Last season, Georgia Tech needed to beat Syracuse to earn its first bowl appearance in five seasons. The Orange were undermanned (especially at quarterback) and Georgia Tech won 31-22.
Though the game just ended, this Syracuse team will be much different than the one Georgia Tech saw in late November. Syracuse fired Dino Babers and hired Georgia secondary coach Fran Brown as its new head coach, overhauling the team and bringing in many new faces, much like Del McGee and Georgia State. This will be Georgia Tech's second straight game against a brand new coach and will be the first real test for Brown and his new-look team.
This is just the fourth meeting between the two schools since Syracuse joined the ACC, with the Yellow Jackets leading the all-time record 4-1.
Here's a quick early look at how these teams will match up on September 7th.
Syracuse offense vs Georgia Tech defense
Jeff Nixon is the Orange's new offensive coordinator, and Syracuse has turned to former Ohio State starting quarterback Kyle McCord to helm the team as they look to rebuild their passing attack. Despite season-ending injuries and a premature season-ending injury to star tight end Oronde Gadsden being a big factor, Syracuse's passing game ranked 114th in the country.
McCord was good as a starter for the Buckeyes, but not the best. That's the norm in Columbus. McCord ended up in the transfer portal and joined Brown. He'll be the sure thing starter this season. He threw three times last season for 174 yards with 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. The passing attack should improve, but McCord doesn't have a proven playcaller like Ryan Day or the elite receiving talent like Ohio State had. He has a lot to prove this season, but he should be an upgrade.
The running game should be good with LeQuinte Allen leading the way, who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and should be a mainstay in the backfield, and Washington transfer Will Nixon is the man to watch.
There will be a lot of new faces at wide receiver. Gadsden II returns and should be an All-ACC selection if he stays healthy, but who else will the Orange have? Jackson Meeks and Zied Haynes transferred from Georgia with Brown and should see the field. Other names to watch are Colorado State transfers Justus Ross-Simmons, Trevor Peña and Darrell Gill Jr.
There are also question marks along the offensive line. Syracuse added Saveon Washington (Colorado), Cody Hornsby (Grambling State), Demetrius Weatherspoon (Howard) and Joshua Miller (Georgia) to give it some depth and competition. The rushing attack was solid last year, but some of those numbers may be exaggerated because the Orange had to run more without a healthy quarterback.
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.
These two units are a mystery heading into the season, and while some believe Georgia Tech has the better defense, they'll need to prove themselves in the first two games before heading to Syracuse. The Orange have talent, but question marks at nearly every level of their offense, and this will be their first real test of the season.
Georgia Tech offense vs Syracuse defense
Brown is a great defensive coach and the acquisition of former Texas A&M coach Elijah Robinson is a big win for Syracuse. With more talent and an upgraded coaching staff this season, Syracuse could take a big step forward defensively.
Fadil Diggs, a transfer from Texas A&M, should help provide a pass rush for a team that struggled with it last year. James Hurd, a transfer from West Virginia, should also make an impact. Deion Wilson Jr. (New Mexico State) and Isaiah Hastings (Alabama) will likely get plenty of playing time on the interior. King Joseph Edwards and Rashard Perry are two other names to keep an eye on.
Marlow Wax is back at the heart of the defense after recording over 100 stops last season at Syracuse. Derek McDonald and Anwar Sparrow are likely to be the other two starters at linebacker. Brown didn't bring in any transfer students at the linebacker position, which is a sign he likes the players he has there.
The secondary could be really good. Jaeden Gold, Jaeden Bellamy, Alijah Clark and Greg Delane all return, and Syracuse added depth and experience with the additions of Marcus Washington (Georgia and Louisville), Clarence Lewis (Notre Dame), Deuce Chestnut (Louisiana State) and Devin Grant (Buffalo). This could be the best unit on defense.
But Syracuse's new defense will be tested by one of the ACC's best offenses.
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.
overview
This should be an interesting matchup. This will be the first real test for the new Syracuse team. They have improved talent in some areas, but still have some unproven areas. I think the Orange are the better team on paper, but it may take a few weeks for them to gel as a unit. Still, this game is at home and there are still a lot of question marks about Georgia Tech's defense. I expect this to be a close game.
