In head coach Damon Stoudamire’s second year at the helm of the program, Tech basketball expected to take a step forward. Simply put, things haven’t gone according to expectations.

They made significant additions in the transfer portal with senior guard Javian McCollum from Oklahoma, senior forward Luke O’Brien from Colorado and redshirt junior Duncan Powell from Sacramento State. Premier prospect Jaeden Mustaf, a four-star recruit from Overtime Elite, joined Tech’s roster as a true freshman guard. Senior Kowacie Reeves Jr. and the exciting sophomore duo of Naithan George and Baye Ndongo formed a solid trifecta of existing talent for those additions to play off. 

However, the Jackets currently have the third-worst record in the ACC at 8-11. They have a 2-6 record within the conference and the 152nd-best net rating in the country. Their recent stretch suggests that things aren’t going to get better soon. In their game against a solid Clemson Tigers team on Jan. 17th, the Jackets were down three starters in O’Brien, Reeves and senior Lance Terry. Still, it became quickly apparent this game would be difficult for Tech to seize from the Tigers. Clemson opened the game on an 8-0 run where the Jackets could not score for approximately the first seven minutes. Powell finally broke through with a layup, which sparked an excellent quarter for McCollum. He forced Clemson’s defense to foul him twice and found George for Tech’s first three-pointer of the game. Tech got within two at multiple points throughout the half, but Clemson’s defense stifled Tech before they could mount major scoring runs. The Jackets ended the half down 25-36 after shooting a dismal 20% from beyond the arc. Three-point shooting has been a problem for Tech all year — their deficiencies in this area have left them struggling to keep up with opposing offenses. 

Fortunately, Tech’s offense looked much better in the second half. They shot 50% from three-point range and George opened up the half with a big three-pointer. George hit another jumper to keep Tech within seven points, but Clemson’s Jaeden Zackery answered with a massive three-pointer of his own. Zackery tore Tech’s defense apart with 21 points on 7-12 shooting, and the Jackets’ inability to stop him played a massive role in their loss. Ultimately, their defense as a whole was not good enough. They let Clemson shoot 44% from the field throughout the game and got out-muscled in the paint, giving up 28 points. The Tigers took a strong first half into a solid enough second half to seal a 70-59 win. 

While the Jackets could not get the win, they were able to find some success on offense and looked to take those into a game against an excellent Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles team. The Seminoles are a tough test, but this was an opportunity for the Jackets to get their first ACC road win of the year. Fortunately, Tech got Terry back for this game and he scored the Jackets’ first points of the game. Once again though, their defense struggled and allowed a 12-4 run for the Seminoles. A three-pointer from sophomore forward Jerry Deng forced Stoudamire to call a timeout and regroup. However, FSU’s defense used the time to further key in on Tech’s guards and keep them from taking over the game. They held George and McCollum to a combined five points in the first half and took Tech’s main offensive options out of the game. Ultimately, the Jackets’ first half bore eerie similarities to the one they put up against Clemson — they shot 14.3% from three-point range and could not get anything going on offense.

Once again, Stoudamire and the team appeared to figure some things out at halftime. Tech dropped 54 points in the second half and shot a blistering 57.6% from the field. They finally started to connect on their threes and hit 46.7% of them. Unfortunately, the Seminoles elevated their game in the second half as well. They went from shooting 29.4% from deep in the first half to 40% to close out the game. George opened up the half with a jumper before Terry capitalized on a nice pass from McCollum to hit another one. The Terry-McCollum duo tore Florida State’s defense to shreds as they accounted for 35 points in the second half. McCollum hit his first three-pointer of the game with 14:30 left in the half to make it an eight-point game before Powell got fouled and hit both his free throws. Now down six, Tech had an opportunity to get back into this game. 

Unfortunately, FSU’s Taylor Bol Bowen put a stop to that with a massive three-pointer. Still, the Jackets refused to quit. McCollum cut the deficit to single-digits at multiple points and had one of his strongest performances of the year as he kept Tech in the game. His efforts, along with timely shots from Powell and George, powered Tech’s offense while Ndongo showed up on the boards. The young forward finished the game with 12 rebounds, leading all players. Their efforts allowed Tech to make it a four-point game with five minutes left. However, the Seminoles immediately went on a 7-0 run that Tech couldn’t overcome. McCollum made another three to cut the lead to eight, but the offense ran out of gas, and Florida State finished with a 91-78 victory. 

Although the final score does not illustrate the way Tech competed, they showed they have the talent to survive on offense if they can hold up on defense. Fortunately, the Jackets will have an opportunity to rectify their mistakes against Notre Dame on Tuesday, Jan. 28 in South Bend, Ind.

The post Jackets disappoint against Seminoles, Tigers appeared first on Technique.

Seven years.

That’s how long it has been since Tech has gotten a win in one of the oldest rivalries in college football. For five years, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate was a one-sided affair. The narrowest margin of victory for u[sic]Ga was 23 points, and the Jackets were held to seven points or fewer in three of the five games. However, things began to turn last year. Even though u[sic]Ga came into the matchup down three of its five best receivers and without its starting offensive line, they should have been able to put up a better effort in the first half. Tech held a 10-7 lead with seven minutes remaining in the second quarter because u[sic]Ga looked timid early. The Jackets’ run game — namely the redshirt junior duo of quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes — found success on the ground against one of the best run defenses in the country. u[sic]Ga ended up scoring 24 unanswered points as the Jackets misfired in the red zone and their defense ran out of steam.

Today, the Jackets are much better equipped to match strength with strength. 

The task ahead of them shouldn’t be sugar coated. The quarterback situation is currently a mystery – it’ll be either King, freshman quarterback Aaron Philo or some mix of both. u[sic]Ga’s defense is formidable – they are 14th in third down defense, 17th in PPG allowed, 27th in passing yards, 30th in sacks and 15th in turnover defense. One possible area of exploitation is their run defense. They are 38th in run defense and missed plenty of tackles against the UMass Minutemen, who ran for 226 rushing yards. 

Tech’s rushing offense is 39th in the country, 37th in yards per carry and 23rd in rushing touchdowns per game. A critical component of that prowess is King’s ability as a runner. If he can’t play, the bulk of the workload falls on Haynes and a solid complement in senior Trey Cooley, sophomore Chad Alexander and freshman Anthony Carrie. Should the running lanes close for Tech, they’ll have to lean on the arm of Philo. The freshman has looked much better than his inexperience would suggest. He finished with a stellar 93.7 PFF grade for his performance against Miami, likely belied by throws like a 3rd and 18 heave to redshirt freshman receiver Bailey Stockton for the first down. Even though u[sic]Ga’s secondary is only 103rd in the country in terms of interceptions, Philo will have to be smart with the ball. But he still needs to be aggressive against this secondary for the Jackets to pull out the win. 

Arguably the biggest difference between last year and tonight is the Jackets’ defense. They are 32nd in the country in run defense, but they did not play like it against NC State, North Carolina and Notre Dame. u[sic]Ga is coming into this game with some injuries at running back. Nate Frazier, a true freshman, is expected to take on the bulk of the carries after a three-touchdown performance against UMass. Still, it’s possible that the Jackets could slow down the young back with sound tackling and sticking to their gap assignments. Regardless, it’s going to be another tough test for the front four to meet. Defensive ends like redshirt junior Romello Height and redshirt senior Sylvain Yondjouen are going to have to set a good edge. On the interior, the senior duo of Makius Scott and Zeek Biggers have a tough matchup in u[sic]Ga center Jared Wilson and right guard Dylan Fairchild. 

To win this game, the Jackets will need to do three things. First, they’ll have to force u[sic]Ga quarterback Carson Beck into some ill-advised throws that end up in the hands of their DBs. Secondly, they’ll need to limit u[sic]Ga’s running game. Sophomore linebacker Kyle Efford has done an excellent job of coordinating Tech’s run defense – it needs to continue in the hostile environment of Sanford Stadium. Finally, they’ll need to execute in the red zone. Last year, Tech lost momentum because they had to settle for field goals. That cannot continue tonight. 

Tech fans have waited seven years for the chance to realistically play spoiler. With the eyes of the nation on them, it’s up to the Jackets to turn those hopes into a new chapter of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. 

The post Hate Week Preview: Can the Jackets pull off one last upset against a hated rival in u[sic]Ga? appeared first on Technique.

“You’re walking out in the tunnel. They got the lights flashing, the pregame music blaring, the smoke comes out and then you can’t see anything….once you get out there, you just look up and the stands are full, everyone’s screaming and roaring…that’s a trigger for ‘it’s time to roll.’” 

When redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King is running out onto Bobby Dodd Field, though, there’s also one nagging thought in the back of his mind. 

“Oh my god, please, don’t trip.” he admitted, smiling, during a sit-down interview with the Technique. 

Moving forward has been at the core of King’s entire college career. It started in Longview, Texas, where the young quarterback grew into his own under the tutelage of his father, John. John is currently the head coach for Longview and over his 20 years in coaching, the elder King has amassed a 6A State Championship, 3 State Finals appearances,15 District Championships and 20 playoff appearances. His dad’s background as a former offensive lineman factored into his son’s development.

“He definitely helped me out. I started at a higher level than a lot of other people. … [My dad] is an offensive line guy, so I was very advanced in the run game. He’s old-school; … he runs power dive options, stuff like that. So, I just kind of knew the reads depending on how defenses play fronts already. When I played in high school, he’d send me out there and if they’re in this front, he wants to run on that front. He [wanted] me to check that and and catch on to what [the front] is and what’s good for different fronts.” said King. 

That education in defensive diagnosis served King well as he established himself as one of the best recruits in the state of Texas. He earned a top-15 ranking and a four-star rating before committing to Texas A&M. 

In College Station, his tenure at A&M did not go as planned. He began as a backup and it was not until the 2021 season that King finally got his starting opportunity. He opened the season with a solid performance against Kent State, throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns alongside three interceptions in the 41-10 win. However, the next week was not as smooth. 

Against Colorado, he only threw two passes before disaster struck. He broke his ankle on a third-down scramble, which took him out of the game instantly. 

“We’re at Mile High Stadium in Colorado and my first reaction is that I got to go see how the team is doing. I can’t sit down here under the stadium, thinking about me. I’m out, but I want to make sure my team is good and that the other guy in my quarterback room that I just had a battle with is doing good … when you make it about something that’s bigger than yourself, yourself does not matter. Anything for the team. You’re going to be selfless and it just improves the level of everybody. … It’s a level of confidence you give to the people around you.” King said  

After working his way back from the injury and playing in five games amidst an up-and-down 2022 season for the Aggies, he made the decision to enter the transfer portal at the end of the year. The portal led him down to Atlanta as he committed to Tech on Dec. 18. 

“Atlanta was the first major city I’ve ever lived in … Longview is not a big city. A&M [has] a college town. Transferring here was definitely an eye opener. The city never sleeps, you know. There’s always something going on, but it’s also good because of the amount of resources that are easily accessible. There’s plenty of good opportunities and it’s something I definitely wouldn’t change.” King said. 

One thing that helped King transition to his new surroundings was the Atlanta food scene. He’s found some favorites, namely one that many Tech students flock to. 

“My favorite place is probably Mary Mac’s [Tea Room]. I just love that kind of food. Some days, I get the chicken, some days, I like pork or the beef pot roast. You just drop a pencil on the menu and it’ll usually be pretty good,” King said. 

Perhaps equally as important was his transition to the team itself. “I was a little scared at first,” he admitted. “But what made the whole transition smooth was pretty much our locker room. We had a bunch of really good guys that were just friendly, open — the camaraderie in the locker room was just different. It was something that I hadn’t really been a part of in a while, but the guys in that locker room just made that transition easier and more fun,” he explained. 

Specifically, a few players within that locker room really took to King and made him feel at home. “The biggest one is probably [redshirt junior quarterback] Brody Rhodes … he’s my travel roommate, so we’re pretty tight. He probably made one of the biggest impacts on me and the quarterback room in general. At that time, they were a pretty close, tight knit group. ​​Since I’ve been here, I feel like it’s been even closer.” he said. 

The quarterback room of himself, Rhodes, redshirt sophomore Zach Pyron, freshman Graham Knowles and freshman Aaron Philo has been rife with healthy competition. “You’re going to get pushed,” King acknowledged, “but it’s not going to be backstabbing stuff. It’s all genuine. You’re not going to get handed anything. With them pushing you each and every day, it is just going to make you better.” he said. 

Now deeply entrenched in the program, King has taken on a leadership role of his own. “The biggest deal is just to be you and be genuine. If you’re trying to fake something and put on a front, they’re definitely gonna smell the rat. They’re going to know your line and the best thing is to be genuine, have conversations with other people and learn what they’re going through. Obviously, do your work day-in, day-out and don’t complain.” King said. 

After winning the quarterback battle in camp, King took the reins as the starter and didn’t look back. During his breakout 2023 season, he completed 61.6% of his passes for 2842 yards, 27 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while running for an additional 737 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He established himself as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. However, all that running does tend to take a toll on his body. King manages it in two different ways. The first one is physical. 

“I don’t take a whole lot of big hits,” he stated. The second is all mental. “I don’t care if I’m hurt a lot or not. I’m going to try this thing out and see if I can still go. You’re not taking me out of this thing.” King said. 

This season, King has already run for 446 yards and seven touchdowns. Tech fans saw how much of a force multiplier he is as a runner during the massive upset victory over No. 4 Miami. He rushed the ball a staggering 20 times for 93 rushing yards and a touchdown. 

After the big win, King was aware of all the praise being showered on the team. Or, perhaps he was not. “The biggest deal for me is to delete social media. As soon as you get caught up in it, you’re worried about how everybody else thinks of you and how everybody else sees you instead of what actually is important. … Ball up top. If things didn’t go well, you can’t just sit there, dwell on it and wish this happened well. You gotta move on.” he said. 

As Tech prepares for NC State on Nov. 21, it’s back to business as usual. In practice, he’ll be competing against junior cornerback Ahmari Harvey, who King described by saying “With the way he competes, if we get open on him, it’s going to be a good game.” He might spend time at Mary Mac’s or play EA Sports College Football 25 with redshirt senior tight end Brett Seither, who, per King’s description, throws to himself the whole time. However, if the victory against Miami is any indication, the only place that King truly feels at home is under the lights of Bobby Dodd.

The post A look inside the coronation of Haynes King appeared first on Technique.

A common cliche in college football is the idea of building a culture. However, few match the description —  literally and metaphorically — of a “culture builder” in the way junior safety and Building Construction major Clayton Powell-Lee does.

“I have a lot of uncles in the building construction field — one of them owns their own construction company. [Another] just started up his own. So, I’ve always been around [construction]. I’ve always been interested in it. I love building things, using my hands and stuff like that,” Powell-Lee said in an exclusive interview with the Technique on Oct. 21. 

That interest is what led the Atlanta native to the School of Building Construction at Tech. Coming out of Westlake High School, the opportunity to study construction at Tech and play football for the Jackets was something Powell-Lee could not easily pass up. 

“Obviously, with education, there’s really not a better education you could get. You’re also playing DI football in a good conference, and you’re going to get those opportunities to play against quality opponents. I get the best of both worlds, and then I’m close to home. So, why not just take an opportunity that a lot of people don’t really get the opportunity to have? A lot of other people I know had to go out and stay far away from home. I was just blessed with the opportunity to stay home and play for a good program.” Powell-Lee said. 

He also comes from a Tech family that prioritized school and football in equal measure. From 1983-86, Clayton’s father, Gary Lee, starred as a receiver on the Flats. In his four years at Tech, he accrued 67 receptions for 1299 yards and 14 touchdowns, played in a 17-14 upset of the No. 19 Michigan State Spartans during the 1985 All-American Bowl and made the ACC Academic Honor Roll. His impact on Tech is something that his son has heard plenty about. 

“Everybody knows him as that guy that made plays. I’m always being told by alumni about how awesome my dad was back in college, how he made all these crazy plays and stuff. It’s pretty cool to know that your dad was kind of like that back in the day.” Powell-Lee admitted, laughing. 

While his dad made his name catching passes, Powell-Lee breaks them up. He’s the starting strong safety on Tech’s defense and an integral part of their plan for frustrating opposing quarterbacks. This season, his 29 tackles rank fifth among the team’s defensive backs and his three pass deflections are tied for third overall on the defense. Still, the box score does not tell the full story of everything Powell-Lee does on the field. 

“As a safety, you’re the last line of defense, and behind you is a touchdown. I try to make sure that everybody from the safeties and the nickel to the corners and linebackers are all on the same page with the same call. So, when the bullets are flying, you’re just playing. You’re not worried about, ‘Oh, this guy just did this. This guy just did that. Like, what’s going on?’.  “My biggest thing is trying to make sure communication is the top priority. Once the communication is there, you’re not really surprised when things happen because you talked about it pre-snap. You’re not surprised when this guy motions, or when the running back does this, or the quarterback does this check. ” Powell-Lee explained. 

Communication is especially important between Powell-Lee and his fellow safety, LaMiles Brooks. Brooks mans the free safety spot for Tech and the two defensive backs have come a long way during their time in the program. “When I first got here, LaMiles wasn’t a safety. He played nickel at first and then cornerback. But when I got here, we [were] kind of learning safety together. So, I was always able to go up and talk to him about little things like that….LA [LaMiles Brooks], he was a growing partner with me. We learned a lot together, and when it came to film, he’d point out some things to me about the tendencies of a receiver or running back or quarterback. And I’d point out something to him, so it was like we were both sponges. We’re both giving each other [stuff] so that we are able to make plays on Saturdays.” Powell-Lee said. 

While his job is to limit mistakes from other members of the defensive coverage, the responsibilities of a defensive back mean that mistakes are inevitable. The difficult part is moving on from the mistakes. “It’s inevitable to give up a catch. Like, you’re going to give up a catch, you’re going to miss a tackle. That one catch — so be it. But now you got to go. You got to go up against me again and again and again — who’s going to win? Like, okay, you got one catch. If you don’t catch the ball the rest of the game, that one play didn’t mean anything. As a defensive back, you gotta have that swag like, ‘I’m that guy. I don’t care if he catches three balls on me. I don’t care if I miss three tackles. I’m still that guy’.  Because if you stop, people are going to be wondering what’s going on. So, I just gotta keep it going, no matter what.” he explained.

To play his best on Saturdays, he adheres to a strict routine during the week and on game days. “That Saturday, you just got into a full on battle. You want to make sure that you treat those nicks and nacks early on before they turn into bigger problems later. I try to get that early. After our meetings, weights and everything else, we’re pretty much done for the day. I like to come home and chill, kind of just decompress, because after a long week of football, football, studying, studying, school, I just need to catch my breath for a second. Monday is a full off-day to focus on academics. … On Tuesdays, it’s early practice, and we [have] got to be in around 7:15 am, but I get there earlier so I don’t have to rush or anything. After practice, it’s class, and that’s really like the same routine all the way until that Friday. On Fridays, at least for a home game, we’ll have practice. You’ll get a little downtime to yourself, and you gotta come back. Then, you go to the hotel for our home games. Before away games, you get practice, you get an hour and then we’re straight to TSA for a flight before getting straight to playing the game on Saturday.” Powell-Lee said. 

Gamedays are a little different. To get himself ready to go, Powell-Lee has very specific musical tastes. “I’m big on faith, so it’s some gospel music [first]….it’s thanking [God] for giving me the opportunity to wake up and keep pursuing whatever he wants me to pursue. Before the game, that’s where it gets tricky. … Leading up to the game, I don’t try to play hip-hop the entire time. I just put the mind at ease with some R&B, some soul music. Maybe throw some jazz music in there,” he said. 

However, about an hour before the game, it’s time to get in a different mode. “That’s when I turn on Chief Keef and start getting the blood flowing. Start getting adrenaline pumping. I’m just locked in for the game. I got all my anger built and I’ve decided to take it out on another player.” Powell-Lee stated. “I’m one of the unique ones when it comes to music on game day because I’m a real mood listener. I don’t like listening to hip hop all day.” he clarified. 

On the field, he’s taken a bigger role as a leader for the secondary and tone-setter due to his experience. It is also a form of paying things forward. “The person who took me and LaMiles under his wing was an old teammate named Jaylon King. … He taught me and LaMiles a lot as far as how to treat yourself like a pro, how to be in the film room, how to decipher things like that. So, if I had to really give somebody credit for my success in college, I would definitely start off with Jaylon King, for sure. He was a role model and mentor and everything.” Powell-Lee recalled. 

Now, he is trying to be that veteran for his younger teammates. “[Sophomore defensive back] Taye Seymour, he was here my sophomore year, but I just give him as many jewels as possible — how to take care of your body, how to attack workouts. Those little things will help your game on the field.” he said. 

Building that camaraderie and culture is essential to Powell-Lee because he’s seen what happens when players aren’t together. “You can kind of see in some games during my freshman year, the team kind of broke apart. Coach Key, he’s really trying to just make sure that no matter what’s going on, we got to stay together. You gotta put it all on the line for your brothers. A team should never say ‘They soft, they didn’t play hard, they didn’t do this, they didn’t do that’. Something Coach Key’s trying to instill in us is to always play hard. We may lose, but that team’s still going to say, ‘Them Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, they a hard team to play against’,” Powell-Lee said.

Being a hard team to play against also falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaches. Fortunately, Powell-Lee feels that a pretty good one is leading the Tech defense. “If I had to describe [defensive coordinator] Coach Santucci, he’s like a mini Coach Key. He’s very intense and always, always amped up. He really loves the game because of what it has done for him and what it has provided him with, and … I can never get him to sit there and think — he always has an answer right then and there.” Powell-Lee said, laughing. 

Outside of laying out ball carriers, the safety fills the little free time that he has with a variety of different involvements. He’s a self-described doodler and likes to journal. He is also an active member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, which has helped him meet people outside of football. Over the summer, he interned on a construction project at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. “At [the airport], they’re building a new south parking deck. I was under a lot of people and got to learn a lot about the finances behind [construction] and the budgeting.” he explained. 

Powell-Lee has shown a concrete commitment to producing the best version of himself on the football field and beyond in his three years on the Flats. As he’s acutely aware, it’s all about building the right foundation.

The post Clayton Powell-Lee: blueprints to Bobby Dodd appeared first on Technique.

Ever since their miracle run to the Eastern Conference Finals three seasons ago, the Atlanta Hawks have been stuck in the middle of the NBA landscape. In their last two trips to the postseason, they were dispatched by the Miami Heat in five games and by the Boston Celtics in six games, both times during the first round of the playoffs. Both the Heat and the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals or Finals, so it can be argued that the Hawks just ran into tough teams. However, that does not change the fact that meaningful postseason basketball has been absent from Atlanta for a while. 

To change that in the 2024-25 season, the Hawks are eschewing star power in favor of a stronger overall roster. 

General Manager Landry Fields made the decision to break up the awkward fit between point guard Trae Young and shooting guard Dejounte Murray by sending Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this summer. Murray was initially acquired from the San Antonio Spurs to shake things up after the Hawks lost to the Heat, but the All-Star guard never fit in well with Young on the court. Throughout his two seasons in Atlanta, Murray’s defense did not live up to his NBA All-Defensive Team reputation and he struggled to adjust to making an off-ball impact on offense. Therefore, they swapped Murray for depth in the form of guard Dyson Daniels and big man depth by acquiring Cody Zeller and Larry Nance Jr. While it is unclear how this trade will pay off for Atlanta, it undoubtedly improves the roster’s alignment around Young. 

Last season, the Hawks’ perimeter defense was one of the five worst in the NBA. Their offense fell from the top-ten offensive rating that Young has consistently kept them at. The Hawks’ moves this offseason seem specifically designed to address those two issues. Although his offense is still a work in progress, there’s no question that Daniels is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He held his own against some of the best scorers in basketball like Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards and De’Aaron Fox last season due to his strength, sixth sense for defensive positioning and active hands. Expect Daniels to get starting minutes alongside Young in order to cover for the latter’s deficiencies on that end of the court. A healthier season from wing DeAndre Hunter, who missed 25 games last year, could also be a positive for the Hawks’ point-of-attack defense. 

On offense, the Hawks are planning to fill Murry’s impact in multiple ways. Their newest addition is former JL St Bourg wing Zaccharie Risacher, who Atlanta took with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Only 19 years old, Risacher is going to take time to reach his full potential, but he has looked good so far. The rookie averaged 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 60% from the floor and 44.4% from three-point range during preseason play. If he is ready to step into a big role as a wing who can shoot three-pointers and hold up on defense, Atlanta could be a much better two-way team than many expect. However, the biggest key to improving the Hawks’ offense this season is the growth of forward Jalen Johnson. Johnson took a massive step forward in his third season by averaging 16 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 51.1% shooting from the field and 35.5% from three-point range on 3.6 attempts a game. His task for the upcoming season is to make the Hawks look smart by recently signing him to a five-year, $150 million dollar contract. Johnson was Atlanta’s best defender last year and showed immense upside as both a shooter and playmaker. If he blossoms into an All-Star candidate, it drastically improves the upside of this team. 

Quietly, Atlanta has a respectable bench unit as well. Sixth man Bogdan Bogdanovic is still one of the best high-volume shooters in the NBA, hitting 37.1% of his 8.1 attempts from deep per game last year. Although he is currently injured, point guard Kobe Bufkin showed promise as Young’s backup during the preseason by averaging 15 points on 37% shooting from the floor and 35% from three. Center Onyeka Okongwu could also take a leap in a critical year for his development. Longtime starter Clint Capela is still a solid rebounder and rim protector who sets good screens to create space for his teammates to operate. However, Okongwu’s promise as a versatile defender and shooter from three-point range could force a change in the starting lineup if he is able to stay healthy and show consistency. 

Fan favorites like Vit Krejci, a 6’8 guard with good passing ability and underrated defensive capabilities, and spot-up shooter Garrison Matthews round out the back of the rotation. 

The early months of the NBA season are never easy to predict, but Atlanta is set up for a good start to the year. Three of their first five opponents are widely expected to be among the dregs of the NBA – the Brooklyn Nets, the Washington Wizards and the Charlotte Hornets. The Hawks open the season tonight against Brooklyn on Oct. 23. They take on Charlotte on Oct. 25 before facing a difficult early test against a championship contender in the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 27. Things should get easier in their two consecutive games against Washington on Oct. 28 and Oct. 30. 

It’d be unreasonable to expect Atlanta to win the title in 2024-25. However, if everything lines up in their favor, the odds of them making another surprising playoff run seem better than they have in a long time. 

The post New-look Hawks poised for return to the playoffs appeared first on Technique.

Immediately when walking into head coach Brent Key’s office at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, it’s impossible not to notice the massive window that overlooks the historic stadium. It wraps along the right wall of the room and presents a clear view of the field from end zone to end zone. Over the last 111 years, students have fond memories of being in those stands with friends as they yelled themselves hoarse in support of Tech football. 

For Key, it’s a visual reminder of the heart of his program: building the Tech Man. 

“Life is about solving problems and figuring [things] out, and that’s what this place teaches you,” Key said as he sat back in his chair during an exclusive, sit-down interview with the Technique on Sept. 25. “It really does, man. It teaches you how to solve real world problems. It teaches you how to use your head to think things out and be a problem solver. A Tech Man figures shit out”. 

Being a Tech Man is so important to Key because he is one himself. Under legendary head coach George O’Leary, Key took hold of a starting guard spot on Tech’s offensive line during the 1997 season and never relinquished his spot over the next three seasons. Upon graduation, he returned to the team as a grad assistant for the 2001-02 season.

His time at Tech undoubtedly played a role in his messaging to his players. “Honestly, in college, I didn’t understand the importance of college,” Key admitted. “It was ‘play football and go to school’, not ‘go to school and play football’. That’s why we’ve started the Fifth Quarter Program, which is life after football. It works in conjunction with the Total Person Program for all the student athletes, but the Fifth Quarter is just football. It’s all about life after football and getting these guys to understand that they’re probably going to be in their 20s or 30s before truly understanding what Georgia Tech allows you to do”. 

Tech football’s high achievers are not hard to find. Redshirt senior long snapper Henry Freer, who is currently pursuing his Ph.D in chemical and biomolecular engineering at Tech, is a semi-finalist for the Campbell Award. The prize is the highest academic award in college football and recognizes the nation’s best scholar-athlete for academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. “[Freer] is the smartest kid I’ve ever been around. He is brilliant and he knows it,” Key said with a smile on his face.   

As a coach under O’Leary and later Nick Saban, Key received a high-quality education of his own. “[O’Leary] was a hard-ass. But, I learned how to be organized and detailed, leave no stone unturned and build a tough, physical football team. With Coach Saban, it was learning efficiency. Being efficient in every hour is the first thing he taught us,” said Key.  

The lessons he learned from Tech, O’Leary and Saban showed up in how he describes the Tech football program with four pillars. “Everything circles back to four things — discipline, toughness, commitment and execution,” said Key.

“It’s not okay to be undisciplined. It’s not okay to not go to class. It’s not okay to make a C when you’re capable of making a B. If you’re going to be great in anything, I really, truly believe you have to work to be great in everything. Usually, the best semesters, GPA wise, correlate with the best semester in football. So, teaching started with learning how not to lose. Why do you lose? You turn the ball over. Now, you learn how to win. How do you win consistently, week in and week out? How do you elevate yourself to be better than you were the week before? When I was at Alabama, we played in four straight national championship games. When you win an actual championship, how do you stay up there? More people die on the way down from Mount Everest than they do going up,” said Key. 

To him, toughness is not just a buzzword. It forms a critical interplay with discipline. “Toughness is not going out and getting in a fight. That’s fake toughness, that’s false bravado. Toughness is the ability to withstand force until it breaks you. How much force can you withstand until you’re broken? That’s toughness. Obviously, toughness is part of football. But toughness is also taking the Differential Equations class here, walking up that damn [Freshman Hill] to go to DM Smith or Skiles and being on time to class. That’s discipline and toughness. It takes toughness to do that,” said Key. 

He also places a premium on both his commitment and that of his players. “Commitment is one of the most important things in the world. Are you committed to the job you’re doing? Commitment shows. You can’t be half-in and half-out. To run a program and build a program, you have to be committed to it. To me, commitment is a bond. Kids consider a commitment like in recruiting. They think they can just freaking flip and flop a commitment. No. That’s not the case to me. A commitment is firm,” said Key. However, the standard that all three of the previous ideals only show positive results upon execution. 

To underline that commitment, there are three rules when it comes to playing football for Tech. “Don’t do anything to keep yourself from graduating. Don’t do anything to keep us from winning a championship. And if you ever put your hands on a woman, I’ll put my size-15 cowboy boots straight up your butt and not ask for permission,” Key stated. In return, the coaching staff has two goals that they aim to deliver on.  “We want to make sure that you graduate and leave here a better person than you came here as while developing you as a football player so that we can win championships and you can play as long as you want to play. I want people to come here with aspirations to be first-round draft picks and CEOs, presidents of their own company. People that want to be high achievers in both come here because this is a place you can do that,” said Key. 

The players are not the only ones who have to meet those standards. For Key, every day requires him to practice what he preaches. “Every day, there’s a challenge. The challenge is first to compete against myself because when you’re the head coach, president or CEO, whatever you want to call it, or you have your own team at work… they look at you to see how to do things,” said Key. 

He is reliant on team leaders to enforce his message. And for Tech, one of those leaders is redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King. “Haynes King is as good of a leader as I’ve been around 24 years of coaching college football,” Key said. “He does everything the way it’s supposed to be done. Works his tail off, takes care of his business, handles his business, and then brings others along with him. But, he also transcends across the team. We’ve got 120 people together. That’s a lot of different backgrounds and everybody’s different. To be able to transcend across all those? That’s a very rare trait to have,” the coach explained. 

Those leaders have to be comfortable with the reality of their role. “Leadership is not for everyone,” Key bluntly stated. “You feel like you’re on an island a lot of times. A lot of people think that they should be put in a position of leadership because they do what they’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to do your job. Now, can you take care of your business and now step it up a notch?” asked Key. Leadership is a burden he has shouldered throughout coaching, especially as it’s become heavier over the past two years.

During a period of massive change for the program in September 2022, the now-permanent head coach had a far less secure grip on his position. Former head coach Geoff Collins, who is now the defensive coordinator for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, was relieved of his duties, with Key stepping into the role as the interim coach. He had every intention of making the job a permanent one.

 “When I took over as interim head coach here, I had a job to do — put these players in the best position I could possibly put them in to have success in 2022. In the back of my head, if I ever wanted an opportunity to be the head coach here, I better be prepared for it,” said Key. “So I’d spend my day from the time I walked in at 7:30-8:00 in the morning until probably 11:30-12:00 at night to put all my energy and time and resources into what makes these guys the absolute best they could be. Then, from 12:00 until I fell asleep at night, usually on the couch around 3:30-4:00 in the morning, my time was put towards building a plan of attack or piecing together all the information I had for the future.” 

Over the past three weeks of the 2024 season, the Jackets lost a game many expected them to win against the Louisville Cardinals before heading into their bye week. They followed it up by knocking off their undefeated ACC foe, the Duke Blue Devils, 24-14. According to Key, the process of communicating to the team — win or lose — has been consistent regardless of those results. Instead, his priorities lie with making sure his players learn from their mistakes after each game. He does find, however, that losses create effective opportunities for growth, remarking that when he gives the team advice after one, “they feel it and see it more.” 

Whatever his final win-loss record ends up being, Key is very clear on what he wants to accomplish at Tech. “Here’s the way I look at Georgia Tech football,” he explains. “You have an old school industrial locomotive coming down the tracks. It goes through the tunnel and it busts out on the other side. Now, it’s a high speed bullet train flying down the tracks. That connects the old school and the new school. That connects the past and the future and the present. That’s a tough, hard-nosed football team that can play faster than anybody,” said Key. 

Only halfway through the season, the team has already gone through its fair shares of ups and downs. From now until the end of the season, the Jackets’ discipline and commitment will be assessed every week. They will have to be a tougher team than their opponents and execute consistently as they attempt to improve from last year. 

With a Tech Man at the helm, perhaps the Jackets have the best chance they’ve had in a long time of meeting that mandate.

The post Unlocking the Tech Man: An Exclusive Interview with Brent Key appeared first on Technique.

The last time the Jackets were ranked, “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars was the number one song on the Hot 100. It’s rather fitting that Tech football seems to have adopted the mantra, “Don’t believe me? Just watch.”

Plenty of people questioned whether their 24-21 win over the Florida State Seminoles in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic was simply the result of luck or playing a mediocre opponent. While the Seminoles certainly did not look any better after a 28-13 drubbing by the Boston College Eagles, the Jackets continued to look like a force in the ACC. They handedly beat their crosstown rivals, the Georgia State Panthers, by a score of 35-12. By moving to a 2-0 record on the season, the Jackets were ranked as the No. 23 team in the nation by the Associated Press. 

Things did not start out well for the Jackets’ defense. They allowed a long Georgia State drive, headlined by a massive 41-yard run from senior running back Sy’veon Wilkerson through Tech’s run defense. The Jackets’ defense had similar starting problems against Florida State last week, but they made critical improvements in the red zone. The Panthers got down to Tech’s 1-yard line before junior quarterback Christian Veilleux sailed a fourth-down pass over the head of redshirt senior receiver Ja’Cyais Credle. Even though Tech’s offense was forced to punt on the next drive, the defense set a tone that the Panthers would need to earn every one of their points. 

Senior defensive tackle Zeek Biggers punctuated that message by scooping up the fumble for Tech after a botched snap by Veileux. Tech’s redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King took advantage of this by finding redshirt senior tight end Jackson Hawes for his first catch as a Jacket. Hawes’ 10-yard grab set up a touchdown run by redshirt junior running back Jamal Haynes. Haynes split the defense and then hit a split of his own in the end zone to celebrate. 

Both teams traded punts, but Tech’s defense clamped down on GSU’s offense to force a three-and-out. Redshirt junior Ahmari Harvey drove redshirt senior receiver Tailique Williams into the dirt to force the punt, which carried over from the sound tackling on display in Tech’s Dublin game. Unfortunately, the Panthers drove down the field for their second series inside Tech’s red zone. They were turned away on the 1-yard line once again, but GSU still got on the board with a field goal. Now holding a 7-3 lead, the Jackets responded with an 11-play drive that ended with a touchdown run by King. 

Coming out of the half 14-3, the Jackets capitalized on having possession with a scoring drive that ended in a creative way. Sophomore receiver Eric Singleton Jr. took the handoff on a jet sweep to the outside and ran into the end zone to go up 21-3. The deficit only widened on Tech’s next drive, where King connected with redshirt junior wide receiver Malik Rutherford for a deep touchdown. Now in possession of a commanding 28-3 lead, the Jackets began to let up. Georgia State got into field goal range on a roughing-the-passer call from redshirt junior defensive end Romello Height and made it a 28-6 game. On offense, King threw an ill-advised pass straight into the hands of redshirt senior Kenyatta Watson II, a former Jackets defensive back.

The Panthers were able to use the turnover to spark new life into their offense—they rolled through the Jackets’ defense for a touchdown. However, Tech did not let GSU back into the game. They iced the game on the arm of King, who found Rutherford for a 35-yard gain and senior receiver Avery Boyd for the 22-yard touchdown that sealed the Jackets’ win. GSU got the ball back for two more drives but was not able to capitalize on either opportunity. 

Despite the final score, this was definitely a more inconsistent effort from Tech’s defense. They looked much better in the red zone, only allowing one touchdown on the night and stopping GSU on two fourth down attempts. However, the overall run defense was shakier. After holding FSU’s run game to 98 rushing yards on 31 carries, they allowed GSU to run for 150 yards on 29 carries. Even though the Seminoles have not looked great so far, it is highly unlikely that GSU has a better roster than FSU. This could be a case of the Jackets looking ahead to their matchup against Syracuse, but it should be noted as a possible concern. 

On a more positive note, the Jackets’ passing attack looked better in their second appearance. King hit on 24 of his 29 passes for 275 yards and 2 touchdowns with one interception. The interception stands out as a blemish on the night, but King looked decisive and effective when moving the ball through the air. Despite King’s solid outing, Tech’s offense is still clearly strongest on the ground. They ran for 225 yards as a team and Haynes had 84 yards with one touchdown as the lead back. He has had a nice start to the season but will need to continue that start in this weekend’s matchup with Syracuse. The Orange just allowed the Ohio University Bobcats to run for over 200 rushing yards, so they could be susceptible to Tech’s rushing attack. 

Tech fans will find out whether the Jackets can continue proving the naysayers wrong and move up the rankings by beating Syracuse on Sunday, Sept. 7 in the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, NY.

The post Jackets pulverize Panthers, defeat GSU 35-12 appeared first on Technique.

This might be Ryan Cameron’s first year officially as Tech’s gameday announcer, but he’s far from a newcomer to the Flats. In a press release on Monday, Aug. 26, Cameron was officially named the public address announcer for the Jackets. 

“I’ve been a Georgia Tech fan since the days of [running back] Eddie Lee Ivory, man. I’m not new to this.” said Cameron, as he sits down for an exclusive interview with the Technique. Ivory was a 1978 All-American for the Jackets, so Cameron is not exaggerating when he says he’s been paying attention for a while. However, it would be impossible to view Cameron as just another passionate Tech fan.

Throughout his long career in radio and public address spanning over 25 years, Cameron has held a variety of roles. It all started in a fairly innocuous way — reading the Sunday paper with his grandfather while he was growing up in Atlanta. 

“My grandfather would hand me the paper and ask me to regurgitate what was going on in the sports section,” Cameron said. “That’s how I learned to read because he would ask me, ‘What’s going on with the Braves?’ And I’d have to read it and tell him.” 

Cameron went from reading the news to being the voice of newsworthy events. He got his start as the T-shirt guy for the Hawks in 2001 but was motivated by the perception of the public address announcer. “The NBA did a survey of all the different game elements and the public address guy got a score of zero; … there just wasn’t a lot of excitement and energy. So the basketball team decided to go out and find somebody.” he explained. 

Through a series of unexpected events, Cameron found himself thrust into the spotlight. “It was funny cause one day he was late,” he said, laughing. “And they said that if he wasn’t here in the next five minutes, I’d have to call the game. I was so nervous. I asked them if I should send in a tape and they said that they didn’t have time for that. So my first audition was in a basketball game when we played the Magic in Orlando. I had to catch the bus down there and do it live. It was a real baptism by fire.”

Once he found himself on the mic, Cameron did not look back. From 2004 to 2021, he served as the first African-American announcer in team history. He covered over 700 games and several playoff runs for the Hawks, earning acclaim with his signature call on three-pointers “for threeeeeee!” that turned basketball shots into historical moments. 

“I always love the crowd,” Cameron said, “and the bigger the crowd, the better.” One of his favorite moments from his career was calling the 2021 NBA All-Star Game during the pandemic. “It was really special to be the PA announcer in my hometown and I was trending on Twitter — now X — because of the way that I was calling the game. I did a long intro for LeBron James and people were like ‘How is he holding that for
so long?’  It was awesome.” 

Still, Cameron’s work has gotten noticed beyond reactions on X. He has received two Emmys for his work and was named to both the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame and the National Black Radio Hall of Fame. 

He has used a meticulous game-day routine to achieve his success and plans to bring that over to Tech. “I normally do not sleep at all before a big game. I also do not eat until it is over and I am constantly thinking about everything I have to do before the game. I also have to be ready with my script — there’s 90-something reads that I have to prepare” he said.

“When, for lack of a better term, you’re the VOG (voice of God), everybody’s listening to you,” Cameron explained. “There’s tones and inflections that you have to be prepared for and practice. You do not ever want to use a happy tone for a sad moment.”

Much like the new athletic facility near Callaway Plaza, his Tech routine is still under construction. He is still trying to get his bearings on campus. 

“This campus is huge! I was trying to find my parking space,” he told the Technique with the same inflection that he delivers his signature “threeeeeeeee” call. 

That being said, he is looking forward to being part of the resurgence Tech is experiencing. “What’s funny is that everyone is acting like I had the perfect timing, with the team going over and winning in Ireland. … I didn’t know that they were going to make that kind of a statement, I promise!” Cameron said.

“I just think it is exciting when you see the people they are bringing in. The experience is going along with the program…now the football team is getting its recognition. And now you got the Battle of Atlanta [Tech game versus Georgia State] coming up? It’s, wow. A night game too? Come on, man” he said. 

He plans on bringing the “threeeeeee” call over to kicks by redshirt sophomore kicker Aiden Birr. To an announcer like Cameron, the last name “King” is a possible goldmine of radio moments and calls, with plenty of fun puns available. Although he does not eat during the games, he does snack on barbecue Lay’s Chips and sips on Propel Water to keep himself ready to call the latest highlight. 

“I also have a victory meal — I usually go out to J.R Crickets and order some chicken.” Cameron said. And you already know what I’m ordering,” he told the Technique: 

 “The Flats.”

The post Ryan Cameron is amped to be here, literally appeared first on Technique.

When the Jackets upset the Miami Hurricanes on a miracle last-second touchdown in November of last year, some dismissed it as the product of luck. Tech went on to win its first bowl game in five years, dismantling the University of Central Florida Golden Knights, 30-17, after they lost to the same team in 2022, 27-10. Still, ACC media voters ranked the Jackets as a distant ninth in the conference. 

To borrow an expression from the city of Dublin where Tech just knocked off its first top-ten ranked opponent since 2015, that seems like a load of blarney. 

Their victory against the Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles was beautiful in its entirety. Coming into the game, Tech was the underdog and looked like it on FSU’s first drive. The Seminoles’ running game, highlighted by a 28-yard touchdown run from redshirt senior running back Lawrence Toafili, looked to be too much for a Tech defensive line that attracted plenty of questions in the offseason. 

Toafili’s touchdown was the last time FSU ran for double-digit yards on a running play. The Jackets clamped down on FSU’s running game, holding them to only 40 rushing yards and 1.54 yards per carry for the rest of the game. The front seven forced redshirt senior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei to make plays only with his arm. Redshirt freshman linebacker Kyle Efford made running backs think twice about running up the assuming they got past defensive tackles redshirt junior Jordan van den Berg and senior Makius Scott. When FSU tried to stretch the Jackets defense out with runs to the outside zone, the edge duo of redshirt senior defensive end Sylvain Youndjuen and redshirt junior Romello Height were there to force the ball carrier back into the defense’s teeth. 

That is all before mentioning the cohesion that the Jackets’ secondary showed. While there were a few lapses in coverage where Uiagalelei was able to find space, Tech’s defensive backs mostly forced him to make quick, shallow throws. It took Uiagalelei 19 completions to get close to 200 passing yards, leading to a modest average of 7.1 yards per throw. Cornerbacks redshirt junior Ahmari Harvey and junior Rodney Shelley stood out on Saturday, repeatedly staying with their coverage assignment and making tackles in run support to keep the Seminoles from getting traction with their running game.

 It should be noted that FSU was without highly touted sophomore receiver Hykeem Williams, who was ranked as a true five-star recruit and the third-best receiver in the 2023 recruiting class. However, Tech took primary option senior wide receiver Malik Benson completely out of the game and held him to 39 yards on four catches. On offense, the Jackets found massive success through their running game. The duo of redshirt juniors quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes ran for 139 yards alone, but it was apparent that Tech was going to find success on the ground early. On the very first play from scrimmage, Haynes ran for 14 yards, weaving through running lanes to find space in an FSU defensive line that found themselves rebuffed on multiple occasions. The quarterback run was a central element of Tech’s offense for the entire game. King carried the ball 14 times while redshirt sophomore Zach Pyron ran the ball in at the goal line for a touchdown. Tech’s 190 rushing yards carried them to victory and it will be interesting to see if they can carry this over into their game against Georgia State.

If there is one area of improvement for the Jackets, it would be the passing game. Outside of a 42-yard throw to redshirt junior receiver Malik Rutherford on Tech’s first touchdown drive, the offense struggled to find consistency through the air. FSU’s secondary held sophomore receiver Eric Singleton Jr. in check for much of the game — he only had one catch for seven yards heading into the fourth quarter. On the two drives where the Jackets were immediately stopped for a loss of yardage, they were not able to make up the difference through the air. Their unevenness through the air played a large role in FSU’s ability to preserve a 14-14 tie for much of the third quarter. 

However, when they needed it most, the passing game came alive for Tech. After the Jackets took a 21-14 lead on a Haynes touchdown run, the Seminoles mounted a long touchdown drive that tied the game with 6:33 left in the game. Key’s team showed they were not afraid of the moment — they mixed in run and pass plays to keep FSU’s defense off balance. 

Tech fans experienced a collective moment of panic as King fumbled the snap at the FSU 28-yard line. Thankfully, he was able to get the ball back and put the Jackets in position for the biggest play of the game. With 17 yards to go, firmly outside of field goal range, the quarterback found Singleton for his second catch of the game — a 12-yard grab that put the game on the leg of redshirt sophomore kicker Aidan Birr. Birr showed no hesitation and promptly kicked it through to give the Jackets the 24-21 win. 

In terms of what this means for the program, almost five million people watched the Jackets get their biggest win since 2015. This team has gained national attention and expectations have risen. It is far from a guarantee that they will meet those expectations — there is a lot of football to be played, and Tech has plenty to improve on. However, if their performance against the Seminoles is any indication, they are certainly sucking diesel (Irish expression). 

The Jackets are back in action under the bright lights of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field as they take on their cross-town rivals, the Georgia State Panthers, on Saturday night at 8 p.m in front of what promises to be a roaring crowd that will give the players an excellent chance to build on their momentum and achieve a top-25 ranking for the first time since the 2015 season. It is also the Jackets’ first time playing the Panthers in program history and they’ll be facing a familiar face in redshirt senior quarterback Zach Gibson, who played for the Jackets for two seasons.

The post Tech stomps through no.10 Florida State appeared first on Technique.

If there is one thing the offseason has shown fans of Tech football, it is that respect must be taken because it certainly will not be given.

Last season, the Jackets won a bowl game and achieved a winning record for the first time in five years. Rather than being optimistic, the national media is skeptical. CBS Sports has the Jackets ranked as the 53rd best team in the country and the 10th-best team in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Two of the conference’s new arrivals – University of California (Cal) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) – are already being ranked over Tech. 

Part of that skepticism is rooted in their challenging 2024 schedule — consensus has it among the top 10 of the nation’s toughest. They open the season in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland versus the reigning ACC champion, the Florida State Seminoles on Aug. 24. The Jackets return to Atlanta to take on their cross-town rivals, Georgia State, at home in Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. They face off against the Virginia Military Institute before embarking on an ACC run with games against Louisville, Duke and the University of North Carolina. 

Next, Tech squares off with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish under the bright lights of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta before they head on the road to take on a familiar ACC foe in Virginia Tech. Tech’s homecoming game this year will be their Nov. 9 showdown against the Miami Hurricanes in a game that could have massive conference implications. 

The Jackets will face the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the last home game before heading to Athens to take on u[sic]ga in a display of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. On paper, Tech is going to have their work cut out for them if they want to make it to the ACC championship
game in Charlotte, N.C. 

Fortunately, the Jackets have one of the best offenses in the nation. Last year, they ranked in the top 35 nationally for total offensive yardage while being especially lethal on the ground. The Jackets finished 13th in rushing yards per game and 10th in both yards per carry and first downs per rush. Those rushing totals are in large part due to redshirt junior Jamal Haynes, who became Tech’s first 1000-yard rusher since the 2018 season.

However, the Jackets’ success on the ground must also be attributed to redshirt junior quarterback Haynes King, who made a name for himself as a dual-threat quarterback. In 2023, King ran for 737 yards and 10 touchdowns while slicing up defenses through the air for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns. Only four ACC quarterbacks have matched or exceeded those totals since 2000. 

Through the air, King’s primary option should be exciting sophomore receiver Eric Singleton Jr. Singleton is coming off a freshman All-American season where he caught 48 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns. He is one of the most exciting young receivers in the nation and is poised for another big year. It is far from a one-man show — speedster redshirt junior Malik Rutherford can burn opposing secondaries from the slot while redshirt senior Chase Lane, senior Christian Leary and redshirt senior Abdul Janneh are experienced route-runners who know how to get open.

Both King and Haynes are also beneficiaries of an offensive line that returns four of its five starters. Sophomore left tackle Ethan Mackenney, redshirt sophomore left guard Joe Fusile, senior center Weston Franklin and senior right tackle Jordan Williams all played a major role in the Jackets only conceding an ACC-best of 1.15 sacks per game in 2023. 

Tech’s defense is going to be the main question in 2024, but there is reason for optimism. Senior strong safety LaMiles Brooks and junior free safety Clayton Powell-Lee are a good tandem roaming the backend of the secondary. Redshirt junior Ahmari Harvey and senior Warren Burrell, a transfer addition from Tennessee, profile as the starting cornerbacks after strong seasons in 2023-24. 

They will be backing up a front seven led by sophomore linebacker Kyle Eifford. The spot next to him is currently subject to a competition between redshirt sophomore u[sic]GA transfer E.J Lightsey and redshirt junior Louisville transfer Jackson Hamilton. 

On the defensive line, the senior duo of Zeek Biggers and Kevin Harris are a force in the middle. This unit has undergone significant changes from last season, as the Jackets landed redshirt senior defensive tackle Thomas Gore and redshirt junior Romello Height in the transfer portal to mitigate 2023 departures from the defensive team. 

On the edge, senior defensive ends Makius Scott and redshirt senior Sylvain Yondjouen will be collapsing pockets for the Jackets. It is going to take time, but there is reason to believe this defense can take strides from being one of the worst defensive units in the conference.

Yes, 2024 could be the season that the Jackets make a run at the ACC Championship. Yes, 2024 could be a year of regression as the team’s tough schedule catches up with them. However, if there’s one thing head coach Brent Key made clear in his first season, he expects to compete with everybody. If he can continue delivering on that vision, the rest of the ACC could be in trouble.

Tech fans will get their first look at the team against Florida State on August 24 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, which will take place in Dublin. Riding on the motivation garnered last season, the game will be an early test for Key’s group to answer, one that is sure to set the tone of a critical season for the Jackets. 

The post Jackets set a new program standard for 2024 appeared first on Technique.