Back in May, I wrote that Georgia Tech might be the most underrated team in the country heading into the 2024 season, and I’m not the only one who thinks the Yellow Jackets could be a hot prospect this season. PFF’s Dalton Wasserman has Georgia Tech as one of the most underrated teams heading into next season, along with Arizona, Indiana, and Kansas. This is good company to be in, as Arizona and Kansas are considered among the top teams in the Big 12 this season, which means they’re College Football Playoff contenders.
The most underrated team in college football
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— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 14, 2024
I think the Yellow Jackets have the potential to surprise many despite having one of the toughest schedules in the country. Georgia Tech returns most of the ACC’s best offensive line and the nation’s top rushing attack. Quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes, a deep wide receiver corps led by Eric Singleton Jr., and an offensive line that helped the Yellow Jackets field one of the top rushing attacks in the ACC return the majority of the snaps. The defense was one of the worst in the country last season, but Brent Key has completely revamped the defense and is looking to turn it around in a big way defensively.
King is one of just two players in the nation (tied with LSU’s Jayden Daniels) with 2,700-plus passing yards, 600-plus rushing yards, 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. 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.
Haynes had a great season last year. He switched from wide receiver to running back during fall camp and it 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 six yards per carry, second on the team. 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, with a 76.9 grade, and looks poised for 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.
PFF isn’t the only one who thinks Georgia Tech is underrated: During an episode of Late Kick, Pate called the Yellow Jackets one of the most underrated teams in the country coming into the year.
“I would say Georgia Tech is a little bit underrated as well. The difference with Georgia Tech is their schedule is a lot tougher. I’m not going to lie. They play Georgia every year. They were 7-5 last year with 5.5 wins, but I think that’s mostly because of the tough games. They still have Haynes King at quarterback. Their offense is in the top 10 this year with the guys that are returning. They have a great wide receiver corps. Their defense was bad last year, I think they were 123rd in yards allowed last year, but they revamped their defensive staff, they revamped their defensive roster. They’re the opposite of Nebraska, and if they play a C+ or B- defense, they should be able to win 5.5 or more games.”
Georgia Tech is going to have to win everything this season, but I think their record at the end of the year may surprise a lot of people.
