Who Are The Georgia Tech Players to Watch For Against Syracuse on Saturday?

Key position groups and players to watch on Saturday

Haynes King and Jamal Haynes Celebrating / Photo By Arvon Bacon (SI)

The Syracuse offense was explosive last week when they played Ohio, garnering 480 yards of offense. Quarterback Kyle McCord was 27-39 for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Syracuse is a team that wants to throw the ball and get the ball to its playmakers. There are several players to watch on Saturday, but there are a few groups that will be vital to the Yellow Jackets’ success this upcoming week. 

Georgia Tech defensive line- A position group to watch this week is the defensive line due to the emphasis on getting pressure on McCord. McCord showed last Saturday that they can march up and down the field or hit you with a big play. The Yellow Jackets have just one sack in the first two games. It is crucial to the success of this team that this unit creates more pressure on the QB, especially if they want to contend in the ACC. A player I pointed out last week to watch was EDGE Romello Height who posted the third-best PFF grade on defense with a 70.0 grade against Georgia State. Other players will have to step up like standout DL Zeek Biggers, DL Makius Scott, and EDGE Sylvain Yondjouen. The good thing is that Georgia Tech just needs this group to play well collectively and they will have a good opportunity to make plays on defense.

DB Warren Burrell- He is one of the best defensive backs on the team and had a stellar performance against Georgia State. Burrell posted the second-highest PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade with a 70.6. He was the third leading tackler on the team finishing with six and also had two pass deflections. Although he doesn't have any interceptions on the season, don’t be surprised if he gets one soon. Burrell has impeccable ball skills and made great plays on the ball deflecting passes last Saturday. The Tennessee transfer has been a reliable backend defender and has helped contribute to a better unit in 2024. He will likely be tested on Saturday against Syracuse, and he could be a key factor on defense for the Yellow Jackets helping prevent big plays. 

WR Malik Rutherford- Rutherford had his best game posting a career high in yards against Georgia State. He finished with seven catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. One of his most exciting plays was when he was wide open after the defense had busted coverage, sending too many defenders in the direction of Eric Singleton Jr. It freed up Rutherford for an easy pitch and catch touchdown with Haynes King. The Yellow Jackets have a number of weapons on offense that have quick strike ability. Rutherford proved Saturday that he can be a featured receiver and make explosive plays when he gets the ball in his hands. He also recently celebrated his 22nd birthday after having a big game on the ACC Network. Singleton Jr will likely get a lot of defensive attention, which will make for more opportunities for Rutherford to ball. 

Running Back Room: Jamal Haynes, Anthony Carrie and Chad Alexander- All the running backs that the Yellow Jackets have are capable of exploding in any game. The aforementioned trio combined for 148 of their 225 rushing yards. The run defense for Syracuse is susceptible to giving up yards and big plays in the run game. Ohio ran for 255 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. The Yellow Jackets are currently third in the country with six total rushing touchdowns through the first two games. They are gaining 207.5 yards per game. Anthony could carve out a bigger role for the Yellow Jackets. Haynes is the bell cow and has rushed for 75 yards in each game this season and has three touchdowns. He’s become Mr. Reliant and consistent for Georgia Tech. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and Running Backs Coach Norval McKenzie have shown they are going to divvy up the load for their running backs and get them involved.