Both Yellow Jackets expected to make an impact after missing 2023 due to injury
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech junior wide receiver Leo Blackburn (Atlanta, Ga./Westlake H.S.) and senior defensive lineman Sylvain Yondjouen (Ruisbroek, Belgium/Don Bosco School) are among 90 student-athletes on the official preseason watch list for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year award.
Blackburn missed the entire 2023 season after sustaining his third major injury in three years during spring practice. Due to two season-ending knee injuries (2021 and 2023) and a wrist injury that cost him the first five games of the 2022 campaign, Blackburn has played in just seven games in his collegiate career. However, when healthy, the 6-5, 220-pounder has flashed the potential to be one of the nation’s top receivers, including catching three passes for 49 yards and a touchdown in his collegiate debut versus Duke in 2022 and two receptions for 32 yards against No. 1 Georgia in the ’22 finale.
Yondjouen sustained a season-ending knee injury early in Georgia Tech’s season opener versus Louisville on Sept. 1 of last season. A top-level pro football prospect, he was coming off his most productive collegiate season in 2022, when he amassed 2.5 sacks and five tackles for loss while backing up eventual second-round NFL Draft pick Keion White. For his career, Yondjouen has totaled 52 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Blackburn and Yondjouen are the sixth and seventh Yellow Jackets to land on watch lists for national awards this preseason. They are joined by QB Haynes King and RB Jamal Haynes, who are both on the Maxwell Award watch list (national player of the year), Haynes on the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Doak Walker Award (running back) and Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) watch lists, OL Weston Franklin on the Outland Trophy watch list (interior lineman), PK Aidan Birr on the Lou Groza Award watch list (place kicker) and DB Clayton Powell-Lee as an Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee and on the Wuerffel Trophy watch list (community service).
Since 2018, the Comeback Player of the Year has recognized college football student-athletes for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. Three student-athletes will be honored as Comeback Player of the Year award winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. on Dec. 31.
