Coach Brent Key, who joked on Saturday that he once dreamed of going into construction as a Georgia Tech graduate, is excited about the 2024 football team and the soon-to-be-built Georgia program's new Fanning. I couldn't help but draw parallels between him and Center. Northeast corner of Bobby Dodd Stadium.
The Keys and the Yellow Jackets played Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, located in the shadow of the Edge Center, a building scheduled to be demolished in the coming weeks. The Fanning Center will be built at the site over the next two years. Key said he is building a 2024 team and, for the most part, a program that looks a lot like Tech's shiny new athletic facility.
“We're laying the foundation. Sometimes things work out. And sometimes we have to tear down some things and rebuild them to get it right,” Key said. Ta. “It may look fine, it may not be visible to someone else, but all of a sudden when the building is finished and you're ready to put the last piece together, something doesn't fit, something doesn't work, something doesn't fit. It happens that you don't. Don't go with me. So you wasted a lot of time.”
Part of Tech's blueprint for 2024 is still being drawn, and that includes Saturday's scrimmage. This will be the team's seventh spring practice leading up to April 13, the program's annual spring game. Other highlights from Saturday's closed-door practice, according to Key:
- Key said the scrimmage included 155 plays.
- Former Tech standouts Darryl Smith and Keyaron Fox attended the scrimmage.
- Twenty-six referees also participated in Saturday's practice, honing their skills.
- The scrimmage included eight series starting at the 20-yard line. Key said the Jackets scored seven touchdowns and made field goals on eight of their possessions.
- During the eight-situation series, which started with second-and-10 plays, Key said he was impressed with the defense's play, highlighting defensive linemen Zeke Biggers and Horace Lockett.
- Key noted the play of the running backs on short-yardage possessions, including freshman Anthony Carey, redshirt freshman Evan Dickens and sophomore Chad Alexander.
- The Jackets' end of the day included series that started at 35 or 30 games, but those possessions were “sloppy,” Key said.
- Key was impressed with the play of junior cornerback Ahhmari Harvey, who blocked one field goal attempt and nearly blocked a second attempt.
- Key said freshman offensive lineman Jameson Riggs (6-6, 305) played left tackle repeatedly in the first-team offense. Key also mentioned tight end Jackson Hawes, offensive linemen Tana Aro-Tupuola and Harrison Moore, cornerbacks Warren Burrell and Saeed Gibbs, and defensive lineman Jordan Boyd as standouts.
- Tech's top four linebackers, Trenillias Tatum, Kyle Efford, Jackson Hamilton and Taj Butler, were equally impressed. “All four of those guys have a chance to really help us and play a lot of great football for us,” Key said.
The Jackets will have the day off Sunday and resume practice Monday. We are also planning to train next Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
