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Three Takeaways From Georgia Tech's 2024 Spring Game
It was a beautiful day at Bobby Dodd Stadium today for Georgia Tech's Annual White and Gold Spring Game and there was no shortage of players who shined today for the Yellow Jackets.
Team Swarm faced Team Wreck'Em and it was Team Swarm that came away with the win 27-24. Georgia Tech was able to get everyone on the field today and there were plays made by both the offense and the defense.
For the Yellow Jackets, they will head into the summer continuing to work on getting ready for their big season opener in August against Florida State. This team showed today it could be a special season on The Flats, but there is still a lot of work to be done in order to make that happen.
Here are my three biggest takeaways from today's game.
1. The wide receiver room is really deep
This was something that most Georgia Tech fans thought already, but the depth was really on display today. Eric Singleton and Malik Rutherford both made plays, but there were some guys getting their first chance to shine today and they took full advantage.
Chris Elko caught four passes for 136 yards, including the Hail Mary at the end of the first half. Brent Key has said that Elko has had a great spring and he was making plays consistently today.
He was not the only one though. Bailey Stockton caught three passes for 93 yards, including a 52-yarder and redshirt freshman Zion Taylor caught three passes for 71 yards and one touchdown. With guys like Eric Singleton, Christian Leary, Malik Rutherford, and Leo Blackburn, Georgia Tech has to feel good about their depth at this position heading into the fall and these guys showed why today.
There are only so many snaps to go around, but the Yellow Jackets have to love the room they have built.
2. Jamal Haynes and Aidan Birr look primed for huge seasons...
Both guys play different positions, but both looked like they were in midseason form today and are primed for big 2024 seasons.
Haynes finished the day with 44 yards on six carries and only played at the beginning, but that was all he needed. He ran for a touchdown on the opening drive, showed his quick-cutting ability, and made plenty of defenders miss. He was fantastic during his brief stint today and I would suggest buying stock in Haynes for this season.
Aidan Birr also looked like he is ready for a big season and that is what hitting a 62-yard field goal will do for you. Birr took over and became one of the most consistent kickers in the ACC last year and today showed what type of season might be in store for him.
3. There were some defensive playmakers out there today...
Georgia Tech had one of the worst defenses in the country last season and Brent Key responded by overhauling the defensive staff and bringing in some transfers to try and help fix that side of the ball. Today did not answer every question, but there were encouraging performances.
The linebackers stood out to me in this game. There were a few missed tackles, but overall, I thought their run fits were sound and they made plays. Hamilton, Butler, and Efford each had four tackles and Lightsey had three. Georgia Tech has been looking for guys to step up alongside Efford this spring and all of these guys looked good today.
Warren Burrell has been competing for the starting job opposite of Ahmari Harvey and he showed why the coaches have been so impressed with him this spring. Warren had an interception in the endzone, as well as a pass breakup. The stats don't paint the full picture though. He was really sound in coverage and showed he might be a huge factor for Georgia Tech this fall.
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