Georgia
Players to Watch on Georgia Tech’s Offense in Tomorrow’s Spring Game
After a month of practice, Georgia Tech is going to take the field tomorrow for the Annual White and Gold Spring Game and it will be the first chance to see the 2024 Yellow Jackets on the field. The highly anticipated season opener vs Florida State is nearly four months away and it won’t be long after that Georgia Tech will be turning their focus to Ireland and the Seminoles.
There is no shortage of things to be looking out for in tomorrow’s spring game, but let’s talk about the offense.
Georgia Tech made a huge turnaround on that side of the ball last year, going from one of the worst offenses in the country to one of the best. They led the ACC in rushing and quarterback Haynes King was one of the best success stories in the conference after transferring over from Texas A&M. The Yellow Jackets had breakout stars at wide receiver and one of the best offensive lines in the ACC. The good news is that they are bringing back most of their production on offense, as well as most of the coaching staff. This is expected to be one of the best units in the conference and a reason why Georgia Tech will be a tough team to beat.
Because Georgia Tech returns so many players on offense, the questions will be about their depth and Saturday will potentially give a glimpse into that.
So who are some players to watch on offense tomorrow?
1. Anthony Carrie-RB
Georgia Tech has one of the best running backs in the country with Jamal Haynes but with Dontae Smith gone, Georgia Tech needs to find reliable depth at a position that always needs it.
So who might that be?
Whether it is head coach Brent Key or running backs coach Norval McKenzie, coaches have praised true freshman running back Anthony Carrie this spring. Carrie is a four-star running back that Georgia Tech landed on signing day last December and he is a talented prospect who might make an impact sooner than later.
Here is what McKenzie had to say about Carrie earlier this spring:
“I think Anthony’s having a good spring ball. You always worry about as a freshman like how would he grasp the offense, kind of where would he be in pass protection. Is he a physical kid or is he gonna get bullied or whatever? And right now doing really good with the playbook and also doing fine and pass protection as well. So there’s still some things he has to learn in terms of where he fit in protection, but when it comes to actually fitting up a guy and protecting, he’s actually showed that he can and he’s more than willing to. So that’s the biggest thing too. Is he a willing blocker, which he is. So like I mentioned, man, I’m excited about where he is right now and the progression that he’s taken from practice one to practice eight.”
2. Leo Blackburn-WR
Georgia Tech has a deep and talented wide receiver room, but Blackburn adds a different dimension to this team. The problem for him unfortunately has been health. Blackburn tore his ACL last spring and did not play in 2023, but he is back this spring and Saturday will be a chance to show how his skill set can be a difference-maker. Blackburn is 6’5 220 LBS and Georgia Tech could use a receiver with that kind of size and playmaking capability. If healthy, Blackburn can make an already dangerous offense even better.
3. Jackson Hawes-TE
Georgia Tech lost Dylan Leonard and Luke Benson from last year’s tight end room and went out and got two transfers. One of them was Yale tight Jackson Hawes and he is someone that Key has pointed out in both of Georgia Tech’s earlier scrimmages this spring:
“But then today really showed up as a big target that’s hard to bring down is Jackson Hawes, the Yale transfer. He’s a big target to see over the middle, especially when you get down in the red area, part of the game.”
Georgia Tech did not use their tight ends much in the passing game, but Leonard was also a solid blocker. Saturday will be a chance for Hawes to show he can add something new to the offense.
4. Aaron Philo and Graham Knowles- QB’s
Philo and Knowles were early enrollees and have been practicing this spring and they have been getting great reviews from their coaches and their fellow quarterbacks:
“They’re still learning the information, and what I share with them is that I’ve been there. I know what it feels like. So what happens is, as they continue to try to understand what we’re doing, the body physically slows down. So that’s where they’re at right now. They’re great additions to the room. They’re wired the right way. They want to be great.” says quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke. “They want to be coached. I couldn’t ask for two better guys in that room. I think that’s where they’re at right now. the bonus that they have sitting in this room is you’ve got two older guys, right? That have been there and done it. They kind of observe how they go about their business. And I think the sky’s the limit for both of those young guys”
Starting quarterback Haynes King says they are picking things up fast and learning well through this spring.
“The way they pick up on the offense pretty fast they’re coachable they want to do stuff the right way they’re falling in line they’re doing everything the right way showing up on time they’re competing every day I know at times they have to split some routes and they’re doing a good job of running the offense and just operating you know and that’s the big thing right now and I feel like they’re they’re doing a great job picking up on the offense and operating.”
Both Philo and Knowles are stepping into a really good situation. King is one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC and it is a huge advantage to have an experienced and talented quarterback like Pyron as a backup. Both of these quarterbacks can learn from these two quarterbacks and not have to worry about competing for a starting job and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner sees that as a huge advantage:
“I think the biggest thing is it’s great they got here in January right and you’re seeing that across college football and now really at every position but it started with quarterbacks, with the kids enrolling early so they could learn the offense and compete for the job. The best thing for those two kids and their future is, is they don’t have to play right now. So we can bring them along slowly, continue to develop them, get them as many reps as we can get them. And I think that gets lost a lot of times in college football. The older you get, the better you are, and those kids don’t have to play right now and we’re excited they’re here. We look forward to seeing, forward to you know, developing them and it’s good that they are here because these are going to be 15 practices that you normally wouldn’t have if you aren’t here till the summer and then obviously all summer they’ll be here and have a chance to compete and they both got bright futures and we’re excited they’re here.”
Both guys are the future of the quarterback room for Georgia Tech and they will get to step on the field for the first time as Yellow Jackets. I think they are the guys to watch on Saturday.
Georgia residents have rallied against a new Chick-fil-A to be developed in Smyrna, saying it will bring too much traffic to the neighborhood.
Earlier this month, the Smyrna City Council approved the development of a Chick-fil-A and 45 townhomes at South Cobb Drive and Oakdale Road in a close 4-3 vote.
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant and townhomes would sit on about seven acres of land, according to local outlet 11Alive. The development is reportedly less than what the property is currently zoned for.
Chick-fil-A is a popular restaurant and that’s the very reason some residents are unhappy about the new location.
“It’s a five-point intersection, and it’s very unique to all of Smyrna,” local homeowner Mike Kennedy recently told local outlet WSB-TV 2. “We just feel that the high intensity traffic generated, like a Chick-fil-A restaurant, is not suitable for the neighborhood or the land use itself.”
Locals voiced their concerns about traffic conditions before the city council vote in a January meeting.
“Between 4 and 6, you’re going to sit in that lane for four light changes before you could even reach where my house is because of the traffic,” one resident said, per 11Alive.
“You start running people through there going to Chick-fil-A and believe me, they’re popular. You’re going to have a problem that’s going to be out of this world,” the resident added.
Chick-fil-A led its quick-service restaurant rivals for the 11th straight year in the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant and Food Delivery Study 2025.
The Independent has reached out to Chick-fil-A for comment.
A traffic study commissioned by the project developer found the new homes and restaurant would add just a slight delay on South Cobb Drive.
“South Cobb Drive is already failing. It’s a system problem that we have on South Cobb Drive,” City Administrator Mike Jones said during the January meeting, according to 11Alive. “This would add about eight seconds of delay there.”
The new development project is not a done deal. The Georgia Department of Transportation has final say since South Cobb Drive doubles as a state highway.
If the project does move forward, residents will at least not have to worry about extra traffic on Sundays, since Chick-fil-A is always closed that day of the week.
Your daily jolt of news and analysis from the AJC politics team.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker speaks to a crowd during a visit to Atlanta in 2019. (Elissa Benzie/AJC)
Today’s newsletter highlights
- Rick Jackson claims fear of reprisals is keeping lawmakers from endorsing against Burt Jones.
- Could there be a Sine Die stall?
- Still no deal to pay TSA workers.
Battleground state
A 2017 file photo of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (left) and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who died in 2020. Booker invokes Lewis early in his new book, “Stand.” (Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images 2017)
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Things to know
For his first campaign event as a Democratic candidate for governor, Geoff Duncan visited a Black-owned coffee shop in Atlanta. (Patricia Murphy/AJC)
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- While Geoff Duncan’s candidacy for governor might be naturally tailored to white, college-educated suburban voters, he still needs the support of Black voters to win the Democratic nomination, writes Greg Bluestein.
- A new bill in the state Legislature would let voters decide whether local governments can use cameras to enforce speed limits in school zones, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.
- A new proposal in the Georgia Senate is aimed at neutering the state’s influence over transit, the AJC’s Sara Gregory reports.
Legislative leverage
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (left) and health care executive Rick Jackson are among the Republican candidates for governor. (Arvin Temkar and Miguel Martinez/AJC)
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Sine Die stall?
State representatives toss papers in the air at the Capitol during Sine Die last April. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Not so fast
State Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough, speaks on Senate Bill 482 during a House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meeting this week. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Ad watch
Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his wife Tricia appear before filing paperwork to run for governor at the Capitol earlier this month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Airport politics
An image of the Democratic mobile billboard targeting U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter and other GOP contenders for U.S. Senate. (AJC File)
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Under the Gold Dome
The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee listens to a presentation on Senate Bill 482 on Tuesday. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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- 10 a.m.: House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 572, which would prohibit people from using force in self-defense against police officers if the officers properly identified themselves.
- 10 a.m.: House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 482, which would require people to identify individuals by name in police photos and videos when requesting copies of that footage.
- 11 a.m.: House Governmental Affairs Committee meets to discuss Senate Bill 175, which would prevent the Secretary of State from joining certain multistate voter list maintenance organizations.
- 1 p.m.: House Banks and Banking Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 424, which would make gold and silver legal tender in Georgia.
Listen up
State Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta, at the Capitol in Atlanta earlier this month. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Make or break
Morning travelers wait in long lines on Thursday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Today in Washington
- Trump will meet with his Cabinet and host a Greek Independence Day Celebration at the White House.
- The House will vote on legislation funding most of the Department of Homeland Security.
- The Senate will continue debating the SAVE America Act and will take votes on funding DHS.
Who is Jack Brian?
U.S. Rep. Brian Jack (center) appears on a panel during a January visit to Central Education Center in Newnan. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
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Shoutouts
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Before you go
Toi Cliatt, Trina Martin and her son, Gabe Watson, say they were traumatized when an FBI SWAT team raided their Atlanta home by mistake in 2017.
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Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the “Politically Georgia” podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC’s senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Adam Beam is the deputy politics editor.
Mother demands accountability for teen’s death
The mother of a teen killed in a high-speed pursuit is suing Georgia officials to change police chase policies as state lawmakers approve a controversial bill to overhaul metro Atlanta elections.
ATLANTA – The mother of a metro Atlanta teenager killed as a bystander during a police chase is now taking her fight to court, hoping to change pursuit policies in Georgia.
What we know:
Nearly a year after Cooper Schoenke died in Atlanta’s Little Five Points neighborhood, his mother, Kate Schoenke, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Public Safety and Faduma Mohamed, the woman accused of causing the crash.
“This is about accountability,” Kate Schoenke said.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, just weeks before the first anniversary of her son’s death.
Investigators say Mohamed led state troopers on a high-speed chase that began on Interstate 20, reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour before exiting onto Moreland Avenue.
According to investigators, dash camera video shows Mohamed running a red light at Moreland and McLendon avenues and crashing into Cooper Schoenke’s car, killing him.
The lawsuit alleges a state trooper acted with reckless disregard by continuing the pursuit off the interstate and into congested city streets and busy intersections.
While Schoenke said the driver behind the wheel, who was out on bond at the time, is largely to blame, she believes state troopers should also be held accountable.
She is seeking $1 million in the lawsuit.
Mohamed remains behind bars awaiting her day in court.
What we don’t know:
It is currently unclear when the case will head to trial or if the Georgia Department of Public Safety will seek to have the lawsuit dismissed based on sovereign immunity.
Mohamed remains in jail, but a specific date for her criminal trial has not been released.
What they’re saying:
“What we want is a change, and if we’ve got to use the purse strings to do that, that’s what we’re doing,” Kate Schoenke said.
Before filing the lawsuit, Schoenke said the state was given a chance to come to the table but declined, saying it was not responsible for her son’s death.
“To say that they have no responsibility whatsoever and a high-speed chase through a highly populated, dense community of Atlanta that ended in tragedy just does not make sense,” she said.
She said her goal is not the money, but to change how and when high-speed chases happen in Georgia.
“I’m not saying don’t pursue, but to pursue it 100 miles an hour, 90 miles an hour, 80 miles an hour. No one’s even going to hear the siren coming at you,” she said.
The other side:
The Georgia Department of Public Safety said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Mohamed’s attorney said he had no comment.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the wrongful death lawsuit filed in DeKalb County, interviews with Kate Schoenke, and previous reporting on the March 2023 crash.
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