Position Battles to watch for Georgia Tech entering fall camp

Georgia Tech will have battles at a number of positions in fall camp

Jackson Caudell | Jul 31, 2023

Position Battles to watch for Georgia Tech entering fall camp /

In this story:

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Fall practice begins tomorrow for Georgia Tech and will also be one month before they take the field against Louisville in Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Before they face the Cardinals though, there is a lot that Brent Key and the staff need to figure out. Georgia Tech has a chance to make its first bowl game since 2018, but some key positional battles will need to be sorted out.

Let's take a look at some of the most important position battles.

Quarterback

Let's talk about the biggest battle that Georgia Tech will have in practice leading up to the game against Louisville,

The quarterback battle is going to be taking center stage for the Yellow Jackets and the two contenders for the job are going to be redshirt freshman Zach Pyron and Texas A&M transfer Haynes King. I expect this to be a close battle all the way through camp and it could go either way.

During the spring, Key talked about the ongoing quarterback battle and what he expects:

"It is a competition for sure. It really is. Zach has experience playing games here and Haynes has played games somewhere else and both of the Zachs... when there is a familiarity with the guys around you, it puts the guys on offense at ease a little. It is a voice they recognize, a cadence, rhythmatic coming from that person so there is a familiarity that both of the Zachs came in with.

I think all three have strengths and all three have things they need to continue to work on but all have shown at different times and in different situations, the poise and the ability to take advantage and execute what we want them to do. Now, as the situational part of the game really kicks up as this week continues to go on and through the scrimmage on Saturday, that is where you really have to see the command really start to take place and then as tempo starts to increase, increase, and increase, it is the ability to play at a high level and tempo on offense and play really fast but that quarterback have that command and control of the offense and keep them calm while they are doing it.

I have been pleased with the progression of all three of them. Buster (Faulkner) does a really good job... it was the first time on the headsets hearing him call an entire game so that was good for me to hear how he calls it, the flow of the game and how he really adapts how he calls it with each quarterback that is in there so it puts them in position to make plays and take advantage of our strengths and make sure we stay away and kind of disguise and hide some of our inefficiencies."

He also had this to say about King:

"He has a high IQ, a high football IQ. Anybody that has played in games, that is the real advantage we have, all three quarterbacks have played in games, in college football games. You can't replace experience at all. As someone who is new to the team, he commands respect in the locker room and respect on the field and that is something you look for. One of the top qualities of quarterbacks is leadership and the ability to lead others and I have been encouraged with that out of Haynes."

Pyron showed flashes toward the end of the season when he became the starting quarterback. King started games at A&M and almost led the Aggies to an upset over Alabama last season.

The coaching staff has to make the right choice for the most important position on the field. Let's see who separates themselves over the next few weeks.

Wide Receiver

Dominick Blaylock — Georgia Tech has a new-look receiver room in 2023 / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

There are so many new faces in the Georgia Tech wide receiver room that the position has to be here.

Georgia Tech has welcomed in four transfers this offseason and how each of them mixes in with the guys returning will be something to watch. Dominick Blaylock, Abdul Janneh, Chase Lane, and Christian Leary are all going to be looking to get on the field this fall and I am interested to see where each guy is used. Blaylock and Lane did not participate in spring practice and arrived this summer.

Malik Rutherford, D.J. Moore, and Avery Boyd each made plays during the spring and should factor in heavily.

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.

Defensive End

Georgia Tech is looking to replace Keion White this season and has experienced players to do so. Kyle Kennard stared opposite of White last year and Sylvain Yondjouen is likely to play plenty this year, but what about the other guys?

Listening to defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker this spring, there are some guys to watch in practice this fall:

"Yeah, I'll give you names. Noah Collins, Kyle Kennard, and Kevin Harris have an opportunity to have real downs and have some experience. They are literally in a three-headed competition. At some point they have been with every group in first, second, or third string. This offseason is huge as far as them understanding the position and I would argue that one of the most complex positions is the rush position as far as what we ask them to do."

Josh Robinson and USF transfer Eddie Kelly are also going to be factors here. Georgia Tech needs to find guys that can consistently defend the run and the pass like White and if they can, their defense could be solid.

Linebacker

Kyle Efford is going to compete for a spot at linebacker this season / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech is replacing two linebackers that each had 100+ tackles last year and they were active in the transfer portal this offseason.

With Ace Eley and Charlie Thomas gone, Georgia Tech is going to have to figure out who is going to replace them this fall. New co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer has four transfers and young players fighting for those spots

Trenilyas Tatum, Andre White Jr, Braelen Oliver, Paul Moala, Tyson Meiguez, and Kyle Efford are the guys that I think are going to be vying for those spots. Tatum, White, Oliver, and Moala have the most experience, and White in particular is someone that I am excited to see.

Thomas and Eley didn't just rack up lots of tackles though. They were both effective when blitzing and creating havoc and that is something that is not easy to replace. This is an interesting position room that has a lot to sort out.

Cornerback

After Zamari Walton transferred, it was known that Georgia Tech was going to have to find someone to step up on the other side of Myles Sims.

Like defensive end, Georgia Tech has experienced players that are competing to play this season. Kenyatta Watson, Kenan Johnson, and Ahmari Harvey are some of the guys competing for the job, as is Kansas State transfer Omar Daniels.

Here is what Thacker had to say about the competition this spring:

""Kenan Johnson has been behind and another one that I want to make sure that I bring up is Kenyatta Watson and Rodney Shelley is playing the slot nickel position so it is corner and we have the nickel position, we also see the nickel as a corner/slot guy. For example, Rodney is playing outside of the slot corner right now because there are more jobs to be able to do and you can learn the complexities of the defense and then to kick back out and know the complexity of the defense and do a better job but maybe a tougher technique.

So there is some competition outside of that spot, Kenyatta has the most experience and played the most downs, and Kenan Johnson, I would compliment him on his first four days, he has put some good tape out there."

Georgia Tech has talented safeties and the secondary should be the strength of the defense. It could be a really fun group if the cornerback position gets solved.

Facebook: All Yellow Jackets

Twitter: @AllYellowJacket

Follow Jackson on Twitter: @jacksoncaudell

Follow Madison on Twitter: @Madison_Meyers7

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @kistner__

See all of the latest Tech News at AllYellowJackets.com

Check out the Georgia Tech Homepage

Listen to the Goal Line Stand Podcast for the best Georgia Tech and national college football coverage!

Quarterback

Wide Receiver

Defensive End

Linebacker

Cornerback

More Georgia Tech Related Content: