Georgia Tech Football Fall Camp Preview: Tight Ends
Fall camp is rapidly approaching and the 2022 season is getting closer. I have been previewing the offense for Georgia Tech ahead of fall camp and have covered quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers so far. Today, I am going to be giving a look at the tight end position, which is going to be more prominent under new offensive coordinator Chip Long.
When Long was hired as the new coordinator, the first thought that I had was that Georgia Tech is going to be in a lot more 12 personnel (1 back, 2 tight ends) sets than they have been in a while. However, they were going to need more bodies to put at the position and the head coach Geoff Collins and his staff have been busy building depth and adding intriguing pieces there this offseason.
Georgia Tech tight end Dylan Leonard
The guy that is most likely to start at tight end is going to be Dylan Leonard. Leonard has spoken about how this new offense is tight-end friendly and how he thinks he and others are going to be making an impact on the offense under Long. He had 11 catches for 112 yards last season and I expect that number to go up quite a bit.
While Leonard is a returning player at the position, the other guys that are going to be playing alongside him are new. There is a clear vision that Long has for his tight ends this season at Tech and that is shown by who was brought in and by who switched positions.
Georgia Tech tight end Peje' Harris
Peje' Harris is a converted wide receiver and he is going to be an athletic option in the passing game for quarterback Jeff Sims. At 6-3 225 LBS, Harris is going to be used more in the passing game, but he has a good catch radius and has shown the ability to make tough grabs. Don't forget about Harris at the tight end position this year.
Georgia Tech tight end Luke Benson
One of two transfers that have been brought in, Syracuse transfer Luke Benson is hoping to make a leap forward in a better offense than when he was with the Orange. Benson played in most of his games while at Syracuse, but the Orange have struggled to throw the ball recently. He is a speedy player for a tight end and could be used as a vertical threat. He has not put up many numbers yet in his career, but he is a guy that I will be intrigued to hear about in fall camp.
Georgia Tech tight end E.J. Jenkins
The guy that I am most intrigued by is South Carolina transfer, E.J. Jenkins. He is an athletic player and a matchup nightmare at 6'7 243 LBS. Jenkins could be used out wide as a receiver and will be a terrific red zone threat. South Carolina had very poor quarterback play last season, which is one reason I don't think Jenkins flourished. In an offense like Long's, he could be a breakout star for Georgia Tech in 2022.
Some other guys to know are redshirt freshman Ben Postma, who was a three-star player in the 2021 class, and sophomore Billy Ward, a three-star player in the 2020 class. Neither guy has played much in their career, but could with a good fall camp. I don't expect to see them on the field much in 2022, however.
Overall, this is a group that I think got better through the additions in the portal and with Long coming in as the coordinator. It will be interesting to see the different combinations used throughout the games this season and how these guys are used
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