For the first time in program history, Georgia Tech will take on Georgia State on the football field. While the two teams have met in other sports, this will be their first time meeting on the football field this August.
It will be the Panthers’ first game of the season, while Georgia Tech is returning from the Irish after their Week 0 matchup against Florida State.
There’s a lot more interesting story to this game than you might think. It’s the first meeting between these two teams and the debut for Georgia State’s new head coach, Del McGehee. There are also former players on both teams. Former Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Gibson and cornerback Kenyatta Watson II will play for the Panthers, while former Georgia State defensive tackle Thomas Gore will play for the Yellow Jackets. Georgia Tech is the overwhelming favorite at Caesars Sportsbook to win this game. Former Georgia Tech co-defensive coordinator Kevin Scherrer will lead the Panthers’ defense, and former offensive coordinator Trent McKnight now coaches the receivers at Georgia Tech. Georgia State has added 32 transfers this offseason, so it will be interesting to see how they fare.
While the match may still be around two and a half months away, here’s an early preview of what the matchup between these two teams might look like.
Georgia Tech Offense vs Georgia State Defense
Georgia Tech’s offense was one of the best in the ACC last season and should be poised to get off to a strong start in 2024.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is one of only two players in the nation (joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels) with 2,700+ passing yards, 600+ rushing yards, 25+ touchdown passes and five+ rushing touchdowns this season, and one of only six ACC players since 2000 to achieve those numbers in a regular season. King led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards. With one more season at the Flats, King could be the best quarterback in the conference this year. One reason to bet on the Yellow Jackets is that they may have the best quarterback on the field against many opponents. King has been good, but he has had issues with turnovers and will not be effective against a talented team like Florida State.
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 can also 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.
Georgia State wasn’t a very good defense last season, ranking 113th in scoring defense, 50th in rushing defense, 125th in pass defense and 113th in total defense. Former Georgia Tech co-defensive coordinator Kevin Scherrer will lead the defense and be tasked with turning things around.
Henry Bryant III and Anthony Bloom led the Panthers’ defensive line, combining for five sacks last season. McGee also added transfers, including Victor Brown (Louisville), KD McDaniel (California), Da’Quarrys Brown, Dorian Royal (Maine), Sir Mels (Utah State), Cam Williams (Jacksonville State) and Christian Lorenzo (Illinois).
The linebackers have experience, with Justin Abraham returning as the team’s leading tackler, Kevin Swint and Josiah Robinson both playing last year, and transfers Martez Thrower (Kentucky), Javen Hall (Marshall), Daniel Heimuli (Arizona) and Xavier Robinson all provide depth and could compete for playing time with Abraham, who looks to be one of the surest names on this defense.
Gavin Pringle had four interceptions last season and will be a player to watch. Ronald Cooper, Texas A&M transfer Sam McCall and Watson should also be candidates. Connecticut transfer Moumu Bin Wahad, Jamarrick Morris (UCF) and Jayron Gilmore (Tennessee Tech) are also names to watch. Safety Jeremiah Johnson had 74 tackles and two interceptions last season.
Georgia State Offense vs Georgia Tech Defense
Georgia Tech is bringing in a number of transfer students at the quarterback position and is hoping one of them will stand out. Gibson, Pittsburgh transfer Christian Bayux and MTSU transfer Kyle Rowe will likely compete for the quarterback position.
CJ Beasley rushed for over 1,000 yards last season while at Coastal Carolina and could be the Panthers’ go-to tailback this year, with transfers Domonique Thomas (Clemson), Shiv’on Wilkerson (Colorado) and Kyle Ford (Tulsa) also being considered candidates.
At wide receiver, Kadarius Thompson and Jacise Credle are the top two returning players at the position, but they also added a transfer in Ted Hurst (Valdosta State). They haven’t added many transfers at the position, which may be a sign that McGehee is happy with the roster here. Georgia State has had success recruiting and developing players in the past, but they are missing some of the better weapons that were missing from last year’s team.
New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci is looking to rebuild Georgia Tech’s defense this season to help it compete in the ACC. 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.
Georgia Tech’s defensive line may be the biggest question mark, especially on the defensive end. On the interior, Zeke Biggers, Miami/Georgia State transfer Thomas Gore, Penn State transfer Jordan Van den Berg and Horace Lockett have potential, but does Georgia Tech have enough power at the edge rusher position? USC transfer Romero Height could help, but Georgia Tech needs this unit to perform.
At linebacker, Kyle Efford will look to lead a group that includes veteran starter Tre’Niulious Tatum, Georgia transfer EJ Lightsey, Louisville transfer Jackson Hamilton and freshman Taj Butler.
Georgia Tech returns a strong safety duo in LaMyles Brooks and Clayton Powell Lee, and Ahmari Harvey could have a breakout season in 2024. The biggest question in the secondary is who will start at corner opposite Harvey, with Tennessee transfer Warren Burrell likely be the favorite on the outside and Rhode Island transfers Saeed Gibbs and Rodney Shelley potentially at nickel.
overview
There is no question which team is better on paper and the odds for the game reflect that. Are the Panthers ready to take on the Yellow Jackets in this game? We’ll see, but on paper I think Georgia Tech is a lot better and their offense should score a lot of points. What I’m interested in is how Georgia Tech plays after the Irish game, win or lose. If they win, can they embrace the success of beating Florida State and focus on the next week? If they lose, can they forget about that loss and focus on beating Georgia State? This team lost to Bowling Green as a heavy favorite last year, so they need to prove they can hold up as a heavy favorite. This is one of the easiest games for Georgia Tech on paper, but they need to prove they can hold up.
