One Georgia Tech Football Position Battle That Has Already Taken an Interesting Turn

While there was expected to be plenty of competition along the offensive line during Georgia Tech's fall camp, this position battle is a bit of a surprise

Sep 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sidelines against the Temple Owls in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are a number of position battles going on for Georgia Tech during fall camp. This is a team that has a lot of new faces on its roster, and the next three weeks are going to be about figuring out who belongs where before the Yellow Jackets face Colorado on Sept. 3rd.

Everyone knew that there were going to be battles along the offensive line this fall due to Keylan Rutledge (NFL), Joe Fusile (out of eligibility), Harrison Moore (transfer portal), and Tana Alo-Tupuola (transfer portal) all being gone. Georgia Tech brought in just two transfers up front this offseason (Joseph Ionata-Alabama, Markell Samuel-Oklahoma State), and Ionata is already in a strong position to be the starting center for the Yellow Jackets this fall.

Left guard and right tackle were the positions thought to be up for grabs, with last year's starting right tackle Malachi Carney moving to right guard and assuming the starting position there. However, he might not be a shoo-in for this spot because of an ongoing competition with Samuel

Samuel pushing for spot

Oct 11, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offensive lineman Malachi Carney (72) celebrates after a victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The position battle that was a bit unexpected this fall was the one that is ongoing between Carney and Samuel and according to Key, this is a legtimate battle:

"At right guard, Markell (Samuel) and Malachi (Carney), that's going to be a battle. It really is. You talk about a welcome addition now. Markell coming in and being healthy now. He's played, towards the end of spring, played really, really good football. I don't care how many games you've started. Nothing's given when you walk back out there, guys. And then Jameson (Riggs), who had a really good spring, is also working now. Jameson is working right. We've always got Malachi who played pretty good football for us last year now. He can play right tackle."

In 768 snaps last season, Carney finished with a 67.9 grade, including a 72.1 pass-blocking grade. He is the highest-graded returner up front for Georgia Tech.

So what if Samuel beats out Carney for the right guard spot?

I think that could signal a move back to right tackle for Carney, where either he or Jameson Riggs would start. Carney has the experience edge and was a good player for the Yellow Jackets last fall, but they love the young potential of Riggs, who has been developing well over the past couple of seasons and is now ready to challenge for a starting role.

When you look at the rest of the offensive line, Ethan Mackenny is going to be one of the leaders up front heading into his fourth season and will be the Yellow Jackets' starting left tackle. Ionata is going to be at center, and it seems like Kevin Peay Jr has the inside track to be the starter at left guard.

One player that also got a lot of attention from Key this week was Jordan Floyd, who is also heading into his third season. I think Floyd is more than likely going to be a backup this season, but fall camp is the time to push for a job.

This position battle will have huge ramifications for how the starting five is going to look for Georgia Tech against the Buffaloes, no matter who wins. Keep a close eye in the coming weeks on how this devleops.