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Last year was a learning year for Brent Key and Georgia Tech football as the first-year head coach was experiencing a list of firsts running a program. The 2024 spring will have some new wrinkles as well and a lot of teaching on one side of the ball.
For the first time since the spring of 2018 and maybe even 2016, the Georgia Tech offense has the majority of the pieces back and a competent offense led by Buster Faulkner and the offensive staff where there was limited turnover with just the change at WR coach. The leading passer, rusher, receiver and four of the five starting offensive linemen are back. The major questions facing this group mainly revolve this spring about finding consistency at the WR spot opposite Eric Singleton Jr. and what the TE room looks like with only Brett Seither back from the trio last year led by Dylan Leonard. Seither was a good receiving weapon, but a back injury limited his overall snap count benefitting Luke Benson last year. They will need someone to replace the quality reps and work Leonard gave them. The WR position has been beset with numerous injuries over the last few years headlined by Leo Blackburn's two ACL injuries.
Developing more depth at various positions and finding a replacement for Dontae Smith who was the yin to Jamal Haynes' yang at RB will also be a priority though I would put my money on Anthony Carrie taking that role.
The bigger questions come on the other side of the ball. That was the more stable side coming into Key's first full year, but after a very disappointing 2023 on that side of the ball, Key cleaned house replacing every single coach and even some support staff on that side of the ball. Enter Tyler Santucci the new DC, Jess Simpson the DL coach, Kyle Pope coaching OLB/rush, Cory Peoples coaching DBs and special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield also coaching corners now.
Key made changes on that side of the ball the priority in the offseason and that area is the biggest concern and question going into spring ball. The defensive line has decent experience back, but the production fell off considerable under the coach duo of Marco Coleman and Brian Baker compared to David Turner and Larry Knight the previous year. Key jettisoned Coleman and Baker in the offseason despite being very close with Coleman and the duo of Simpson and Pope will aim to bring back the mojo to the DL that should produce more sacks, TFLs and pressures than they did.
Santucci will handle the linebacker position overall and he has his work cut out for him with two of the more productive linebackers, Paul Moala and Braelen Oliver out of eligibility, one strong returning starter in Kyle Efford who improved dramatically as his playing time increased and the inconsistent Tren Tatum as the lone other returning player from a four-man rotation at those two spots last season. Tech added E.J. Lightsey from UGA and Jackson Hamilton from Louisville, but neither of them have extensive game experience playing major snaps at linebacker. They need to find two LBs to rotation with Efford and Tatum especially given Tatum's hold and cold streaks as a player.
In the secondary, things look better with a lot of options at cornerback with Ahmari Harvey and Rodney Shelley both back. Those two played a lot of snaps in the back half of the season and Harvey was Tech's best CB overall last season coverage-wise down the stretch. Syeed Gibbs and Warren Burrell were brought in to compete and push in the secondary.
The safety spots should be LaMiles Brooks who had a really difficult junior season due to injuries starting in the season opener and Clayton Powell-Lee who was inconsistent in his sophomore season. The nickel spot will be interesting as Santucci could do something different there. Omar Daniels looked good in his limited snaps behind K.J. Wallace who transferred to UCLA. Taye Seymore seems like a guy GT needs to get on the field at one of these three spots and Khari Gee a year removed from a pretty serious health scare could hopefully push as well for playing time entering his final season.
All three kicking specialists are back and the Jackets added some new blood via the portal to the snapping game with Ronnie Thomas from Kennesaw State to push returning starter Henry Freer and walk-ons Joseph Soever and converted OL Will Scissum at that spot.
Overall, Tech has a very solid core back on offense and Faulkner should be able to add wrinkles and complexity to his system in year two with Haynes King at the helm. I'm excited to see the QB room and how the true freshmen come along and if they can continue to develop the run package with Zach Pyron now that they have more depth at the QB position and King has more confidence in his role. King needs to improve his reads and progressions and stop forcing the ball with predetermined throws that led to about half of his 16 interceptions. If he can just improve in that area, the Tech offense should be humming come the fall.
Defensively, there is a lot of work to do, but a lot to like about some of the pieces. I think it will come down to pass rush and tackling once again for the Jackets. When they've been able to get pressure in games and tackle well, they play better. The defense just was very inconsistent under the previous regimes in both categories and that puts too much pressure on the back seven and then things unravel.
That is what Key is paying Santucci to fix and that will be a big storyline in spring ball.
Last year was a learning year for Brent Key and Georgia Tech football as the first-year head coach was experiencing a list of firsts running a program. The 2024 spring will have some new wrinkles as well and a lot of teaching on one side of the ball.
For the first time since the spring of 2018 and maybe even 2016, the Georgia Tech offense has the majority of the pieces back and a competent offense led by Buster Faulkner and the offensive staff where there was limited turnover with just the change at WR coach. The leading passer, rusher, receiver and four of the five starting offensive linemen are back. The major questions facing this group mainly revolve this spring about finding consistency at the WR spot opposite Eric Singleton Jr. and what the TE room looks like with only Brett Seither back from the trio last year led by Dylan Leonard. Seither was a good receiving weapon, but a back injury limited his overall snap count benefitting Luke Benson last year. They will need someone to replace the quality reps and work Leonard gave them. The WR position has been beset with numerous injuries over the last few years headlined by Leo Blackburn's two ACL injuries.
Developing more depth at various positions and finding a replacement for Dontae Smith who was the yin to Jamal Haynes' yang at RB will also be a priority though I would put my money on Anthony Carrie taking that role.
The bigger questions come on the other side of the ball. That was the more stable side coming into Key's first full year, but after a very disappointing 2023 on that side of the ball, Key cleaned house replacing every single coach and even some support staff on that side of the ball. Enter Tyler Santucci the new DC, Jess Simpson the DL coach, Kyle Pope coaching OLB/rush, Cory Peoples coaching DBs and special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield also coaching corners now.
Key made changes on that side of the ball the priority in the offseason and that area is the biggest concern and question going into spring ball. The defensive line has decent experience back, but the production fell off considerable under the coach duo of Marco Coleman and Brian Baker compared to David Turner and Larry Knight the previous year. Key jettisoned Coleman and Baker in the offseason despite being very close with Coleman and the duo of Simpson and Pope will aim to bring back the mojo to the DL that should produce more sacks, TFLs and pressures than they did.
Santucci will handle the linebacker position overall and he has his work cut out for him with two of the more productive linebackers, Paul Moala and Braelen Oliver out of eligibility, one strong returning starter in Kyle Efford who improved dramatically as his playing time increased and the inconsistent Tren Tatum as the lone other returning player from a four-man rotation at those two spots last season. Tech added E.J. Lightsey from UGA and Jackson Hamilton from Louisville, but neither of them have extensive game experience playing major snaps at linebacker. They need to find two LBs to rotation with Efford and Tatum especially given Tatum's hold and cold streaks as a player.
In the secondary, things look better with a lot of options at cornerback with Ahmari Harvey and Rodney Shelley both back. Those two played a lot of snaps in the back half of the season and Harvey was Tech's best CB overall last season coverage-wise down the stretch. Syeed Gibbs and Warren Burrell were brought in to compete and push in the secondary.
The safety spots should be LaMiles Brooks who had a really difficult junior season due to injuries starting in the season opener and Clayton Powell-Lee who was inconsistent in his sophomore season. The nickel spot will be interesting as Santucci could do something different there. Omar Daniels looked good in his limited snaps behind K.J. Wallace who transferred to UCLA. Taye Seymore seems like a guy GT needs to get on the field at one of these three spots and Khari Gee a year removed from a pretty serious health scare could hopefully push as well for playing time entering his final season.
All three kicking specialists are back and the Jackets added some new blood via the portal to the snapping game with Ronnie Thomas from Kennesaw State to push returning starter Henry Freer and walk-ons Joseph Soever and converted OL Will Scissum at that spot.
Overall, Tech has a very solid core back on offense and Faulkner should be able to add wrinkles and complexity to his system in year two with Haynes King at the helm. I'm excited to see the QB room and how the true freshmen come along and if they can continue to develop the run package with Zach Pyron now that they have more depth at the QB position and King has more confidence in his role. King needs to improve his reads and progressions and stop forcing the ball with predetermined throws that led to about half of his 16 interceptions. If he can just improve in that area, the Tech offense should be humming come the fall.
Defensively, there is a lot of work to do, but a lot to like about some of the pieces. I think it will come down to pass rush and tackling once again for the Jackets. When they've been able to get pressure in games and tackle well, they play better. The defense just was very inconsistent under the previous regimes in both categories and that puts too much pressure on the back seven and then things unravel.
That is what Key is paying Santucci to fix and that will be a big storyline in spring ball.
