Georgia Tech Football: Post-Spring Offensive Depth Chart Projection

Georgia Tech's offense shined in the spring game

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
May 8, 2023 6:47 PM EDT

In this story:

The Georgia Tech offense was the better side of the ball during the spring game and although the defense was very vanilla, it was encouraging to see the quarterbacks play well and multiple receivers make plays. The offensive line was solid and the running back room looked like it could have multiple contributors.

There are still plenty of positions up for grabs after the spring and I am going to try my best to nail down the depth chart for this offense ahead of the fall.

Quarterback

Zach Pyron at spring game — Zach Pyron shined in the spring game for Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Athletics

This is going to be the position that gets the most attention for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets entered the spring with a competition between Zach Pyron, Haynes King, and Zach Gibson and all three quarterbacks had their moments in the spring game. Pyron was 11-16 for 153 yards in the spring game and I think he looked sharp.

Learning a new offense, Pyron seemed the most comfortable knowing where to go with the ball and his accuracy was good all day. He moves well in the pocket and I think he was the most impressive.

King had a good day as well and I think he has the strongest arm of the three quarterbacks. He was 13-22 for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the spring game.

Gibson showed good decision-making, but I still think he is behind the other two quarterbacks. It is good to have a quarterback with experience on the roster and he could be needed if either quarterback gets hurt.

I think Pyron pulled ahead, but I still don't have a feel for how this will end up. We likely won't know until the fall.

Projection:

1. Zach Pyron

2. Haynes King

3. Zach Gibson

Running Back

Dontae Smith is back for another season at Georgia Tech

This could be the deepest position on the offense. Multiple guys looked solid in the spring game and while I don't think there is a star talent in the backfield, this could be a really good group this fall if the offensive line makes the necessary improvements.

In the spring game, Dontae Smith had five carries for 27 yards, Trey Cooley led the team with eight carries for 59 yards, Jamie Felix had seven carries for 29 yards, and true freshman Evan Dickens had six carries for 24 yards.

The group did lose Antonio Martin to the transfer portal, but I was not expecting him to be a big contributor this upcoming season, despite being the highest-ranked recruit in the 2022 class according to 247Sports.

I don't expect one guy to dominate the carries in the running game this fall so just because someone is low on the depth chart does not mean they won't have a chance to get carries.

Projection:

1. Dontae Smith

2. Trey Cooley

3. Jamie Felix

4. Evan Dickens

Wide Receiver

Christian Leary was targeted heavily in Georgia Tech's Spring Game

This is a huge question mark on the offense, but the spring showed there could be some answers to this position.

Malik Rutherford was the star of the spring game and I left Bobby Dodd Stadium that day impressed with his ability to make plays after the catch and how dependable he was all day. He finished the day with seven catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He could be the No. 1 receiver on the team this season.

D.J. Moore was the other impressive player that day, catching four passes for 92 yards and one touchdown. Avery Boyd (two catches for 66 yards) and Christian Leary (Three catches for 35 yards) were two other guys that stood out.

Duquesne transfer Abdul Janneh had one catch for 38 yards in the spring game. It should be noted that Texas A&M transfer Chase Lane will be arriving in the summer and will be competing for a starting spot this season and I think he will be in the thick of things.

I also think there is a good chance that both Rutherford and Leary play inside and on the outside as the spring game indicated. Keep an eye out on the two freshmen coming in this summer, Eric Singleton Jr and Bryce Dopson. Both players provide speed to the offense and I would not be surprised to see them earn playing time as the season goes on. Juju Lewis and James Blackstrain are also going to have a chance to compete this fall

Projection:

X Receiver:

1. Malik Rutherford

2. Abdul Janneh

Slot:

1. Christian Leary

2. Malik Rutherford or Jamal Haynes

Z Receiver:

1. D.J. Moore

2. Chase Lane

Tight End

Tight end was a big question mark heading into the Spring and my opinion of that did not change after the spring game.

Dylan Leonard led the way with four catches for 43 yards and Billy Ward, Jackson Long, and Brett Seither all had at least one catch. Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Buster Faulkner used a lot of two tight end sets during the game and I will be interested to see if he continues to do so this fall. The wide receivers were the better group this spring and I think the offense would look more dangerous with more receivers on the field than tight ends.

I projected Seither as the starting tight end before the spring and I still think he will have a role to play in this offense, but I am going with Leonard for now.

Projection:

1. Dylan Leonard

2. Brett Seither

3. Billy Ward

4. Jackson Long

Offensive Line:

This position is going to need big improvement this season if this offense wants any chance to improve. They were solid in the spring game, but I am waiting until the fall to see how this group looks.

They won't be lacking in experience and the entire starting line is back. Corey Robinson, Joe Fusile, Weston Franklin, Jordan Williams, and Jakiah Leftwich were the starting group at the end of the year and I believe they will start the season that way. Both Brent Key and offensive line coach Geep Wade praised Frankina and Fusile for their leadership this spring. Any of these spots could be up for grabs, but I think the starters will remain the same until their play dictates otherwise.

The backups will be interesting. Tyler Gibson, Brandon Best, Elias Cloy, and Wing Green will be the favorites to be the backups. Gibson and Cloy played left and right tackle during the spring game and Green, Best, and Paul Tchio will be competing for the other spots.

Charlotte transfer Jordan Brown did not play in the spring game and I think he will be competing for a backup role as well.

This is a position where there are going to be some freshmen coming in this summer and I will be interested to see what they can do in the fall. Gabe Fortson, Patrick Screws, Ethan Mackenny, and Benjamin Galloway are all a part of the 2023 class, but they did not have the benefit of going through the spring like Cloy did as a freshman.