Swarm of Yellow Jackets tabbed among ACC’s best
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech football received a flurry of recognitions on Thursday as Athlon selected nine Yellow Jackets to its 2024 Preseason All-ACC Teams.
Running back Jamal Haynes (Loganville, Ga./Grayson), wide receiver Eric Singleton, Jr. (Douglasville, Ga./Alexander) and offensive linemanWeston Franklin (Jesup, Ga./Wayne County) led the way for Tech on its second team, while quarterback Haynes King (Longview, Texas/Longview (Texas A&M)) and offensive lineman Jordan Williams(Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) were tabbed third-team selections.
Offensive lineman Joe Fusile (Richmond Hill, Ga./Richmond Hill), defensive lineman Zeek Biggers (Salisbury, N.C./West Rowan), linebacker Kyle Efford (Dacula, Ga./Dacula) and defensive back LaMiles Brooks (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian Academy) rounded out the selections, getting named fourth-team preseason all-ACC.
After making the move from wide receiver to running back during the 2023 offseason, Haynes (second team) became Tech’s first 1,000-yard rusher in five years with 1,059 yards on the ground, which ranked fifth in the ACC, 39th nationally and was the 15th-most in Georgia Tech history.
Singleton Jr. (second team) was a freshman all-American and honorable mention all-ACC selection after ranking fourth nationally among all freshmen in both receiving yards (714) and touchdown receptions (6) as a true freshman last season.
In his first season as a Yellow Jacket in 2023, King (third team) was one of only two Power Five conference players with at least 2,800 passing yards (2,842), 25 touchdown passes (27), 700 rushing yards (737) and 10 touchdown runs (10), joining Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jayden Daniels of LSU.
Helping pave the way for a powerful offense, Franklin (second team), Williams (third team) and Fusile (fourth team) were anchors of an offensive line that led the Yellow Jackets to top-15 national rankings in both rushing offense (203.8 ypg – 12th nationally) and fewest sacks allowed (1.15 pg – 15th nationally). Behind Williams and the Jackets’ offensive front, Tech led the ACC in both categories.
In his third season on The Flats, Biggers (fourth team) started all 13 games at defensive tackle, finishing eighth overall and second among defensive lineman with 40 tackles overall and 18 solo. He recorded big stops in big moments last year with a season-high nine tackles at Wake Forest, six tackles in the bowl-clinching win over Syracuse and a season-best four solo stops in the Gasparilla Bowl victory over UCF.
Breaking out on the scene in his redshirt freshman campaign, Efford (fourth team) shined, totaling a team-best 81 tackles (12 more than any other player despite only being in the starting lineup the second half of the year). Efford recorded double-digit stops twice on the year – 10 in the 45-17 win at Virginia and 11 in the 21-22 bowl-clinching win against Syracuse.
Veteran defensive back Brooks (fourth team) battled through various injuries to appear in all 13 games, making 12 starts at strong safety. He finished third on the team in passes defended (seven) and pass breakups (six), while also ranking fourth on the team overall in tackles (67).
