Post-Spring Two-Deep Depth Chart Projection For Georgia Tech's Offense
Spring practice ended a few weeks ago for the Yellow Jackets, but then the transfer portal opened up and there was a lot of movement. With the portal now closed, it now makes projecting a depth chart for the Georgia Tech offense.
Even before the portal window, projecting Georgia Tech's offensive depth chart was not a huge task. They are bringing back most of their starters from one of the ACC's best offenses and they hope to be even better than they were in 2023.
With that being said, let's take a look at what the offense might look like for Georgia Tech in 2024.
Note: This is just a projection
Quarterback
1. Haynes King
2. Zach Pyron
This is as much of a no-brainer as it gets next year. King is one of the top returning quarterbacks in the ACC and is looking to build on his impressive 2023 season.
King finished the season with 2,842 passing yards, 737 rushing yards, 27 touchdown passes, and 10 touchdown runs. Since 2000, the only other ACC quarterbacks that have had at least those same numbers in a season are Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (2016 and 2017), Virginia Tech’s Jerod Evans (2016), and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (2015).
King set a new Georgia Tech single-season record with 37 touchdowns responsible for, breaking the previous record of 35 set by Joe Hamilton in 1999.
He also set a new Georgia Tech single-season record with 37 touchdowns responsible for, breaking the previous record of 35 set by Joe Hamilton in 1999.
Zach Pyron had a really impressive spring and showed his talents in the spring game. He is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league provides valuable depth at the most important position.
Running Back
1. Jamal Haynes
2. Trey Cooley
Haynes finished the season with 1,059 rushing yards, good for the first 1,000-yard rushing season by a Yellow Jacket since QB Ta’Quon Marshall (1,146) and RB KirVonte Benson (1,053) both went over the 1,000-yard mark in 2017. Haynes’ 1,059 rushing yards are the 15th-most in Georgia Tech's single-season history. After converting to running back from the wide receiver position, Haynes emerged as one of the ACC's best running backs.
The No. 2 running back spot is a bit of a mystery right now. Trey Cooley, Anthony Carrie, Evan Dickens, and others are vying for that spot, but nobody really seemed to seperate in the spring game. They have talent, but it will be worth watching this season to see how it is managed.
Wide Receiver
Z Receiver:
1. Eric Singleton Jr
2. Leo Blackburn
F Receiver:
1. Malik Rutherford
2. Christian Leary
X Receiver:
1. Chase Lane
2. Abdul Janneh
The depth and the talent at this position was on full display in the spring game and there are other guys that could help make an impact. Just because someone is listed as a backup here does not mean they won't play plenty. That is how deep this position is.
Singleton Jr was in the running for offensive rookie of the year and he finished second. NC State wide receiver Kevin "KC" Concepcion was awarded the Rookie of the Year.
Singleton continued to garner recognition and was named to the 247Sports True Freshman All-American Team as well.
Here is what 247Sports Analyst Chris Hummer had to say about the season that Singleton had:
"Georgia Tech had one of college football’s biggest offensive jumps this year, moving from 115th to 28th from 2022-23 in average yards per play. Singleton was a huge reason why. The Douglasville, Georgia, native led the Yellow Jackets in catches (47), yards (706) and touchdowns (six), emerging as the program’s most productive receiver since Stephen Hill in 2011."
Malik Rutherford was the second-leading receiver for Georgia Tech. He caught 46 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 10.9 yards per catch. His biggest performance came in Georgia Tech's big win over North Carolina. Rutherford caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Christian Leary was the fourth-leading receiver for Georgia Tech this season, catching 25 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, while also returning kickoffs. He was also responsible for the biggest play of the season for Georgia Tech against Miami.
Lane battled injuries in 2023 but showed early in the season he could be a difference-maker.
The biggest difference maker for this group could turn out to be Leo Blackburn. Blackburn possesses a combination of size and athleticism that Georgia Tech was missing last year and if he stays healthy, he could improve this offense and make the passing attack more explosive.
There are other names to know from the spring. Redshirt freshman Zion Taylor was very impressive during the spring game and is a talented player. Abdul Janneh, Bailey Stockton, Chris Elko, Avery Boyd, and Isiah Canion all have talent and Stockton and Elko showed out in the spring game. This is the deepest position on the team and there are a number of guys who could make an impact.
Tight End
1. Brett Seither, Jackson Hawes, Or Ryland Goede
Dylan Leonard and Luke Benson just signed as undrafted free agents after the 2024 NFL Draft, leaving Georgia Tech with a question mark at the position.
After spring, there is still a bit of a question mark. Goede caught three passes for 25 yards, but no other tight end caught a pass. Brent Key praised Jackson Hawes consistently this spring as a big body who can catch the ball over the middle and be a redzone threat. Seither made some big plays in the passing game and can be a threat for the position. One name to watch will be freshman Luke Harpring, Georgia Tech's highest-rated signee in the 2024 class according to 247Sports. He was not an early enrollee, but could find a way to get on the field.
Offensive Line
Left Tackle
1. Ethan Mackenny or Corey Robinson II
Left Guard
1. Joe Fusile
2. Brandon Best
Center
1. Weston Franklin
2. Tana Alo-Tupuola
Right Guard
1. Keylan Rutledge
2. Benjamin Galloway
Right Tackle
1. Jordan Williams
2. Harrison Moore
This was one of the best offensive lines in the ACC last season and they could have another leap in them this year. They return most of the meaningful snaps from last year, but are having to replace a starter at right guard.
Connor Scaglione is gone and the Yellow Jackets brought in MTSU transfer Keylan Rutledge through the transfer portal. Rutledge was not able to practice this spring, but all signs are that he will be good to go this season and I still think he ends up taking the right guard spot.
"The starting five - left tackle Ethan Mackenny, left guard Joe Fusile, center Weston Franklin, right guard Connor Scaglione, and right tackle Jordan Williams - changed the narrative in 2023. Per PFF, their 64.0 pass-blocking grade and 59.4 run-blocking grade denoted them as an average unit with a reliable baseline.
On the ground, they opened running lanes that helped the Jackets lead the ACC in rushing offense with 197.1 yards per game. Starting running back Jamal Haynes was top-five in the ACC for both yards and yards per carry. Their performance in the ground game was one of the most consistent aspects of the season for the Yellow Jackets. Even against Georgia's defensive line, they were able to open up holes and keep the backs clean. Haynes had 5.4 yards per carry in the game and based on their 2023 performance, the Jackets should be able to run against any defensive line they encounter.
When quarterback Haynes King dropped back to pass, the line was able to keep him relatively clean. Their 1.25 sacks conceded per game was second in the ACC and 20th nationally. They allowed King to throw for the second-most passing touchdowns (26) and fourth-most passing yards (2755) while racking up the second-most offensive yardage (3403) in Georgia Tech history. However, this unit was much more of a mixed bag in pass protection. King had to use his legs quite a bit to escape from pressure and the youth of the left side definitely showed at times."
Either Mackenny or Robinson will start at left tackle, but freshman Jameson Riggs did get reps there in the spring while Mackenny played right guard in the spring game. Other young freshmen could be key depth pieces as well. Harrison Moore and Tana Alo-Tupuola have a chance to be backups already and were praised by Key and offensive line coach Geep Wade this spring.
The starters should be among the ACC's best, but the depth is unproven, but talented.
JACKSON CAUDELL
Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation