Georgia Tech Football fall camp position preview: Wide Receivers

Georgia Tech has a completely remade wide receiver room in 2023

Jackson Caudell | Jul 23, 2023

Georgia Tech Football fall camp position preview: Wide Receivers /

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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Perhaps no other position has gone as much turnover this offseason for Georgia Tech as wide receiver.

Nate McCollum, Ryan King, and Kalani Norris transferred while E.J. Jenkins and Malachi Carter took their talents to the NFL. Malik Rutherford is the leading returning receiver for the Yellow Jackets and he showed in the spring game that he might be the No. 1 target for whichever quarterback wins the starting job.

Let's take a look at how the wide receiver position stacks up for Georgia Tech heading into fall camp and we'll start with which players are returning in 2023.

Rutherford is the guy that you have to start with when talking about the wide receivers for Georgia Tech.

💨💨 @MalikRutherford #GTSpring pic.twitter.com/53eqUi7iD4
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) April 15, 2023

Rutherford finished the day with seven catches for 154 yards, including a 64-yard catch. He was great after the catch and found a way to make guys miss. The highlight of the day for Rutherford came when he reversed his field and scored a touchdown while making plenty of defenders miss.

Rutherford is not the biggest receiver (5'9 155 LBS), but he does have the ability to make guys miss in the open field and stretch a defense vertically from the slot. He was used all over the field in the spring game and I think he can be a guy that can receive handoffs too a couple of times per game. One of the top jobs for new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is to get the ball in the hands of his top playmakers and finding ways with Rutherford needs to happen.

Head coach Brent Key had nothing but good things to say about Rutherford during the spring:

"Malik is a guy that really started coming on at the end of the season and if you go back and look at some games at the end of the season and the things that he was doing in a little more limited role, he was someone who really caught our attention then. His love for the game and the energy that he brings, all 150 LBS in his body is full of energy, they really are and he plays like he is 190-200 LBS, he is tough and not afraid to get in there and do the dirty stuff and block and his personality is infectious and he elevates the play of others around him because he has so much energy and he loves playing football.

At the end of the day it is still a game. It is a hard game to go out and practice every day but it is a game and when you can take the qualities of your football team and you can work and prepare every day for the toughness that you have to, the physical toughness, the mental toughness, have the discipline, but still go out there and have fun, that is when you have a chance to do something really good."

Rutherford was not the only returning receiver that had a nice spring though. D.J. Moore and Avery Boyd made plays and look like they are going to factor in for this offense.

🔥 @ABoyd723 came to play #GTSpring pic.twitter.com/UnEWZ3xqUi
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) April 15, 2023

TO. THE. HOUSE@zach_pyron_05 ➡️ @DjmooreII pic.twitter.com/7UFl7TcwU1
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) April 15, 2023

Jamal Haynes, James Blackstrain, and Juju Lewis are three guys that will need to be able to provide depth for Georgia Tech and Blackstrain has the talent to get on the field.

True freshman Eric Singleton Jr and Zion Taylor have potential and I am excited to see if there is a chance to see if they can crack the rotation. Singleton has blazing speed and could be one to watch for as the season goes on to see if he can get touches. It is tough for freshmen to see the field at any position, but keep an eye on them as the season progresses.

Now let's talk about the transfers being brought in.

Dominick Blaylock is one of four transfer wide receivers coming to Georgia Tech in 2023 / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

It was clear that the Yellow Jackets were looking to add talent and competition to this position this offseason. Chase Lane (Texas A&M), Dominick Blaylock (Georgia), Christian Leary (Alabama), and Abdul Janneh (Duquesne) all have the potential to make impacts on the field this season.

Leary and Janneh went through the spring with the Yellow Jackets, while Blaylock and Lane were additions in the summer.

I think the key to this wide receiver room living up to its potential is staying healthy. Both Blaylock and Lane had injuries while at their previous schools.

Last season, Blaylock had 15 catches for 227 yards and averaged over 15.1 yards per catch.

During his three seasons in Athens, Blaylock posted PFF (Pro Football Focus) grades of 78.9 (2019), 60.4 (2021), and 67.6 (2022). He played the most snaps of his career during the 2019 season (181) and graded out with an 80.9 in the passing game and 52.4 in run blocking. After missing the 2020 season with an injury, Blaylock came back and played just 28 snaps during the 2021 season.

Blaylock got above the 100-snap total last season, playing 152 total snaps and getting a 65.9 grade in the passing game and 76.0 in run blocking.

It is clearly not a large snap count for any of the seasons that he played, but there is clearly an upside with Blaylock if he can stay healthy.

Lane was a three-star recruit from Houston, TX in the 2019 class and he committed to play for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. Here is what 247Sports national scouting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote about Lane as a prospect:

"High-volume playmaker from a talent-laden private school who put up big numbers as a prep standout. Adequate receiver frame with average height and enough space to add bulk in college. Can line up outside or in the slot. Could provide special teams value in the return game. Shows good run-after-catch ability. Light-footed and agile in the short area. Owns above average long speed. Instinctive receiver who runs to open space. Willing to work the middle. Flashes encouraging high-pointing ability and body control in the red zone. Outstanding production. More than 2,000 receiving yards and 20 TD's in final two high school seasons. Must add bulk and strength to combat Power Five defensive backs. May be more quick than fast. Rounds off routes at times. Will be asked to run a full route tree after getting a ton of touches in the screen game in high school. Faces notable jump in competition going from Texas private school level to P5. Intriguing receiver prospect with the athleticism and instincts to become a Power 5 starter."

Lane redshirted during his first season at Texas A&M and played a total of six snaps according to PFF (Pro Football Focus). He would not have his breakout college season until he was a redshirt freshman in 2020.

During the 2020 season, Lane set his career highs with 29 catches for 409 yards and two touchdowns, while averaging 14.1 yards per catch. He played 633 snaps and received a 64.5 grade on PFF, with a 64.2 grade in the passing game and a 61.0 run-blocking grade.

For his career, the 6'0 195 LBS wide receiver totaled 48 catches for 617 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 12.9 yards per catch.

Leary is a former four-star recruit from Orlando, FL and he has spent the last two seasons with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Leary decided to transfer after this past season and initially, it appeared that he was going to transfer home and play for UCF, which is heading to the Big 12 next season. Key was able to flip Leary from UCF and it was quite the pull for the Yellow Jackets head coach.

Leary was well thought of as a recruit and here is what 247Sports recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins wrote in 2020 about Leary:

"Has the looks of a true slot receiver given short stature. Thick trunk. One of the fastest prospects in the class of 2021. Posted a school-record 10.5 in the 100-meter dash as a junior. Speed allows him to take the top off a defense. Capable of creating separation while working across the field. Uses sharp cuts to weave in and out of traffic once the ball is in his hands. Might be on the smaller side, but runs hard in-between the tackles. Took plenty of direct snaps in high school, which frequently moved the chains. Serviceable hands, but limited catch radius. Not the most spirited blocker. Ability to get deep faster than most is a unique trait in an era where almost everyone is trying to air it out on offense. Has the tools to develop into a multi-year starter and a weapon at the Power 5 level if he buys into the process. Potential is there to play on Sundays."

Christian Leary is coming to Georgia Tech via Alabama / Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Coming over from Duquesne, Janneh is projected to be an outside receiver with his size and ball skills and I think that is the thing that stands out the most when watching him play. Last season, he caught 43 passes for 579 yards and was very good at catching the ball in traffic and winning his matchups. He had a nice 38-yard catch in the spring game and showed those skills.

I will be interested to see where some of these guys line up on the field. Leary and Rutherford possess the body type and frame of slot receivers, but that is where Blaylock lined up most of the time at Georgia according to PFF. Lane, Janneh, Boyd, and Moore project best to the outside. Faulkner will have options of who to use and where and that is something to keep a close eye on.

This has a chance to be an improved wide receiver room and I am excited to see. If everyone can stay healthy, this is the most underrated position group on the Yellow Jackets. While it might not be in the upper echelon of the ACC right now, it could be much better than in previous years.

I like the additions through the portal and Rutherford, Boyd, and Moore showed their potential talent this spring. Now, they have to show it on the field this fall.

Georgia Tech vs Louisville will kick off on Sept. 1st at 7:30 on ESPN.

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