Georgia Tech had a near-perfect debut under coach Brent Key.
Coaching in his first game since being promoted to full-time coach, Key led Georgia Tech to a game against Louisville at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and looked to be in top form. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, they lost a double-digit lead late in the game and missed out on the win against the Cardinals. Ultimately, the loss cost Georgia Tech a spot in the ACC title game. Had Georgia Tech won, Georgia Tech, Louisville and NC State would have all finished 6-2 in the conference and would have been in a three-way battle for a chance to face Florida State in the ACC Championship.
Georgia Tech will get a chance to face the Cardinals again in 2024, but will have to avenge last year's loss in a tougher environment. The Yellow Jackets travel to Louisville on Sept. 21 for their third ACC game in the first four weeks of the year.
The Cardinals had a great season in head coach Jeff Brohm's debut season, making it to the ACC Championship but falling short to Florida State. Coach Brohm is a great coach, but there will be a lot of new faces on this team. Still, don't write off the Cardinals in the race for the ACC title. Georgia Tech has some real game experience in this game, having already played Florida State and Syracuse. Louisville will play Austin Peay and Jacksonville State, then have a week off before playing the Yellow Jackets.
Let's get an early look at how these two will match up in Week 4.
Georgia Tech Offense vs Louisville Defense
I think these two units will be strengths for their respective teams in 2024 unless proven otherwise.
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.
Louisville's defense could be one of the best in the ACC this season, even without Tennessee transfer Tyler Barron. Ashton Girotto had 11 sacks last year and may be the front-runner for ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Brohm has also used transfers on the defensive line, with Tramell Logan (USF), Richard Kinley (Memphis), Rene Konga (Rutgers), Myles Jernigan (California) and Thor Griffith being candidates. Desmond Tell and Ramon Puryear are also players to watch.
The linebacker corps could be one of the best in the ACC this season, with TJ Quinn, Stankquan Clark and Benjamin Perry expected to be starters, and transfers Dan Foster (Texas State) and Juliente Davis (Texas A&M) adding depth and competition.
Quincy Riley is one of the best cornerbacks in the ACC and Devin Neal is a player to know at safety.Corey Thornton (UCF), Day McCullough (Oklahoma), Taveon Nicholson (Illinois), Tamrion McDonald (Tennessee), Wesley Walker (Tennessee), Tayon Holloway (UNC) and Blake Ruffin (Eastern Illinois) are transfers to watch.
This will be a matchup of the best vs the best, as both teams return a ton of proven playmakers and Louisville made some nice additions via the transfer portal, and only three teams scored more points against Louisville than Georgia Tech last year.
Georgia Tech Defense vs Louisville Offense
Brohm is a skilled play-caller on offense, but the Cardinals' offense will have a lot of new faces this season.
Former Oregon/Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shaw has been named the replacement for Jack Plummer, but while Shaw is talented, it's unclear if he's significantly better than Plummer.
Penny Boone, a transfer from Toledo, was expected to take over the Cardinals' backfield, but he entered the portal again and is headed to UCF. Maurice Turner and Don Chaney Jr., a transfer from Miami, are likely to be the top two backs. Both are talented, but neither has proven to be a high-level starter.
Chris Bell is the top receiver returning from Louisville and is a likely starter after rushing for over 400 yards last season, while Alabama transfer Jacory Brooks and South Alabama transfer Korin Lacey could also be big-time prospects in the future.
Mark Redman may be the starter at tight end, but Jaleel Skinner, a former highly touted rookie who transferred from Miami, will also be on the radar.
The offensive line will lose center Brian Hudson, but the front five should still be pretty solid. Michael Gonzalez is one of the best guards in the ACC, and Renato Brown will return from injury to play right guard. Yale transfer Jonathan Mendoza could be the front-runner to start at right tackle. Other notable transfers who will be joining the team this fall include Ruben Unije (Houston), Rasheed Miller (Georgia Southern), Monroe Mills (Texas Tech), Victor Cutler Jr. (Ohio State) and Pete Nygra (Northern Illinois).
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 their biggest question mark, especially at 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 will need production from this unit.
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:
The road game will be a test for Georgia Tech, but it's not an unwinnable one. Brohm is one of the best coaches in the country, but they have a lot of talented players to replace, and there's an argument to be made that Louisville may be worse at every position on offense this season. But the defense is really good and may be the best unit on this team. It will carry them through most of the game until the offense gets going.
