With the Winter session of the college football transfer portal closed, fans now have a better outlook on how their team will look next season, so let's take a look at what we learned from the moves that the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets made in the transfer portal and what 2025 may look like for the team.
1. Wide receiver seems to be what the most pressing need was to Brent Key
The Yellow Jackets head coach had a few positions of need headed into the transfer portal, but the departures of receivers Eric Singleton Jr. and Christian Leary to the transfer portal combined with receivers Chris Lane and Avery Boyd graduating, the Yellow Jackets were desperately searching for players to fill those holes, and they got just that in commitments from Debron Gatling and the FIU receiver duo of Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson. It turned the position group from something that looked like a weakness to the team heading into next season, to what could be a deep receiving core combined with Malik Rutherford and Bailey Stockton.
2. The defensive line could take a step back in 2025
One of the weakest areas for the Yellow Jackets this season was the ability to get to the quarterback, finishing last in the ACC with 18 sacks last season, and with the departures of Romello Height and Horace Lockett, the team looks like they could struggle in the area in 2025 as well. Key brought in Matthew Alexander from UCF on the defensive line and EDGE rusher Brayden Manley from Mercer in the transfer portal, but the future of the group doesn’t look optimistic.
3. Key valued experience over prospect
While Gatling and tight end Harry Lodge don’t have many reps in their college football careers, every other player that Key brought in in the transfer portal has started at least one season on their former team, meaning that the Yellow Jackets are bringing in proven talent rather than prospects that might work out. The Yellow Jackets are searching for leaders in a few position groups next season, and some of these signees could be the answer at their respective positions next season.