Georgia Tech's Offense Was Completely Disrespected by EA Sports College Football 25
EA Sports College Football 25 is set to release next month and there is a lot of excitement from fans of the video game franchise and college football fans alike. EA has been releasing info about the game a little bit at a time and today, they revealed their top 25 offenses in the game.
Georgia Tech was missing though and I thinkt that was pretty disrespectful to a team that had one of the best offenses in the ACC, including the No. 1 rushing offense in the ACC. They return almost all of their starters and should be one of the top offenses in the conference and the country this season. It does not seem that EA Sports agrees though and teams like Colorado and Clemson were rated higher than the Yellow Jackets offense.
NEW: EA Sports reveals the top 25 offenses for College Football 25. pic.twitter.com/xzmkoSUICB
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) June 27, 2024
Colorado just finished 99th nationally in yards per play and ... it ranks 9th overall among offenses in College Football 25.
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) June 27, 2024
Clemson finished 98th and ... ranks 10th. https://t.co/XWkeiVyKWf
Colorado has two star players in Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders on their offense, but the rest of their pieces on offense are not enough to justify them being in the top ten offenses in the country. Clemson has been struggling on that side of the ball for the past couple of seasons and doesn't deserve to be ranked in the top ten offenses in the game. NC State is another team that should not be in the top 25.
Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King was one of only two players in the nation with at least 2,700 passing yards, 600 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes, and five touchdown runs this season (joining LSU’s Jayden Daniels), and one of only six ACC players to achieve those numbers in a regular season since 2000. He led the ACC in touchdown passes and was fourth in passing yards. He is back for another season on The Flats and might be the best quarterback in the conference this year. One reason to buy into the Yellow Jackets is that they might have the best quarterback on the field against many of their opponents.
Jamal Haynes was such a great story last season. He made the change from wide receiver to running back during fall camp and that move paid dividends. Haynes earned all-ACC honors as a running back (third team) and was an honorable mention all-purpose performer. He led Georgia Tech with 1,059 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, and six yards per carry ranked second on the team. Those numbers ranked fifth in the ACC in rushing yards and he was tied for sixth in the conference with seven rushing touchdowns and his 6.0 yards per carry ranked third in the league. Haynes had a strong bowl performance against UCF rushing for a game-high 128 yards on 18 carries. He also had a good outing against the Georgia Bulldogs rushing for 81 yards. Haynes was the second highest-rated player on the Yellow Jackets per Pro Football Focus with a 76.9 score and looks primed for another big season in 2024. I think he is in for a huge season and is not getting the recognition he has earned.
This is going to be one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the ACC and there are some newcomers who could bolster the group.
Eric Singleton Jr was the highest-rated player in the Yellow Jackets 2023 recruiting class according to 247Sports and he looked like he might be a potential superstar last season.
Singleton Jr. ranked fourth among all freshmen nationally (true or redshirt) in 2023 with 59.5 receiving yards per game and was tied for fourth among true freshmen nationally with six touchdown receptions. His 714 receiving yards and six touchdown catches both ranked among the top 10 overall in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while his six TD receptions were the second-most by a freshman in Georgia Tech history. Could he have an even better season in 2024? I think it is certainly possible and the chemistry between him and King was noticeable last year.
Singleton is not the only dangerous receiver for the Yellow Jackets.
Malik Rutherford was the second-leading receiver on Georgia Tech. He caught 46 passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 10. 5 yards per catch. His biggest performance came in Georgia Tech's big win over North Carolina. Rutherford caught six passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. He was a reliable player and could stretch the field with his speed. He is also a player who can get the ball in a variety of ways.
Christian Leary was the fourth-leading receiver for Georgia Tech this season, catching 25 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, while also returning kickoffs.
Chase Lane had a good start to the year, but injuries cost him some time. I think he could have a really good 2024 season if he stays healthy. Duquesne transfer Abdul Janneh had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. He will once again provide depth for Georgia Tech next year.
Leo Blackburn is one of the most physically impressive players on the Georgia Tech roster at 6'5 220 LBS and if he is able to stay healthy this season, he could add a whole new element to the Yellow Jackets offense.
The offensive line is going to be one of the best in the ACC as well.
In just one season, head coach Brent Key and first-year offensive line coach Geep Wade turned Georgia Tech's offensive line from its biggest weakness to perhaps the best unit on the entire team. Georgia Tech went from one of the worst rushing teams in the ACC to leading the league in rushing. It was a pretty stunning turnaround if you had watched the line in 2022 and the good news for the Yellow Jackets is that the offensive line returns four of the five starters and added an All-Conference transfer this offseason.
JACKSON CAUDELL
Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation