Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Ranked 8th in 247Sports ACC Preseason Power Rankings

Where should Georgia Tech be ranked to start the year in the ACC Power Rankings?

Nov 25, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) runs the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech's season is inching closer, with the Yellow Jackets season opener against Florida State in Ireland now just nine days away. That is going to be the top matchup of the weekend and will give an early glimpse as to whether Georgia Tech might be ready to take a step forward this season. Florida State is going to enter this season as the defending ACC champion and the preseason pick to win the league again while the Yellow Jackets are hoping that an electric offense and improved defense can make them a dark horse in the ACC.

With the start of the season comes new power rankings. 247Sports released their ACC power rankings this week and Florida State is No. 1, while Georgia Tech is No. 8. Here is what 247Sports analyst Cody Nagel had to say about the Yellow Jackets to start the year:

Post-spring power ranking: No. 10

"Georgia Tech has not made consecutive bowl appearances in more than a decade. The Yellow Jackets seem to have momentum under coach Brent Key after a strong finish to the 2023 campaign. They are also among the power conference leaders for returning starters in 2024. The duo of quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes provide plenty of optimism for the Georgia Tech offense. Defensively, the Yellow Jackets are in need of improvement after ranking last in the ACC with 6.29 yards allowed per play last season. Unfortunately, the schedule is brutally tough with five games against teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25."

The schedule is daunting, but there is a chance for a fast start if they can pull an upset in Ireland next Saturday. The Yellow Jackets should be favored in their next games against Georgia State, Syracuse, and VMI. Their next big test will come on the road vs Louisville.

After a practice this week, Norvell had a lot of good things to say about Georgia Tech's offense and the different ways they can attack you:

“I think it’s one of the better offenses in the league and probably in the country,” Mike Norvell said. “They return a lot of guys. Up front, they do a good job. They’ve got very explosive skill position players, guys that are really fast, they’re tough to tackle. Running back is outstanding, over 1,000 yards. I think he was over six yards a carry last year. The quarterback makes everything go. Haynes [King] is a really good player,” Norvell said. “You saw his confidence grow as the season continued to go on. I think they do a good job of putting those guys in a position to be able to make plays. He’s going to be involved in the run game. They’re going to try to stretch it out sideline to sideline, but also very physically in their approach of what they want to do,” Norvell said. “Horizontally, vertically, they’re going to try to attack everything on the field. So, it’s really going to take all 11 being on point and playing at a high level.”

The matchup between Georgia Tech's offense and the Florida State defense is going to be one to watch. Georgia Tech has Haynes King, Jamal Haynes, a talented group of receivers, and one of the best offensive lines in the ACC, but FSU has high-level players at each level of the defense.