Head coach Geoff Collins and the Yellow Jackets have experienced plenty of growing pains on the field. However, the roster adds significant talent each year and this offseason was no different.
Collins hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, most specifically addressing needs in the secondary and on the offensive line. Now, the young skill pieces on offense will have more of a foundation to work with.
Let’s look into which players will be the largest contributors to Georgia Tech’s potential breakout season.
Offensive Most Valuable Player: RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Despite battling injuries, Gibbs lived up to all of his recruiting hype in his freshman season. As a rusher, he had a Pro Football Focus grade of 81.1, which led power conference rookies.
But he also added 301 yards in the receiving game and returned some kicks. Gibbs is by far the most reliable piece in this offense and will be the gas that it runs on.
Defensive Player of the Year: S Juanyeh Thomas
Now in his fourth full year in the Georgia Tech program, Thomas is on the radar of eyes around the conference.
He played a vast majority of his snaps last season as a free safety or in the box and fits that role perfectly. Thomas is most renowned for his coverage skills as a “center fielder.” But he also has a ton of closing speed, which prevented several big plays over the past two seasons. Plus, if a receiver is left exposed over the middle, he is not afraid to lay a punishing hit.
Look for Thomas to assert himself as one of the ACC’s best defensive backs this year, as well as a quality NFL draft prospect.
True Freshman of the Year: WR James BlackStrain
Although, it may not be a galaxy brain decision to chose the top rated player in the class, the Yellow Jackets may lean on him to produce. Jeff Sims will need receivers to take the next step in his development, but former WR Jalen Camp is off to the NFL and Ahmarean Brown transferred. This leaves a void for a newcomer.
BlackStrain is already a refined enough route runner to play heavy snap counts at the college level. He is also extremely sure-handed with a tremendous ability to grab 50-50 balls. Even with some other options in the Georgia Tech receiving room, BlackStrain has a major opportunity right away.
Most Underrated Player: DE Keion White
It took an entire film review for me to have enough space to rave about the tools of White. At Old Dominion, he dominated ACC competition, constantly blowing up plays behind the line of scrimmage. Once White continues to develop at a position he is relatively new at, he certainly has all-conference potential.
Breakout Player of the Year: LB Quez Jackson
Jackson has spent almost two years as a starter for the Georgia Tech but has slid under the shadows of his counterparts such as David Curry. Still, he showed plenty the flash that his recruitment suggested, especially in 2020.
Jackson’s speed and football IQ allowed him to make plays all over the field. Georgia Tech runs a base 4-2-5 but Jackson can practically cover ground like a defensive back, which enables a ton of creativity from the coaching staff.
Expect Jackson to utilize this opportunity to fully showcase his skillset.
Be sure to check out our previous ACC team award features:
