Three Georgia Tech Players To Watch On Saturday Against Virginia Tech

These players will have a big impact on the game on Saturday

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (1) runs the ball against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech prepares for Virginia Tech this upcoming week and looks to remain undefeated in ACC play. In order to do that, they will need big performances from a few players to get a win on Saturday. Let’s take a look at some players to watch.

RB Jamal Haynes

Haynes dealt with a little bit of a tweak a few weeks ago in pregame warmups, going up against Wake Forest. He wasn’t as explosive as he typically is and was limited to 21 yards, a season-low. I expect Haynes to bounce back in a major way in the upcoming game against Virginia Tech. He’s helped lead a top 20 rushing attack with 311 rushing yards and three touchdowns, and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. His offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, talked last week about how to get him going.

“Yeah, that goes back to what you had asked earlier, actually. You know, the way people are playing us, and they're forcing the quarterback to run it more. You know, Jamal is a guy that we have to get going for us to be explosive, and we know that. So that's why I mentioned that this bye week comes at a great time. You know, I think he was a little, you know, a little banged up last week going into the game. Just not banged up, but tired. You know, he's had a lot of carries. It's been a long, you know, camp and four games,” said offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

“We know that he's better when he's fresh, right? You can kind of look at his history. When he's fresh and fast, he's a lot more productive. So that's some of it. The other part is us designing things that can get him, you know, in space to get him going. We try to get him involved in the passing game as well. You know, that can get him in space and may not have as many carries. The other day, I think it was five catches he had, and gave Wake Forest a lot of credit. They made a lot of open-field tackles.”

2. WR Isiah Canion

Sep 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Isiah Canion (4) runs past Clemson Tigers safety Ricardo Jones (6) after a catch in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Canion is continuing to emerge as a guy on offense for the Yellow Jackets this season and is taking a big step forward. He had one of his best games of the season against Wake Forest in the last game, finishing with four catches for 70 yards. On the season, he has 15 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia Tech has been looking to get the passing game more consistent and hit on more of those explosives. We saw a good bit of it in the second half against Wake Forest with Canion being more involved. He could be a key component to unlocking Georgia Tech and is due for his first 100-yard game. Faulkner talked about his play this season.

“That's probably no surprise at all because we've seen it, and just whether he was going to carry it into games. We're excited about his future. I mean, the guy's getting better and better every week, and that's showing up on film. You guys can see that. His confidence is getting through the roof. He had the one drop the other day, but he plays so fast, and he's big. He's a guy that we need to continue to play at the level that he's playing at and even take it a step further. The thing about Isiah is he's ultra-competitive and wants to be better, wants to be coached, loves getting coached hard. He's getting better at practice every day. We're just fortunate we have him.”

3. EDGE Amontrae Bradford

To be frank, Bradford needs to see more time on the field. He has been good in his snaps and is having an effect in defending the run, setting the edge, and creating pressure on the quarterback. He was the second-highest graded defender with a 71.3 grade against Wake Forest on just 18 snaps. He was efficient in stopping the run and making plays in the backfield. He’s been putting up elite PFF (Pro Football Focus) numbers all week. He had one of his best grades of the season against Gardner-Webb, posting a 93.2 overall grade on 24 snaps. What was most impressive was his pass-rushing grade of 92.0. He’s been playing at a high level all season and could become a huge difference-maker as the season progresses. His head coach talked about his play and how he has been coming along.  

"Yeah, a lot of those guys, or those young guys on the D-line, are really coming around. I mean, Amontrae looks like he was chiseled out of a Greek god. I mean, he's 6’5", He's long, 255 pounds. He can run like a deer, and every time he's able to get on the field and compete like that, he's going to get better and better and better and better,” said Key.

These will be some key players to watch on Saturday who should have a big impact on the game.