Brent Key Gives His Thoughts On Georgia Tech's Tight Ends After First Day Of Fall Camp

Georgia Tech has brought in a lot of new faces at the tight end position for 2024

Oct 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the field before a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech is back on the practice field and Fall Camp is officially underway. The Yellow Jackets are less than a month away from starting the season against Florida State in Ireland, but there is still work to be done ahead of the huge game against the Seminoles.

One of the positions to watch this season is going to be tight end. Georgia Tech is bringing back many pieces from one of the ACC's top offenses, but they are going to have a lot of new faces at the tight end spot. Dylan Leonard and Luke Benson are gone and Brett Seither is the only player who returned and got meaningful snaps last season. Head coach Brent Key brought in transfers Jackson Hawes and Ryland Goede, as well as freshman Luke Harpring and David Prince. How will this position shake out in 2024? After practice yesterday, Key went in depth about the tight ends:

"Yeah, we have numbers to start and we're going to use tight ends. We use tight ends in a lot of different ways. It's a very stressed position because it's not just lining up with the line of scrimmage and blocking the defensive end. I mean, we've got a lot of motions, a lot of different things we do with those guys. They're smart kids, fortunate to bring some guys in that have experience in playing big games, and they know what it's supposed to look like. They know the work ethic that it takes to be a championship team. And then Brett not being out there in the spring time having surgery. And it was one of those things where he had the decision to make after the season to have the surgery and it was a risky choice for him. Wanting to be 100 % if he had the surgery that he was gonna be able to come back. And he wanted to be a part of the team and wanted to be here. And if he could be more than 100, it would be, but it was 100 % successful. And he's been a different since he's been like, just been full go adds a lot of value. Not just that tight end room, but as a leader on the team, he's speaking up. He's vocal. He's not afraid to speak his mind, which is important, especially in this day and age for a young person to speak up about what's right. And he's done it all summer. He's got, we added to leadership for what he's done. So what in the springtime was a very thin position, I think it's going to be a strength force again this year"

Georgia Tech is deep at the wide receiver position so the tight ends might not be counted on to have a huge impact when it comes to catching the ball, but it is always an added bonus for an offense. The Yellow Jackets have plenty of options at tight end this season and it will be worth monitoring to see who emerges from this group.