“Run da bawl!” The words uttered by Coach Key after a 24-21 upset of then 10th-ranked FSU when asked about the performance of his offensive line. Jamal Haynes was the bowling ball behind that line who continued to elude defenses last season. Haynes will be back for a final season after posting 944 yards on the ground with 9 touchdowns. The former wide receiver also contributed in the passing game with 166 yards and an additional 3 touchdowns. Haynes combines both elusiveness and physicality that few other backs in the country can replicate. Whether cutting out to the edge and breaking ankles of FSU defenders or bursting up the middle against UNC for a 68-yard walk-off touchdown, Jamal Haynes can do it all.
Chad Alexander returns as the second most productive member of the running backs with 58 carries for 280 yards and a touchdown that opened the scoring against UNC. Alexander is a former walk-on who earned a scholarship last year and saw significant time against Duke and UNC in the middle of the year. He appeared mostly to spell Jamal Haynes later on, but was productive with the ball, including a big run of 21 yards against Miami that set up a touchdown that would give Tech the lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
There will be more competition this Fall now that Georgia Tech has brought in Penn transfer Malachi Hosley, who is regarded as one of the best backs in the FCS and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the best player in the FCS ranks. Hosley tallied 2,250 total yards in his two seasons with Penn, which is made more impressive since Ivy League schools only play 10 games a season. He is a slightly bigger back than Haynes or Alexander, but his film from Penn shows he possesses the same shiftiness at the line speed to pull away from defenders.
The Jackets do lose Trey Cooley (Troy) and Anthony Carrie (FIU) to the transfer portal. Cooley came to Tech from Louisville during the 2023 season but struggled to stay on the field due to injury, as he was knocked out for most of the year after sustaining an injury against FSU on the opening kickoff for the year. Anthony Carrie was a highly rated recruit coming into Tech, but also struggled to crack the depth chart, with his best outing coming against VMI in mop-up duty.
Two new signees, JP Powell and Shane Marshall, will round out the running back room, completing what could be one of the best position groups in the conference. The running backs are probably better this year now that Jamal Haynes has proven depth behind him and should break the 1,000-yard mark if he can remain healthy. It may not be the flexbone offense under former coach Paul Johnson, but make no mistake that Georgia Tech’s offensive identity will be established with its run game.