Way Too Early Georgia Tech Football Preview: Week One vs Colorado

The 2025 college football season is getting closer and closer and it is time to start looking at Georgia Tech’s 12 opponents for the seaosn.

After back-to-back seven-win seasons, it seems like Brent Key’s program might be ready to break through in a bigger way. Since taking over as the head coach, Key has put together two impressive seasons of wins over ranked teams and has added more talent to the roster. With enough returning experience, coaching stability on the offensive side of the ball, a talented transfer portal and high school recruiting classes, and a favorable schedule, some are projecting Georgia Tech to be among the ACC’s top teams.

First things first, they have to start the year on the road with Colorado. This is going to be one of the most intriguing games of the first week of the season and it will have plenty of eyes on it, as the two teams are squaring off on a Friday night on ESPN. Heading into his third season, there is a little uncertainty on how Deion Sanders will have his team looking. They are losing Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, two of the best players in the country. There are a lot of questions around this team, but there is talent, and playing on the road in the first week of the season is always tricky

Let’s take an early look at how these two teams matchup

Georgia Tech’s offense has some new pieces, but they return plenty of experience at the most important positions. Buster Faulkner is back to call plays and run the offense for a third season and he will try to get Georgia Tech to take another step in 2025.

Most importantly, Haynes King is back under center for Georgia Tech. King battled injuries last season, but he was able to improve his efficiency and cut down on the turnovers. He threw for over 2,100 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also cutting his interceptions from 16 to just two. Is there another step for King this season? If so, this Georgia Tech offense should remain one of the ACC’s most dynamic. King also ran for nearly 600 yards last season to go along with 11 rushing touchdowns. He is a true dual-threat quarterback and the Yellow Jackets will have an advantage against the Buffaloes with him on the field.

Jamal Haynes has led the Yellow Jackets in rushing each of the last two seasons, and he finished last season with 944 yards, despite being injured for some of the season. He has the talent to be one of, if not the best, running back in the ACC when healthy, and Haynes can score from anywhere on the field. He is the No. 1 back heading into the season.

This could be a really deep running back room for the Yellow Jackets this season.

Earlier in the spring, Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner was discussing the depth of the position and how much he loved what they had in the room, even behind Haynes:

“Well I think this is the deepest we’ve been, since we’ve been here in the running back room. Extremely, probably the most fired up. Obviously, Norv’s done a great job of going out recruiting. Again, recruiting the right kind of guys, getting those guys in here. I think he’s one of the best teachers of the running back position in the country, if not the best. And we’re lucky to have him, but back to the room. Malachi’s shown a lot of promise the last two days. Tralain, he’s a guy we think that can be a completely different dimension than what we’ve had. We just got to get him over the hump mentally. And the other guy is Daylon Gordon, right? No one wants to ever talk about him. But every time he carries the ball for us in practice, he gains yards. So he’s a guy that we’re excited about. JP Powell is a freshman, still learning the offense. He’s showing signs all off season to be extremely explosive. And again, I think we’re really deep there. Anthony Carrie played a little bit for us last year. So we’re excited about the whole room. And there’s a lot of competition going on in there. And I think it’s going to be really good for Jamal. Allow him to do some other stuff this spring. Get those guys some reps using Jamal in a different way. Because Jamal is extremely versatile. So we’re always trying to find the most of players we can to get on the field and if it’s more two -back this year it’s more two -back.”

Look for Penn transfer Malachi Hosley, Chad Alexander, and Trelain Maddox to be factors in the backfield.

The wide receivers for Georgia Tech are going to look a little different, but the talent is there. Malik Rutherford is back, FIU transfers Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson will look to replace some of the lost production, while young players Isiah Canion, Bailey Stockton, and Zion Taylo will provide depth. Bowling Green transfer Rahkeem Smith is also a name to know, including on special teams. Rivers has been hailed as an instant impact player by a number of national outlets this fall.

Rivers, a graduate transfer from Florida International, caught 62 passes for 1,162 yards (18.9 avg.) and 12 touchdowns as a redshirt junior at FIU last season. He became the first Associated Press all-American in FIU history when he received third-team recognition in 2024, and was also a first-team all-Conference USA honoree.

The tight end position is going to see a number of changes. Cal transfer J.T. Byrne is hoping to fill in the role left by Jackson Hawes, who is now in the NFL, while Brett Seither is back for a final season after being injured all of last season. Luke Harpring is a name to watch for as well.

The offense line brings back one of the top guard duos in the ACC with Keylan Rutledge and Joe Fusile, but they will have new starters elsewhere. Ethan Mackenny should take over at left tackle, Harrison Moore at center, and possibly South Alabama transfer Malachi Carney at right tackle. This might be the most interesting position to watch during the opening game. Georgia Tech has had one of the best offensive lines in the country in recent seasons, but with a few new starters on the road, this could be a challenge.

The Buffaloes were much better on defense in 2024 than in 2023 and could take another step this season. The defense returns Tawfiq Thomas, Samuel Okunlola, and Amari McNeill ,and they welcome in a trio of transfers up front, headlined by former five-star prospect Jaheim Oatis, an Alabama transfer.

This is going to be a fascinating matchup due to the new faces on both sides. Games are won and lost on the line of scrimmage, and while I would lean towards giving Georgia Tech the advantage, Colorado has talent. Okunlola and Arden Walker are the top pass rushers on the Buffaloes and can disrupt the game for Georgia Tech. The two combined for 50 pressures last season.

Martavius French is a UTSA transfer who seems like he is going to be a starter and leader for Colorado this season after having 80 tackles for the Road Runners last season. Reginald Hughes, a Jacksonville State transfer, is a name to know as well. The linebacker group might be the spot I have the most questions for on Colorado’s defense and that is a big advantage for Georgia Tech. Buster Faulkner’s offense puts a lot of stress on linebackers with the pre-snap motion and versatile run game.

DJ McKinney is one of the best cornerbacks that you have not heard of and he is arguably the top defender on the Colorado defense. All Big 12 nickel Preston Hodge is back for Colorado as well. USF transfer Tawfiq Byard had a good spring for Colorado and he will team up with Carter Stoutmire on the back end.

Overall, I would lean towards Georgia Tech having the advantage in this matchup, but Colorado has a good secondary and experienced pass rushers. Can the Yellow Jackets take advantage of the matchups up front?

Shedeur Sanders is gone and Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is likely to take over unless highly-touted QB recruit Julian Lewis makes a push for the job. Salter had a dynamic season in 2023, leading the Flames to an undefeated regular season and Fiesta Bowl bid. Last season was a slight step down and now Salter is not playing in Jamey Chadwell’s offense, which is QB friendly. If Salter is back to his 2023 form, this could be a dynamic offense.

Colorado was not a dangerous running team last season, but former Ohio State transfer is back after a bit of a disappointing debut season in Boulder. DeKalon Taylor provides speed to the Colorado offense and is a threat to make a game changing play at any moment.

Colorado had one of the best wide receiver groups in the country last season with Travis Hunter, LaJohntay Webster, and Will Sheppard, but they are all gone now. There is still talent on the field for them though with Drelon Miler, Omarion Miller, and Sincere Brown leading the way. Former five-star recruit Hykeem Williams has transferred in from Florida State, but has not shown consistency. Can he put it together for Colorado this season?

The offensive line is going to be interesting for Colorado, as they have a lot of new faces expected to contribute. Left tackle Jordan Seaton lived up to his recruiting hype, but can Colorado find the pieces to fit around him? Mana Taimani could be the starter at right tackle, while Zy Crisler (Illinois) could be a plug and play player up front. Zarian McGill is the likely stater at center after transferring in and he has been an all-conference player at previous stops.

While Colorado is going to look different on the O-Line, Georgia Tech is going to look different on the defensive line. Jordan van den Berg is back in the middle, but the Yellow Jackets have questions at the edge spots. Transfers Brayden Manley (Mercer), AJ Hoffler (Clemson), and Ronald Triplette (UTSA) are vying for time along with young players Amontrae Bradford, Jordan Boyd, and true freshman Andre Fuller needing to step up. In the middle, UCF transfer Matthew Alexander, Akelo Stone, and freshmen Christian Garrett, Derry Norris and Blake Belin will be the names to know.

The linebacker group has plenty of experience and depth this season. Kyle Efford, E.J. Lightsey, Tah’j Butler and Jackson Hamilton are all back this year and Georgia Tech went into the transfer portal and got Melvin Jordan (Oregon State) and Cayman Spaulding (Tennessee Tech). Expect this group to rotate and stay fresh this season.

Georgia Tech’s secondary is going to tested in this game. Ahmari Harvey is the top corner on the team once again, but who will be the starter across from him? Zachary Tobe, Kelvin Hill, Daiquan White and Penn State transfer Jon Mitchell will be in the mix there. Rodney Shelley is back at the nickel spot and Georgia State transfer Jyron Gilmore was brought in this offseason. The safety group is headlined by Clayton Powell-Lee and Omar Daniels, but four-star freshman Tae Harris seems likely to see time as well.

Georgia Tech is more experienced in certain areas, including the offensive line, running back, and linebacker, but Colorado has talent and playmakers. A lot may ride on how quickly Salter can adjust in this new offense. He brings an element to the running game that Sanders did not, but does Colorado have enough at running back where the run game scares you? The receivers are talented, but they did lose their top three at the position, and there are questions about their O-Line. Conversely, Georgia Tech’s biggest question mark is its defensive line. Can Georgia Tech’s edge at quarterback prove to be the big difference? There are a lot of questions marks about this game and that is what makes it a fascinating matchup on the road.