Georgia Tech has one of the toughest schedules in the country heading into the 2024 season, but one of its toughest games will be hosting Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 19. Notre Dame is looking to be a contender for the 2024 College Football Playoff and will likely enter the game undefeated or with one loss.
Historically, Georgia Tech hasn't had much success in this matchup. Notre Dame has an all-time edge against the Yellow Jackets with a 30-6 record, and Georgia Tech hasn't beaten Notre Dame since a 33-3 victory in South Bend in 2007. The last time these two teams met was in 2021, when Notre Dame won that game, 55-0.
Could Georgia Tech put itself in position to beat the Fighting Irish in October? I don't think it's out of the question.
Here's an early look at how these two teams will match up heading into the season.
Georgia Tech Defense vs Notre Dame Offense
Last year, Notre Dame acquired Sam Hartman, a transfer from Wake Forest, to add some explosive passing to the team. The Fighting Irish were certainly not a terrible passing team, but they faltered a few times and had to rely on their running game and a strong offensive line. This year, they acquired one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal, and he is also a running threat.
Duke transfer Riley Leonard is heading to South Bend hoping to be a game-changer for a team that has lacked dynamic quarterback play for years. Leonard battled injuries last season but had a stellar 2022 season, passing for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns. When healthy, Leonard could be one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but the question is whether he can throw passes downfield consistently. Leonard will be one of the most interesting players to watch this season, and his presence or absence could determine whether Notre Dame finishes well or becomes a national title contender.
Notre Dame also needs to replace Audric Estime, one of the best running backs in the country. Estime was the best player on Notre Dame's offense last season, rushing for more than 1,300 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns. So who will replace him? Last year's reserves Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price could be the early front-runners. They rushed for more than 600 yards combined last season.
Wide receiver has been a position of concern for Notre Dame the past few seasons, but hopefully that will change this season. Clemson transfer Beau Collins, Marshall transfer Jayden Harrison and FIU transfer Chris Mitchell will all be open plays to bolster Notre Dame's passing attack. Jayden Thomas, Jayden Greathouse and freshman Micah Gilbert are all players to watch.
Notre Dame's offensive line has almost always been strong, but they will have to replace top-five draft pick Joe Alt and the very good Blake Fisher. Still, Notre Dame has Pat Coogan, Ashton Craig and Tosh Baker, so I expect the front line to be fine.
Another thing to remember about the Fighting Irish offense is that they have a new coordinator: former LSU/Cincinnati offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is currently directing the Fighting Irish's play, and last season he led an LSU offensive line that featured a Heisman Trophy winner and two first-round picks at receiver.
Notre Dame has some questions on offense, but Georgia Tech has the same questions on defense and they also have a new coordinator.
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.
Georgia Tech Offense vs. Notre Dame
This is going to be a battle of skill. I think it's going to be an interesting matchup between Buster Faulkner and Al Golden as coordinators. They both have great units.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King is one of only two players in the country (joining LSU's Jayden Daniels) with at least 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. King is back for another season at the NFL 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 of their opponents. King has been good, but he has had issues with turnovers and will not cut it against some of the teams on Georgia Tech's schedule, including Duke.
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.
Notre Dame's defense is poised to be one of the best in the country next season, and they've added some impact transfers this offseason. Riley Leonard isn't the only transfer from Duke. Defensive lineman RJ Obeng was one of the best players in the transfer portal and Notre Dame was able to acquire him. I think he'll be a plug-and-play type of player for the Fighting Irish. Starters to watch for Notre Dame are Howard Cross and Riley Mills. Joshua Burnham and Donovan Heinisch are also players to watch.
At linebacker, Notre Dame will be without last year's leading tackler, J.D. Bertrand (who will be selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 NFL Draft), but they still have plenty of talent. Jack Kizer returned after recording 62 tackles, third-highest on the Fighting Irish, and will be the leader of one of the most talented defenses in the country. Jordan Botelho, Drake Bowen and Jalen Snead are also two early names to watch.
In the secondary, Notre Dame has some returning talent along with two new transfers. Jaden Mickey and Benjamin Morrison are the two to watch at cornerback, but the big name in Notre Dame's secondary will be safety Xavier Watts. Watts is one of the best defensive players in the country and will be looking to improve on his 52 tackle, seven interception season last year. Jordan Clark, a transfer from Arizona State, will take over the nickel position.
overview
On paper, Notre Dame is the more talented team and may have the best defense in this game, but I don't think they're invincible. Leonard is a talented dual-threat quarterback, but he's inconsistent as a passer, and Notre Dame's passing attack as a whole has a lot to prove. I usually trust Notre Dame to produce quality running backs and offensive linemen, but I have my doubts about them too. That's not to say there can't be upsets, but this will be one of Georgia Tech's toughest tests of 2024.
