Georgia Tech's Initial Availability Report For Saturday vs NC State: Who's In and Who's Out?

Who is on the availability report for Georgia Tech?

Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets athletic director Ryan Alpert and head coach Brent Key celebrate after a victory over the Syracuse Orange at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 8 Georgia Tech is gearing up for its ACC road showdown with NC State on Saturday night and like every Thursday night, the initial availability report is out for the Yellow Jackets.

Who is in and who is out?

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) scores a touchdown against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

As Brent Key said at his press conference earlier today, Georgia Tech is going to be without CB Ahmari Harvey, DB Savion Riley, and LB Myles Forristall. DT Matthew Alexander and DB Jy Gilmore are going to be questionable, and offensive lineman Harrison Moore and wide receiver Malik Rutherford are going to be probable for this game.

DT Akelo Stone is going to be back for Georgia Tech this week, a huge addition for the Yellow Jackets.

First availability report for GT at NC State. GT is as Key stated this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/kZXnE8xSI0

— Kelly Quinlan (@Kelly_Quinlan) October 31, 2025

Georgia Tech might not have one of the elite defenses in the country, but they have a unit that is playing well together and improving. Today at his final press conference before Saturday, head coach Brent Key spent time talking about the growth of the defensive line this season how the secondary has performed while being banged up this season:

“I mean, it's something we've been working on a lot. I think everybody knows the work we've been putting in to get those, and whether it's uh you know individual techniques and strain and effort, or you know schematic things. At the end of the day, you have to be able to get sacks. It's not just about giving effort, it's about the second efforts and the third efforts and the strain. I mean, it's not easy to pass rush, and that's something that takes a lot out of those guys, especially when you're working bull rushes inside and different things. We've been able to be more effective with it.

We've been able to affect the quarterback. We've still got to improve it. We still have to improve our containment of the quarterback. We've worked really hard on that. Muddying up those gaps up front, and I've been I've been really pleased with those guys with their improvement, and I still feel like we have a long way can go. Akelo has been a real force with being out, you know couplegames. I think three games. I think production-wise for, you know, for a defensive tackle production wise with with pass rush sacks, TFLs, I think he's still one of the one of, if not the top of the top of the position right now. So excited that he's back. He's excited that he's back. He's been in such a great frame of mind this week, just knowing he's got a chance to come back. He said he was able to sit back and do a little reflecting when he's out, and sometimes that's really good for guys, really good. I'm expecting a really good game Saturday night from him.

The same guys that have been playing. I mean, we've been pretty good. Savion went down in the first game, so we didn't get much out of him, and he's getting close, guys, I mean, to being back. So he's out there starting to get reps now and do things, but the safeties have been pretty much the guys that they are.It's part of it's part of football part of the position. I mean, Ahmari will be down another week or so. And who else? You know, Rod (Rodney Shelley) has stepped up and had to play. We talked about him last week. Uh, Daiquan, you know, Dalen's right there. Dalen's right there on the cusp of being ready to play a lot of football for us. We started working with him in about a month ago on special teams, playing a lot of special teams.

Zach (Zachary Tobe) has been playing pretty solid out there. It's good when you usually don't call a corner's name. You know, corners and tackles, offensive tackles are like the same thing. I mean, out there on the islands, and if you're not calling their name, they're probably doing their job. We had a scare with him last week, and thank goodness he's good to go. Jon Mitchell is another one that's been getting a lot of valuable reps, learning from his mistakes, improving things. I mean, he's been a sure tackler for us when he's been out there. You know, he had a couple last week where he stuck his head where he shouldn't have, and the ball ends up spitting. But, you know, he'll learn from those things and continue to grow his a young redshirt freshman. I think, like I said on Tuesday, that's why we play a lot of guys early in the season. Um, a lot of guys are getting valuable reps and we're going to need all of them.”

Georgia Tech is going to face a potent NC State offense on Saturday and the defense will need to be ready.