished with five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. In a rivalry game against Georgia, he torched their defense with eight catches, 86 yards and a touchdown. Singleton Jr recorded two or more catches in every game this season. He was also instrumental in a win over Miami catching the game-sealing first down that stamped the upset. Singleton Jr was named All-ACC honorable mention after another productive season.

Make no mistake about it Singleton Jr was electric and he was used way more in the Buster Faulkner offense including in the run games so he could show off his dynamic ability. It worked a lot in the Georgia Tech offense and made it tough to stop. It definitely hurt to see Singleton Jr enter the transfer portal after two seasons at Georgia Tech but he was the most coveted receiver in the portal and you can see why.

Chase Lane was the fourth-leading receiver in yards (271) this past season for the Yellow Jackets. He finished with 23 catches and three touchdowns (a career-high). 2024 was the second-most productive season in Chase Lane’s career. His best game came against arch-rival Georgia in Clean Old Fashioned Hate when he finished with four catches for 58 yards. Lane finished with a PFF grade of 58.6 on 631 snaps. He always talked highly of the Georgia Tech program and what it meant to him to become a Tech man. Lane always did what was asked of him and finished with a good career with the Yellow Jackets.

Bailey Stockton finished with 17 catches for 206 yards and a touchdown Stockton was the second-highest rated receiver on the team with a 74.1 PFF grade on 140 snaps Stockton caught his first career touchdown in the bowl game against Vanderbilt.

One of his best games of the season came in the thrilling win against NC State. Stockton was the go-to receiver for Aaron Philo as he had five catches for 54 yards. In that game, Stockton was the second leading receiver for the Yellow Jackets just behind Eric Singleton Jr.

Stockton is an underrated player you could see get more playing time entering year 2 after an efficient season not seeing the field a ton. He definitely showed some flash in the limited reps he had this season but proved he could be a complementary piece of the offense. He also has a great connection with Aaron Philo, with whom he played high school football with at Prince Avenue Christian winning several championships together. No, Aaron Philo is not the starter but you have full confidence that if Haynes King was to miss time Philo can step in and lead the charge.

Chris Elko was the best-rated receiver for Georgia Tech in limited reps this season per Pro Football Focus finishing with a 78.8 grade on 11 snaps. He finished with a catch for 41 yards. Despite the limited role, Elko showed he could be a big play guy in this offense and a downfield receiving threat.

Abdul Janneh is a player that you have to look at beyond the stats he produced. He finished his final season at Georgia Tech recording seven catches for 109 yards. When he was on the field he did a lot of the dirty work like blocking on the perimeter and being a special teams ace. Janneh is considered one of the best blocking receivers in the country. His overall PFF grade of 62.7 displays this the best.

Janneh does anything that is required of him and that will make the team better. Georgia Tech had so much confidence in his abilities and leadership that he was named a team captain. A role he took to heart and always held himself and his teammates accountable. Janneh is a glue guy that is great in any locker room. He hit the transfer portal as a grad transfer after running out of eligibility with the Yellow Jackets and should be a coveted receiver who can add depth and leadership to a locker room.

Leo Blackburn and Christian Leary got stuck behind the rotation and hardly saw the field in 2024 which led them to enter the transfer portal in the winter window. They finished with a combined four catches for 51 yards. Leary finished his Georgia Tech career with 31 catches for 346 yards and three touchdowns. Blackburn finished with six catches for 105 yards in his Yellow Jacket career. True freshman Zion Taylor is a young player who will look to climb up the depth chart in the spring and summer of 2025.

Isaiah Canion is a player that the Yellow Jackets are high on especially moving into the future. It’s hard to replicate 6’4 and 210 pounds with the burst that he has when he catches the ball and moves up the field. He can be a 50/50 catch guy or explode for big YAC plays. Out of all the young receivers on the roster besides Bailey Stockton, he probably has the brightest future. He finished his freshman season with six catches for 83 yards.

Overall, there is a lot of promise for the wide receiver unit in 2025 especially after having a productive season in 2024. There will be some new faces in the lineup for the Yellow Jackets as well as familiar faces. Which young guy will step up the most next year remains to be seen and if the 2025 class will produce any instant impact players for the Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech on SI Grade: B

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