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Georgia Tech Football: 2019 Predictions for the Yellow Jackets and beyond

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 13: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Cheerleaders celebrate after a touchdown against the Duke Blue Devils on October 13, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 13: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Cheerleaders celebrate after a touchdown against the Duke Blue Devils on October 13, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 17: Place kicker Wesley Wells #38 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets celebrates with teammates after kicking a field goal during the fourth quarter in their game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 17: Place kicker Wesley Wells #38 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets celebrates with teammates after kicking a field goal during the fourth quarter in their game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

Georgia Tech Predictions:

Overall Record:

  • Dylan Callaghan-Croley (Lead Expert): 4-8
    The defense is going to be ahead of the offense for almost the entire season in my opinion. I think there’s a chance that they can push for five wins but six wins may be too far out of reach. That being said, I think there’s also a chance that they win as few as two games. A lot of games that are hard to predict right now without seeing the Jackets in action.
  • Lee Cagle (Contributor): 5-7
    The offense is going to be a season behind leading to tough losses against the back half of the schedule. We beat VT again to keep the streak alive.

    • Bronston Tankersly (Contributor):

    4-8

    A lot of me, as a Tech fan, hurts to write 4-8, but as seeing this as a year to build for the future years to come, I believe this is a good prediction considering how much is changing in the program.

    More from Yellow Jacked Up

    Tech can be successful if….. :

    • Dylan Callaghan-Croley:
      If the offensive and the defensive line take steps forward way ahead of schedule. The game is won and lost in the trenches and for Georgia Tech they’ll offenses and defenses will need big-time production out of both lines. The quarterbacks will also need to play ahead of schedule and limit the turnovers on the offensive side of the ball. Overall, cause chaos defensviely and limit it offensively. Additionally, strong clock management would be a big bonus.
    • Lee Cagle:
      If they can limit the total number of mistakes on offense (obviously) but more specifically in the passing game. There will be interceptions as there always is when you put the ball in the air with any frequency but if they can keep scores manageable they could find a way to gut out wins.
    • Bronston Tankersly:
      They win the battle in the trenches. The biggest question this offseason has been “how will the O-Line transition look?”, and “how will the inexperience on the D-Line affect the game?”. If both of those are squared away early, I could see ACC Coastal Title contention.

    Georgia Tech will struggle if…. :

    • Dylan Callaghan-Croley:
      If the offensive line looks lost week in and week out. This offensive line has never been forced to pass block as much as they will in 2019 so it will be interesting to see how they adjust to that workload. Additionally, the Jackets were good last year in forcing more turnovers but they also need to learn how to get to the quarterback more. If they can’t do that, it will put more pressure on the secondary to keep receivers locked down for longer periods of time. The more time receivers have, the more time secondary members have to get burned.
    • Lee Cagle: The offensive line is going to be the key to all of this. If the O-line struggles then the offense will never have the opportunity to get going. The defensive backfield is also going to have to live up to its potential to avoid a long season.
    • Bronston Tankersly: hey cannot put pressure on the opposing team’s QB. A big struggle for the Jackets in recent years has been the pass rush. Look for them to increase that, if not, we’re in for a long season.

    Georgia Tech Team MVP: 

    • Dylan Callaghan-Croley:
      David Curry will be the MVP for Georgia Tech in 2019. Expected to be one of the leaders of the Jackets defense in 2019, Curry has a ton of potential and is an All-ACC caliber linebacker. If he can stay healthy, Curry is in for a big-time season in 2019.
    • Lee Cagle:
      Tobias Oliver will be the MVP of this team but not at a QB position. I get the feeling he is going to be asked to do a lot of things and I think he is going to thrive in whatever role he ends up in.
    • Bronston Tankersly:
      Tariq Carpenter is arguably the most experienced player returning for the defense, look for him to make the big plays down the stretch and lead the defense.

    Georgia Tech Breakout Star:

    • Dylan Callaghan-Croley:
      I’m going to go with sophomore wide receiver Malachi Carter as the breakout star for Georgia Tech in 2019. While Jalen Camp and Ahmarean Brown have gotten a ton of praise so has Carter and I think he’s been overlooked heading into this season. Carter has a chance to be a special wide receiver for the Jackets in 2019 and beyond and I think we see that early this season.
    • Lee Cagle:
      Jalen Camp is my breakout candidate. He has always been known as “good” but never really had the chance to be great. I think this will be his chance.
    • Bronston Tankersly:
      Ahmarean Brown. Don’t let his size fool you, this guy can, and will, make plays this year. I look for Brown to catch a lot of passes and get some big yardage.