To me, the offensive line itself is an impact “player” for the 2024 college football season. In O-line coach Geep Wade’s first year at the helm, his group showed promise with some impressive performances. They return four of the five starters from last year, and there is rich anticipation that this will be a breakout season. Their leader Jordan Williams is returning for his COVID year of eligibility, (I guess that’s one positive from the pandemic) and is poised for a great season to lead the Jackets and be an impact player in the trenches.
At the start of the 2023 season, Tech Football’s offensive line was considered one of the weaker positions on the team. However, as the season progressed, the unit dramatically improved, allowing the offense to click as a whole and produce one of the best lines in the ACC. The game that was seen as the pivotal moment for this group was homecoming against UNC, where the o-line allowed 240 rushing yards in the fourth quarter alone, earning them the game ball. According to Sports Illustrated, they ended the year with a 64.0 pass-blocking grade and a 59.4 run-blocking grade, a significant increase from the 2022 season where the pass-blocking grade was 42.8, and the run-blocking grade was 50.8. They only allowed 1.25 sacks per game, which was 2nd in the ACC and 20th nationally. The line looks to continue trending upward, with Jordan Williams returning for his fifth year, ready to build on his impressive legacy on the Flats. Also returning are key players Ethan Mackenny, Joe Fusile, Corey Robinson II, Jakiah Leftwich. and Weston Franklin.
Williams is a four-year starter, coming in during the Covid year and immediately making an impact. He was part of the 2020 recruiting class, one of the highest-rated in Tech history. He was a 3-star according to ESPN, 247, and Rivals, with a rating of .8781, and ranking as the No. 44 offensive tackle in the country. He was a great get for us and had offers from other schools such as NC State, South Carolina, SMU, Indiana, etc. After getting to school, he was forced to transition quickly, starting on the road in his first game as a college athlete. There was no turning back after that, as Jordan has been a consistent player for Tech throughout his four years here. Here is a summary of his time at the Institute:
2020: Williams began his playing career starting at right tackle and appearing in all 10 games his freshman year while starting in nine. The offensive line had a decent year, allowing only 2.3 sacks per game.
2021: During this season he had knee issues, causing him to miss two games, and was never really at 100%. He still saw playing time in 10 games and made an impact while battling through injuries.
2022: This year he started all 12 games, including eight starts at right tackle and four starts at right guard. This was a year where he was able to prove his versatility by learning right guard and adapting to it rapidly.
2023: His breakout year was arguably 2023, even though he had a few pesky injuries again. Despite this, he still helped Georgia Tech to become the 1st-ranked rushing offense in the ACC and lead the conference in total sacks allowed. He started this season at right guard but transferred back over to right tackle after Connor Scaglione solidified himself at the guard position. He ended the year with a pass-blocker grade of 68.6 and a run-blocker grade of 60.3. He allowed 3 sacks, but only eight pressures. He also finished the season as an All-ACC honorable mention. Throughout Jordan’s years, he has flourished into an incredible leader and an incredible player on the field. He has been plagued with countless random injuries during his time at Tech, such as three MCL tears and an AC joint sprain. I am very interested to see his ceiling if he is completely healthy this upcoming season.
In a recent spring press conference, Jordan stated that both the offensive line and the offense are playing with confidence and speed. He mentioned that he personally needs to perfect his techniques such as foot and hand placement and getting good hand placement on pass protection. He feels good about where the line stands as a whole and thinks that the offense is gelling.
I am excited to see just how good this offensive line can be, and I am especially excited to see how Williams finishes out his time as a Yellow Jacket. I have been good friends with Jordan since we were in middle school, and it has been so exciting to have a friend from home in college with me. It has been so rewarding to see how he has excelled on the football field. I also may or may not have helped in his recruiting process, as I constantly begged him to come play for us, so I’ll take some credit for that (kidding).
To sum it all up, the offensive line will be a crucial contributor to our team’s performance this year, with Jordan Williams poised to make a significant impact as he leads the unit as one of the best right tackles in the ACC.
Go Jackets!