Georgia Tech Football: CBS Sports Names Georgia Tech's Biggest Question Mark For The Spring

Georgia Tech is hoping to have a big 2025 season, but they are not going to be a flawless team. What is their biggest question mark?

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Bailey Stockton (87) catches a pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is in the midst of spring practice and this is their first step towards what they hope is a big season in 2025. They have a number of returning impact players at important positions, brought in one of the best recruiting classes in program history, and have a schedule that could be set up to help them have a big season. In Brent Key's third season, there is optimism that a big breakthrough season could be on the way.

That is not to say that this team does not have some questions though and in a recent article from CBS Sports analyst Chip Patterson, he posed the biggest question he had for Georgia Tech this spring:

1. The quarterback is set with depth, but what about the pass-catchers?

"Georgia Tech is in a great position with Haynes King returning at quarterback and Aaron Philo sticking with the program after showing some promise as a backup during his freshman season. They are competing, but there seems to be an understanding that King is the QB1 with Philo pushing him every day in the hopes of making both players better. Now, catching the passes will require gifted skill players, and the Yellow Jackets lost a great one when Eric Singleton hit the transfer portal and landed at Auburn. Malik Rutherford is back, and coach Brent Key hit the transfer portal for a couple of other promising options, but the competition at wide receiver is probably more pressing given the need to have multiple starter-quality players while the team might have two starter-quality players at quarterback."

After the Yellow Jackets second spring practice, Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner went in-depth and talked about what he had at the receiver position this spring:

"Yeah, so it goes without saying we lost a good one, but that's part of it. That's where we're at in college football. Isaiah Canion was a guy that, he got here a year ago, he was injured. He didn't really go through spring. Then he kind of went through some growing stuff last summer. But as the season went on, you could see it, and credit to Coach McKnight, the development he's had with him, I mean he brought it up mid-season ,he's like, I really think this guy's got a chance to be a league player so he said it you know probably six, seven, eight, games in I mean you saw him out there on the field a little bit more as the season went on and the first two days he's look great he's a big strong kid and they run extremely smart, so we're excited about him. Obviously doesn't have a lot of production yet. So we'll see how it goes when the lights turn on. Zion Taylor is a kid that's been here, and I think it's going to end up being a classic example of why you stay. He's a guy that's just gotten better and better, and he's picked up the offense. And look, I tell guys all the time, everybody goes at a different rate, right? Run your own race. And I got a feeling we're going to look back here in a couple of years and say, that's what you want your program to be. Guys that stay, they redshirt, they don't leave at the first chance they get. And they get in here and they compete. And so he's been great all offseason. He is an extremely explosive kid. We just got to get him out there and continue to get him reps. And like I said, he's been a lot better.

Dean Patterson's a kid, we brought in from FIU. He's very intelligent, you can tell that right from the jump. I think he's going to be a great fit for us. Be able to do a bunch of different things. Eric Rivers is the guy that we think can really, really run, but he won't go through spring ball. At least won't be able to do anything live. And he's shown flashes. He's another kid that seems to pick it up really, really well. And then obviously you've got the two brothers in there, Malik and Bailey. They don't go anywhere without each other. But love those two kids. They're different. Malik, you get the ball in his hands. Obviously, you've seen what he's done the last two years. We want to continue to do that. And Bailey's a guy that can really stretch the field in the middle of the field and get open. He's a great route runner. And was very productive for us last year when he played. So you got those guys. We're not, we only got eight out there right now. It's probably the thinnest we've ever been but it's good, they get a lot of reps, Chris Elko is gonna add you know, position versatility within he can play all 3, extremely smart, and Debron Gatling is a guy that transferred from South Carolina from Milton. He knows what it's like to win and he's still just a freshman, so bringing him along and Jamauri Brice, from Cartersville. Obviously, they do a great job as a high school program so he knows what it looks like winning too. he's extremely tough man, he's fun to be around, he doesn't know where he's going yet, but he goes he goes with bad intentions so I do like him and he's a joy to be around we got a good group there and we'll just continue to develop him."

There is no doubt that Georgia Tech is going to have to some guys step up at wide receiver, even if Rutherford and Eric Rivers produce as expected. Isiah Canion is a breakout candidate this season and and Patterson is a veteran player with plenty of experience. If Georgia Tech can get a couple of those guys to step up (or grab more players from the portal), this offense could remain a top unit in the ACC.

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