Georgia Tech Football: Three Yellow Jackets to Watch on Saturday Against the Tar Heels

Players to watch for the Yellow Jackets on Saturday

Sep 7, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange running back Will Nixon (24) is tackled by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Taye Seymore (7) in the third quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech has a chance to advance to 5-2 on the season and has everything ahead of them as they get ready for their matchup against North Carolina. An impressive stat for Georgia Tech is that they are ranked as a top 45 unit nationally in total defense (32nd) and total offense (42nd). They are a much better unit on the defensive side of the ball this season compared to last where they were ranked in the bottom of the NCAA. The Yellow Jackets haven't allowed 100 rushing yards for the third consecutive week. Here are some players to watch for the Yellow Jackets who could have a big impact. 

WR Bailey Stockton- A name you are probably surprised to see here because of the limited amount of snaps he sees on the football field. I agree he doesn’t have the most gaudy numbers this season, but when called upon Stockton makes big plays. In just four snaps, he had a catch for 18 yards. The catch was the second-longest passing play on Saturday night for Georgia Tech. He received a PFF grade of 76.6 in limited action which was the second-highest on the team. We saw Jordan van den Berg get more snaps each week as he became more productive and now he’s earned a starting role and had one of his best games in a Yellow Jacket uniform against Duke. Georgia Tech hasn’t been shy about giving freshman receivers playing time. In fact, freshman WR Isaiah Canion saw the field a good bit against Duke this past week. Stockton has been used frequently when Georgia Tech goes to certain offensive packages where they swap in different receivers like Stockton, Canion, Leo Blackburn, and Abdul Janneh. Stockton is a name that can continue to carve out a key role for the team and could see more snaps on Saturday, especially with how efficient he has been in his snaps. 

WR Eric Singleton Jr- He was rated the third-highest player on PFF (Pro Football Focus) with a 73.7 grade. Singleton is an explosive player with the ball in his hands. We saw it this past Saturday against Duke on his nine-yard touchdown pass on a screen play in the red zone. The Duke defense had a pretty good beat on what Georgia Tech was going to run and tried to stop the screen. Singleton Jr was simply too fast and elusive outrunning the defense for the score. He finished the game with six catches for 42 yards and a touchdown. Singleton Jr has the capability of going off and making any defense pay for lax coverage. I would like to see the all-American receiver get more runs on deeper routes, possibly on double moves or even shallow crosses to get him the ball in space. The Yellow Jackets didn’t have as many explosive plays as we are accustomed to seeing. I think it starts with getting the ball in the hands of Singleton Jr. We’ve seen some of the explosive plays at times for Singleton Jr against Syracuse and Louisville. Georgia Tech will need more of them if they want an opportunity to come out with a win against UNC. It starts with getting the ball in the hands of No.2.

DB Taye Seymore- It seems like Taye Seymore is getting better every week and is constantly filling the stat sheet. He was the second-leading tackler with five tackles against Duke this past Saturday. He had the highest graded PFF grade on the team last week with 79.3 on 29 snaps. When he is out there, it’s like he is playing at another level. A thing that has stood out is his instincts. He has an uncanny ability to either make a play on the ball and have an interception or pass deflection. He also makes big hits on opposing receivers and ball carriers. His timing is impeccable jarring the ball loose at the right time. Seymore just has a different kind of energy to him and he has been taking full advantage of his opportunities. This season, he has 25 tackles and a pass deflection. Seymore is the third-leading tackler on the team this season. Expect him to make his presence felt against North Carolina and make some plays in that vaunted secondary. 

You can expect these players to make an impact on the road Saturday for Georgia Tech at Chapel Hill. It may get downplayed, but this is a massive game for the Yellow Jackets. With a win, they will be just one win away from becoming bowl-eligible after just seven games played.