Georgia Tech Football Potential Breakout Candidates: Wide Receiver

Who will step up at wide receiver for the Yellow Jackets in 2023?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Updated:
Jun 5, 2023 8:27 AM EDT
Original:
Jun 2, 2023

In this story:

I have said it a lot this offseason, but the Georgia Tech wide receiver room is undergoing a lot of change. Guys like E.J. Jenkins and Malachi Carter are now in the NFL and others like Nate McCollum, Ryan King, and Kalani Norris entered the transfer portal. The Yellow Jackets also brought in four transfers at the position. It is safe to say that this position has undergone as much change as any this offseason.

Wide receiver has become a premium position in football and having a strong and deep group will give any offense a chance to be successful.

I have been picking breakout candidates for each position and have already discussed quarterback and running back. Today, I am going to look at who could be the breakout star for the wide receiver position.

Who will be Georgia Tech's breakout player at wide receiver in 2023?

There is no shortage of receivers to choose from to breakout this season for Georgia Tech. In fact, they are going to need multiple guys to have a breakout season.

The guy I feel is in for a big season is Malik Rutherford, who gave a preview of the kind of season that he might be in for during the spring game.

Rutherford is actually the returning leader in receiving yards for Georgia Tech ahead of this season. In the spring game, he appeared to be the No. 1 target for the quarterbacks and he showcased his speed and game-breaking ability throughout the game.

Rutherford finished the day with seven catches for 154 yards, including a 64-yard catch. He was great after the catch and found a way to make guys miss. The highlight of the day for Rutherford came when he reversed his field and scored a touchdown while making plenty of defenders miss.

This offense needs to be better at creating explosive plays down the field this season and I think Rutherford is going to be a big part of that.

Not only do I think Rutherford is going to be a breakout star, but head coach Brent Key and wide receivers coach Josh Craword heaped praise on him during the spring.

Here is how Key described Rutherford and what makes him special:

"Malik is a guy that really started coming on at the end of the season and if you go back and look at some games at the end of the season and the things that he was doing in a little more limited role, he was someone who really caught our attention then. His love for the game and the energy that he brings, all 150 LBS in his body is full of energy, they really are and he plays like he is 190-200 LBS, he is tough and not afraid to get in there and do the dirty stuff and block and his personality is infectious and he elevates the play of others around him because he has so much energy and he loves playing football.

At the end of the day it is still a game. It is a hard game to go out and practice every day but it is a game and when you can take the qualities of your football team and you can work and prepare every day for the toughness that you have to, the physical toughness, the mental toughness, have the discipline, but still go out there and have fun, that is when you have a chance to do something really good."

Crawford said similar things this spring:

"There is no question that the kid is really special and he is electric and here is the thing... what makes him great on the field is his off-the-field. Great kid, he practices hard every day, tough, just never hurt, he is always available. He ca run a thousand reps in practice and never get tired. All of that also translates into him being a really good football player on top of that so he has God-given talent and ability and he has the intangibles that go along with it so we are excited.

He is a guy that has shown the ability to being able to handle playing multiple positions, very savvy route-runner, picks up everything and a smart player so he is creating value for himself because he is a good player in his own right and he can also play multiple positions so he has been someone that I have been really pleased with."

I think what makes Rutherford a good candidate for a big season is his ability to be used all over the field. He was put in motion and moved across formations often and I think new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner will use Malik in many different ways this season.

Every offense needs a game-breaker and a threat that every defense must be aware of. The new-look Georgia Tech receiving corps might have their guy in Rutherford.

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