Georgia Tech Football Lands Five Players On Phil Steele's Preseaon All-ACC Teams
It is always a big day in the offseason calendar when college football expert Phil Steele releases his popular preview magazine. It brings about good talking points of discussion for the upcoming year and in his 2024 edition, he has five Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets making the preseason All-ACC team.
Wide Receiver Eric Singleton Jr was listed on the second team, while quarterback Haynes King, running back Jamal Haynes, and offensive lineman Jordan Williams were listed as third-team selections. Kicker Aidan Birr was named to the fourth team.
Five guys to watch 👀📝https://t.co/7G9dSmpg0Z pic.twitter.com/icGRpEFwjq
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) June 12, 2024
All of these guys are viable selections, but you can also make a case for some others as well. Offensive linemen Joe Fusile and Weston Franklin, linebacker Kyle Efford, safeties LaMiles Brooks, and Clayton Powell-Lee, and cornerback Ahmari Harvey can all be on these teams at the end of the season.
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.
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.
Williams was an anchor of an offensive line that led the Yellow Jackets to top-15 national rankings in both rushing offense (203.8 ypg – 12th nationally) and fewest sacks allowed (1.15 pg – 15th nationally). Behind Williams and the Jackets’ offensive front, Tech led the ACC in both categories.
Birr made 17-of-19 field goals as a redshirt freshman last season, good for a .895 field goal percentage that ranked ninth nationally.
JACKSON CAUDELL
Jackson Caudell covers Georgia Tech Athletics and the Atlanta Hawks for FanNation