Georgia Tech standouts to face off in Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech wide receiver Malachi Carter (Lawrenceville, Ga./Mountain View H.S.) and linebacker Ayinde Eley (Olney, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel H.S.) are participating in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl all-star game this week in Pasadena, Calif. The week culminates on Saturday with the 11th NFLPA Collegiate Bowl game, which will kick off at 6 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl and be televised nationally on NFL Network.
Carter caught 99 passes for 1,417 yards and 10 touchdowns in five seasons as a Yellow Jacket. His 1,417 career receiving yards rank 13th in Georgia Tech history, while his 99 receptions are tied for 13th in Tech’s all-time record book. He also set a school record with 58 games played, missing just one contest during his five-year career.
Eley amassed a whopping 208 tackles, including 13 for loss and four sacks, in just two seasons as a Yellow Jacket. He earned second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference honors after recording 118 tackles (15th nationally), 3.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles (t-third nationally) and two fumble recoveries (t-22nd nationally) as a senior in 2022. He is one of only two NCAA Division I FBS players since 2000 (and the first since Virginia’s Micah Kiser in 2016) to record at least 118 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 9.5 TFL, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in a regular season.
Carter and Eley will be pitted against each other in Saturday’s NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, as Carter will play for the National team, coached by Tennessee Titans legend Eddie George, and Eley is on the American squad, coached by longtime National Football League head coach Jeff Fisher. In addition to Saturday’s game, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl has featured practices throughout the week that have been attended by personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
Carter and Eley are two of six Yellow Jackets that have been selected to play in postseason all-star events this year. Earlier this month, running back Hassan Hall and wide receiver E.J. Jenkins participated in the College Gridiron Showcase and Hula Bowl, respectively. Next week, linebacker Charlie Thomas will take part in the East-West Shrine Game (Feb. 2 – Las Vegas) and and defensive lineman Keion White will play in the Senior Bowl (Feb. 4 – Mobile, Ala.).
