Georgia Tech Releases Its Depth Chart Ahead of Pop Tarts Bowl vs BYU

How does the Georgia Tech depth chart look heading into the game vs BYU?

Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Game week is finally here.

Georgia Tech has been busy preparing for its matchup against No. 12 BYU in the Pop Tarts Bowl, and they have already arrived in Orlando this week to face the Cougars. This is going to be one of the best non-playoff bowl matchups and one of the few bowl matchups between ranked teams.

Ahead of this Saturday's game, Georgia Tech has released its depth chart. Notably, Aaron Philo is not listed, as he announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal last week.

Offense

Position	Starter	Backup
QB	Haynes King	Graham Knowles
RB	Jamal Haynes	Malachi Hosley or Trelain Maddox or Chad Alexander
WR	Eric Rivers	Zion Taylor Or Debron Gatling
WR	Malik Rutherford	Bailey Stockton or Jordan Allen
WR	Isiah Canion	Dean Patterson
TE	J.T. Byrne or Luke Harpring or Brett Seither or Josh Beetham
LT	Ethan Mackenny	Josh Petty
LG	Joe Fusile	Kevin Peay Jr
C	Harrison Moore	Jameson Riggs
RG	Keylan Rutledge	Will Reed
RT	Malachi Carney	Jameson Riggs or Josh Petty

Defense

Position	Starter	Backup
End	AJ Hoffler	Ronald Triplette or Christian Garrett or Andre Fuller
Nose	Akelo Stone or Matthew Alexander	Landen Marshall
Tackle	Jordan Van Den Berg	Jason Moore or Shymeik Jones
Rush	Brayden Manley	Jordan Boyd or Amontrae Bradford
Linebacker	Kyle Efford	Cayman Spaulding
Linebacker	E.J. Lightsey	Tah'j Butler
Nickel	Kelvin Hill	Will Kiker
Strong Safety	Clayton Powell-Lee	Tae Harris or D.J. Moore
Free Safety	Omar Daniels or Savion Riley
Cornerback	Ahmari Harvey	Daiquan White or Jon Mitchell
Cornerback	Rodney Shelley	Zachary Tobe

Special Teams

Position	Starter	Backup
K	Aidan Birr	Landon Shaffer
P	Marshall Nichols	Joshua Taylor
Long Snapper	Ronnie Thomas	Joseph Stoever
Kick Returner	Daylon Gordon and Shane Marshall
Punt Returner	Eric Rivers or Bailey Stockton	Jamal Haynes

Big Matchup

Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (1) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The bowl appearance is Georgia Tech’s third-straight and 48th all-time. The Yellow Jackets’ 48 bowl appearances are the 14th-most in college football history. Tech is making its third-consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since 2012-14. The Jackets are also tied for 13th all-time with 26 bowl/playoff victories and are 12th in NCAA Division I FBS history with a .553 postseason winning percentage (26-21).

Georgia Tech (9-3, 6-2 ACC) brings its best regular-season record since 2014 into the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The nine-win regular season is only the 16th in Tech’s 133-year football history.

BYU is 11-2 overall, with both of its defeats coming at the hands of No. 4 Texas Tech (once in the regular season and once in Saturday’s Big XII championship game).

The matchup is Georgia Tech’s first ranked-vs.-ranked bowl showdown since the No. 10/9 Yellow Jackets defeated No. 8 Mississippi State, 49-34, in the 2014 Orange Bowl.

Georgia Tech is making its third appearance in the game now known as the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Yellow Jackets are 2-0 in the bowl, having defeated West Virginia, 35-30, in 1997 when it was known as the Carquest Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., and routed Syracuse, 51-14, when it was known as the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

It will be the Jackets’ third all-time bowl appearance in the stadium now known as Camping World Stadium, as they topped Nebraska, 45-21, in the Florida Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 1991, to clinch the 1990 national championship, when the stadium was called the Florida Citrus Bowl.

This is going to be a great matchup of two teams that have similar identities when it comes to wanting to be physical on the lines of scrimmage and running the football. Expect a great matchup next Saturday in one of the year's premier bowl games.