Three Position Battles to Watch as Georgia Tech Begins Fall Camp

There are some intriguing position battles to watch for Georgia Tech as the season draws closer

Nov 25, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tight end Brett Seither (80) reaches for a ball in front of Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. (2) in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech begins practice tonight and the 2024 season is getting closer. The Yellow Jackets are going to kick things off this year overseas in a high-profile week zero matchup against Florida State, but they are going to be focusing on themselves for the next couple of weeks before turning their attention to the Seminoles.

During Fall Camp, what are going to be some position battles worth monitoring for Georgia Tech? Here are three that I am keeping an eye on, listed in no particular order.

1. Tight End

Georgia Tech is losing Dylan Leonard and Luke Benson to the NFL and there is no clear answer as to who can replace them. The Yellow Jackets do return Brett Seither, but they have also added Jackson Hawes (Yale), Ryland Goede (Mississippi State/Georgia), and true freshman Luke Harpring. Who is going to take the starting spot or will multiple guys play? I think it will be the latter, at least to start the season.

Seither found a way to make an impact in some games, mostly by catching the football. Seither caught a touchdown in the first game of the year against Louisville, had a 35-yard touchdown in the upset win over North Carolina, and had a 28-yard catch against Georgia. Georgia Tech has a lot of depth at wide receiver and they use a lot of multiple wide receiver sets so Seither does not get a lot of opportunity to make plays, but he took advantage of the times that he did. He finished with seven catches for 101 yards and four touchdowns. 

Per PFF (Pro Football Focus), Goede had 158 run-blocking snaps and 54 pass-blocking snaps, twice the amount of snaps that he played where he ran a route. He finished with a 60.3 pass-blocking grade and a 60.9 Run-Blocking grade per PFF. Mississippi State was a more run-heavy team last year and Goede was used more for blocking than receiving. That does not mean he can't turn into a reliable receiver, but I think it could offer a glimpse of the kind of role that Brent Key and Buster Faulkner envision for Goede in 2024.

Hawes was praised consistently this spring for his ability to catch the ball over the middle and his usage in the red zone. I think he could add a pass-catching element to the offense.

Harpring was one of the highest-rated commits in the 2024 class for Georgia Tech (Four-Star No. 201, No. 15 TE according to 247Sports) and he is going to be coming into what is a position of need for Georgia Tech. Harpring has immense upside and his athleticism could allow him to get on the field and make an impact for Georgia Tech. 

Having a threat at tight end in the passing game would open this offense even more. Keep an eye on this position battle.

2. Linebacker

While Kyle Efford is going to be one of the best players on the defense, there is going to be competition for the other spot. Transfers E.J. Lightsey (Georgia) and Jackson Hamilton (Louisville) will be in the mix, as well as Trenilyas Tatum.

Hamilton played three years for the Cardinals from 2021-2023 and in his three seasons, he totaled 17 tackles and one pass deflection. At 6'1 220 LBS, he will bring athleticism to the position and I am anxious to see how he will fit in the defense this year. 

Last season, Hamilton graded out well on PFF (Pro Football Focus), but it was a small sample size. He played 55 snaps and had a 69.1 defensive grade, with a high mark of 81.1 in run defense. Again, it is a limited sample, but there is some proof that Hamilton has a big step he can take as a linebacker. 

Lightsey was a signing day addition for the Yellow Jackets in December and he hopes to be one of the missing pieces on the defense. Now, Lightsey is going to have to show that he can stay healthy. he was not able to do that last season and did not play in a game for the Bulldogs. In 2022, he played 19 total snaps and finished with a 66.8 grade on defense and a good mark on tackling.

Trenilyas Tatum, who started multiple games this past season, has 81 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble so far in his career. Could he be a starter or provide depth? Either way, having a player with his experience is huge for a defense looking to improve.

3. Cornerback and Nickel

I know I am cheating a bit here, but I am going to lump these two spots into one. Like linebacker, the cornerback spot for Georgia Tech has one guy who should be locked into a spot, but competition for the other spot will be important to watch. Ahmari Harvey is back and really played well towards the end of the season, but who is going to start opposite of him?

One of the transfers that Georgia Tech took this offseason was Tennessee transfer Warren Burrell, a guy who has plenty of experience and also had a good spring game performance.

He played in 40 games and registered 22 starts. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated 89 total tackles, nine PBUs, one interception, and a fumble recovery. According to PFF (Pro Football Focus), Burrell played 1, 647 snaps during his career in Knoxville, with 823 of those snaps coming in 2021. His best season from a PFF grading perspective came last season. He finished with a 68.0 overall grade on defense, a 67.3 in run defense, a very good 82.0 tackling grade, and a 67.2 grade in coverage. In all of his seasons with the Volunteers, Burrell graded out well as a tackler and that is going to be huge, as tackling was a big issue for Georgia Tech last season at every position. 

Gibbs is a transfer that Georgia Tech took from Rhode Island and I think he could also play the Nickel spot. Gibbs totaled 52 tackles, three tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and three interceptions last season and he has three years of eligibility remaining.

Zachary Tobe was a late addition to the roster from Illinois, but I think he could make an impact this season.

Tobe had 25 tackles and five pass deflections this season.

According to PFF, Tobe was the 15th-highest graded player on the Illinois defense, finishing with a 65.6 grade, including an 83.7 grade in run defense and a 73.9 tackling grade, which is really good for a defensive back. He had a 62.1 grade in coverage. Based on the grades, Tobe will be a solid tackler at the position, with the upside to improve in coverage.

Rodney Shelley is a player who I think could play either Nickel or Cornerback, as well as being a returner for the team. Shelley saw action in 12 regular season games and made his first career start against UGA on November 1st. In 2023, he finished with 16 tackles, a PBU, and a blocked kick. He saw more action as the season wore on and had an impressive game against Syracuse tallying five tackles in the bowl-clinching win.

Omar Daniels transferred over to Georgia Tech from Kansas State and he will be in the mix for the Nickel spot this season. Last season he appeared in nine games for the Yellow Jackets as a reserve defensive back. He made his first tackle in the season opener vs Louisville. He finished with three tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass defensed.