Georgia Tech is scheduled to host its annual White and Gold Spring Game this week, and there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on as spring practice concludes. After taking a look at the quarterback's notable storylines, let's continue to focus on the offense and see what the running back storyline will be on Saturday.
Similar to the quarterback position, Georgia Tech enters the 2024 season with no doubts about who its top running back will be.
Jamal Haynes converted from the wide receiver position and gained over 1,000 yards, becoming one of the most productive running backs in the ACC.
He finished second on the team at Georgia Tech with 1,059 rushing yards, seven touchdown runs and six yards per carry. Those numbers ranked him fifth in the ACC in rushing yards, tied for sixth in the conference with seven rushing touchdowns and third in the league with 6.0 yards per carry.
Haynes had a strong performance in the bowl against UCF, rushing for a game-high 128 yards on 18 carries. He also pitched well against the Georgia Bulldogs, rushing for 81 yards. Haynes has the Yellow Jackets' second-highest rating on the Yellow Jackets with a 76.9 score by Pro Football Focus and appears poised for another big season in 2024.
Haynes could be even better next year. As far as the spring game goes, there's no telling how many carries Haynes will get because Georgia Tech knows his talent. One of the biggest questions Georgia Tech has this spring is who will return and step up as the No. 2 this spring and how the depth will work. Georgia Tech is missing Donte Smith and will need someone to fill that No. 2 position.
That could be true freshman Anthony Carey. Carey is a four-star prospect Georgia Tech acquired on signing day, and his coaching staff, including running backs coach Norval McKenzie, has praised him this spring.
“I think Anthony has good momentum. That's always something you worry about as a freshman, like how he figures out the offense, where he's in pass protection, is he a physical kid? Or will he get bullied or what? “Right now he's doing really well with the playbook, he's doing well in pass protection, so he still has a lot to learn in terms of where he fits in protection. There are some things he has to do, but when it comes to actually fitting and protecting players, he's been great. “He's really shown what he can do and he wants it. So that's it. That's also the biggest thing. Is he an aggressive blocker? He really is. So like I said, I'm excited about where he is right now and his progress.” It took until ”
Carey has a lot of talent, and this will be Yellow Jackets fans' first chance to see him in action. Although he still has a ways to go, Carey has made a strong first impression for the Yellow Jackets this spring and is one of the players to keep an eye on Saturday.
Trey Cooley is off to a great start to the 2024 season and will be a solid addition to the team this year. Cooley has the ability to make big plays, and McKenzie had high praise for him this spring.
“I think what I expect from Trey is how he plays in the first couple of games, right? He's good, you know? And there were times like that.''He was… as consistent as he was the first couple of games. So I think the biggest word for Trey this spring is consistency, because he's showing flashes that he can do it. So, that's the biggest challenge I put on him this spring, hey, dude, if you can do it on one play, you can do it on the second play. You've got to do that on the third play.''So that's where I'm at right now.I think he's a talented kid.I think he's going to have to work on the little things as far as the run game and the passing game.'' We've talked about calling it. But he knows it, and once he accepted it, he's just trying to work on it.”
Carey and Cooley are the top guys to mention on Saturday, but what about the others?
After the first scrimmage of the spring, Brent Key praised Evan Dickens and Chad Alexander as two running backs who ran hard and is interested in seeing them Saturday. Dayron Gordon and Jamie Felix are two others to keep an eye on.
This will be an interesting standing to see if someone can claim the second spot heading into the summer. That's the most interesting thing to note about this position.
