Who will Haynes King have to throw it to this season?
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Season Summary
With the emergence of Haynes King at quarterback, Georgia Tech’s receiver group also blossomed a bit. The Yellow Jackets didn’t feature a 1,000-yard receiver, but they had two guys pull in at least 40 receptions and five guys pull in at least 10 (not including the three running backs who also had at least 10 catches).
The two major players at receiver were Malik Rutherford (which was not a surprise to many) and Eric Singleton (who was a surprise to many). Rutherford has been with the team for a few years and first caught my attention a couple years ago when he got his first start against Pitt while filling in for Nate McCollum. I was at that game in person and walked away very impressed with his abilities. Last year, he finally got the opportunity to be the guy and ended up being second on the team in receptions (46), yards (502), and touchdowns (4).
The real surprise was true freshman Eric Singleton who showed out to be a major deep threat. He was consistently able to get behind defenses and make big plays. He ended up leading the team in receptions (48), yards (714), and touchdowns (6). His play down the stretch declined a little as he became more prone to drops.
Who’s Gone?
The only receiver who played meaningful snaps last season that is not returning is Dominick Blaylock. Blaylock came to Georgia Tech after transferring from UGA and was a solid receiver for the Yellow Jackets. He had the highest average yards per catch (16) and caught 2 touchdowns. He announced he was going pro, but I cannot find anything to say that he was signed by anyone.
Who’s Returning?
Well, they return everyone else. Specifically, though, I want to talk about the return of what could be a very special player: Leo Blackburn. Although he has spent the majority of his collegiate career injured, Blackburn has the ability to be a special player when he’s healthy. He was a full participant this Spring and featured in the Spring game, catching 3 passes for 24 yards and a touchdown. If he can stay healthy, he’ll provide another great weapon for King.
Who’s New?
Georgia Tech adds two new receivers to its roster via recruiting this season: Isiah Canion and Trey Horne.
What stands out immediately about Canion is that he his big and long, but he is also incredibly fast. Canion is an incredibly talented receiver, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him get some decent playing time this season, even if it’s just in four games to maintain his redshirt. He seems like someone who will be tough to keep off the field.
Horne also brings good size and speed, but what I loved about his film was watching him in the Wildcat formation. With ease, he makes his way through the defense. Being able to work through would-be tacklers like that bodes well for a receiver.
Season Outlook
I really haven’t had anything negative to say about position groups yet, and that’s going to stay the same way. The receiver have a good group, don’t lose a lot, and figure to be at least as good as they were last year. I won’t do a strict depth chart, but instead, I’ll do tiers of receivers.
Projected Tiers of Receivers:
- Eric Singleton, Malik Rutherford, Leo Blackburn,
- Christian Leary, Isiah Canion, Abdul Janneh, Chase Lane
- Trey Horne, Zion Taylor, Avery Boyd