Last season, Georgia Tech went to a bowl game for the first time since 2018 and won a bowl game for the first time since 2016. It was a truly impressive first season under head coach Brent Key. Georgia Tech now has its sights set on getting back to a bowl game and going even further. The Yellow Jackets have one of the toughest schedules in the country heading into the 2024 season, so it will be a tough challenge, but they return most of the starters from one of the top offensive lines in the country and if their defense improves, they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the ACC.
South Florida is one of the strongest teams in the group of five conferences this season and has a shot at a playoff spot. The top-rated champion from the five conferences will play in the new 12-team College Football Playoff, and that champion could be the Bulls. They’ve made big strides in head coach Alex Goresh’s first season and should have one of the best offenses in the country. USF finished fifth in the AAC last season and should be one of the favorites to win the conference.
While it may still be too early to make bowl predictions, some outlets, such as Athlon Sports, have begun to make some announcements. The first bowl predictions for 2024 have Georgia Tech facing South Florida in the Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park in Boston.
Although both teams will be hoping to better position themselves for the postseason, this bowl game will be pretty entertaining and could turn into a high-scoring shootout.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is one of just two players in the nation (joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels) with over 2,700 yards passing, 600 yards rushing, 25 touchdown passes and five touchdown runs this season, and is one of just six ACC players to achieve those numbers in a regular season since 2000. King led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards. King returns for one more season at the Flats and could be the best quarterback in the conference this year. One reason to root for the Yellow Jackets is that they may have the best quarterback on the field against many opponents.
Jamal Haynes had a great season last year. He made the switch from wide receiver to running back during fall camp, and the move paid off. Haynes earned All-ACC honors as a running back (third team) and was named an honorable mention All-Purpose performer. He led Georgia Tech with 1,059 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and a team-second-best six yards per carry. Those numbers were fifth in the ACC in rushing yards, he was tied for sixth in the conference with seven rushing touchdowns, and his 6.0 yards per carry was third in the league. Haynes had a strong performance in the bowl game against UCF, rushing 18 times for a game-high 128 yards. He also had a strong performance against the Georgia Bulldogs, rushing for 81 yards. Haynes is the second-highest rated player for the Yellow Jackets according to Pro Football Focus, earning a 76.9 grade and looks poised to have another big season in 2024. I think he’s going to have a big season, but he’s not getting the recognition he should be getting.
This will be one of the deepest wide receiver corps in the ACC, with several newcomers who could bolster this group.
Eric Singleton Jr. is the Yellow Jackets’ highest-rated player in the 2023 freshman class, according to 247Sports, and he looked like he had superstar potential last season.
Singleton Jr. ranks fourth among all freshman (true freshman or redshirt) in the nation in 2023 with 59.5 yards receiving per game and is tied for fourth nationally among true freshman with six touchdown receptions. His 714 yards receiving and six touchdown catches both rank in the top 10 in the entire Atlantic Coast Conference, and his six touchdown receptions are the second-most by a freshman in Georgia Tech history. Can he have an even better season in 2024? I think it certainly is possible, and the chemistry between him and King was evident last year.
Singleton isn’t the Yellow Jackets’ only dangerous receiver.
Malik Rutherford was Georgia Tech’s second-leading receiver. He caught 46 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.5 yards per catch. His biggest performance came in Georgia Tech’s blowout win over North Carolina, where Rutherford caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He’s a reliable player who can stretch the field with his speed, and he can get the ball in a variety of ways.
Christian Leary was Georgia Tech’s fourth-leading receiver this season, catching 25 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a kickoff return.
Chase Lane started the year well but injuries cost him time. If he can stay healthy, I think he’ll have a really good season in 2024. Abdul-Janneh, a transfer from Duquesne, had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll add depth to Georgia Tech next year.
Leo Blackburn is one of Georgia Tech’s biggest players at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and if he can stay healthy this season, he could add an entirely new element to the Yellow Jackets’ offense.
The offensive line will also be one of the best in the ACC.
In just one season, head coach Brent Key and first-year offensive line coach Jeep Wade have transformed Georgia Tech’s offensive line from its biggest weakness to arguably the best unit on the entire team. Georgia Tech has gone from being one of the worst rushing teams in the ACC to leading the league in rushing. For anyone who has looked at the 2022 line, it’s been a pretty surprising turnaround. The good news for the Yellow Jackets is that the offensive line returns four of its five starters and added an all-conference transfer in the offseason.
New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci is looking to rebuild Georgia Tech’s defense this season and make it ACC-ready. In his one season at Duke (2023), Santucci oversaw the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, good for 16th in the nation. The Blue Devils also ranked in the top 50 nationally in rush defense, pass defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and red zone defense. Duke allowed just 10 points combined in two wins over teams that finished the season in the top 25, No. 20 Clemson (28-7) and No. 21 North Carolina State (24-3), and improved to 8-5 overall with a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.
