Kenneth Harrison
Break Outs
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are less than one week away from start of the 2024 college football season. Let’s take a look at some of the preseason All-American players that are expected to have breakout seasons.
QB Carson Beck, Georgia: He’s the quarterback on the #1 team in the country. Last season was his first as the starter and he made it look easy. He led the SEC and ranked third nationally in passing with 3,941 yards. Star tight end Brock Bowers is in the NFL but UGA still has playmakers on the roster. He completed 72.4% of his passes with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina: He was a true sophomore in 2023 and he finished fifth nationally in rushing with 1,504 yards. He led all FBS players in yards after contact with 1,072 yards. He scored 16 TD’s (15 rushing & 1 receiving) and he averaged 5.9 yards per carry with 254 attempts.
OT Will Campbell, LSU: The 6’6, 323 lb. junior might be the first lineman drafted in the 2025 draft. He was First-Team All-SEC and SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2023. He’s started 26 straight games and he’s a great pass protector. He didn’t give up a sack last season in 491 pass attempts.
OG Tate Ratledge, Georgia: Not to be confused with original gangster, Ratledge is a right guard. The senior is 6’6, 310 lbs. and one of the leaders on the offensive line. He was named Second Team AP All-American in 2023. He is on the preseason Outland Trophy watch list and the Lombardi Award watch list.
C Parker Brailsford, Alabama: Head coach Kalen DeBoer is now the head ball coach in Tuscaloosa. He got his center to transfer with him. Brailsford was a Freshman All-American last season with the Huskies. He started 13 games at center and 2 at right guard. He was also All-Pac-12 Second Team. He had an 80.7 run-blocking grade that ranked second among Power Five centers.
OG Tyler Booker, Alabama: He was First-Team All-SEC last season as a true sophomore. He only missed the USF game last season with back spasms. Booker had 41 knockdown blocks in 2023, which led the team with an average of 3.4 per game. He’s 6’5, 325 lbs. and he’s good at pass and run blocking. The Crimson Tide should excel at running between the tackles.
DE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee: He is one of the best pass rushers in the country. He tied for the SEC lead with 10 sacks last year and fifth nationally with 38 pressures. He also had 14.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception. He’s 6’5, 243 lbs. so he looks like the prototypical defensive end. He could be the first defensive player drafted in 2025.
DT Deone Walker, Kentucky: He was Third Team All-American and First Team All-SEC in 2023. He led the Wildcats with 12.5 TFL and he had 7.5 sacks. Walker is 6’6, 348 lbs. so he eats up space in the middle of the defensive line.
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson: He’s a versatile player that has played several positions along the back seven. Carter has been described by his head coach Dabo Swinney as “one of the best pure football players I’ve had in 20 years”. He had 62 total tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks and an interception.
S Malaki Starks, Georgia: He was fourth on the team last year with 52 total tackles and he had 3 interceptions. He was a consensus All-American in 2023 and First-Team All-SEC.
New Look Panthers
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia State University was founded in 1913 and it is one of University System of Georgia’s four research universities.
They started playing football in 2010. They have had some success but their overall record is 61-106 (.365). Surprisingly they have a winning bowl record at 4-2 (.667).
Head coach Shawn Elliott abruptly retired in February 2024. He coached the Panthers from 2017-2024. They started the 2023 season 6-1 and then they lost five straight games. They did win the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl to finish 7-6.
GSU hired Dell McGee as their head coach in late February. The Georgia native was the running backs coach/run game coordinator at Georgia from 2016-23. He has 22 years of coaching experience, including the back-to-back national titles while he was at UGA.
“We are proud to announce Coach Dell McGee as our head football coach,” Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb said. “Coach McGee is an outstanding and authentic man with a strong passion for developing young men. His track record of competitive success at the high school and college levels makes me confident that he will lead our football program to its greatest achievements. We welcome Linda and Dell to Georgia State University!”
He is known as a good recruiter but he was hired too late in the recruiting cycle to make a difference for this season.
Roster turnover has become the norm in college football and it’s no different for Ga State. They have 48 new players this season between high school signees, transfers and walk-ons.
Quarterback Darren Grainger was the only three-year starter in GSU history. He graduated so now the Panthers have to find their new signal caller.
“That’s one of the toughest positions in football,” McGee said. “Just looking for how they respond, how they lead, who can throw, and minimize mistakes and play clean football every day.”
Redshirt freshman Braylen Ragland is the only QB that was on the roster last season. He was the No. 54 quarterback in the nation coming out of high school.
Redshirt senior Zach Gibson transferred from Georgia Tech and he’s the favorite to win the starting job. He’s from John’s Creek and played two seasons at Akron, passing for 2,471 yards and 15 touchdowns, before transferring to Tech.
In 2022 he played in six games and made three starts. One of those was an upset of No. 13 North Carolina. He did not see game action in 2023.
Former Coastal Carolina running back CJ Beasley might be the best transfer player. Last season he had just under 1,000 rushing yards.
They also return running back Freddie Brock, who got his first start in last year’s bowl game. He rushed for 276 yards on 24 carries.
The only returning All-Sun Belt player for the Panthers is corner back Gavin Pringle. He had four interceptions, including a pick-6 and four pass breakups last season.
They were the worst pass defense in the conference so the rest of the secondary has to step up.
I think Georgia State is going to have a rough season in 2024. They have a lot of new players, a new coach and a relatively tough schedule. I think they will win 4 to 5 games.
Here is their schedule:
8/31 @ Georgia Tech
9/7 vs Chattanooga
9/14 vs Vanderbilt
9/28 vs Georgia Southern
10/12 vs Old Dominion
10/17 @ Marshall
10/26 @ Appalachian State
11/1 @ UConn
11/9 @ James Madison
11/16 vs Arkansas State
11/23 @ Texas State
11/30 vs Coastal Carolina
Fixed Ramblin’ Wreck?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech’s season begins August 24th against #10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland.
They come into this season with some expectations because they went 7-6 last year and 5 – 3 in the ACC. Tech beat UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, 30-17.
Brent Key is entering his second full season as head coach in Atlanta. They have less than 10 practices remaining until the season opener. They had a scrimmage to wrap up their second week of preseason camp.
Key pointed out how well wide receivers Christian Leary and Leo Blackburn, tight ends Brett Seither, Jackson Hawes and Luke Harpring and quarterbacks Haynes King and Zach Pyron played. Every Yellow Jacket was able to play in the scrimmage.
“Went into this talking, ‘This isn’t a dress rehearsal. This is game day. Prepare yourself going into it as if it’s game day.’ Then we’ll hit a hard reset (Sunday) and go back into camp preparation, building our football team mode,” Key said.
“I think now is the point in camp where the guys know what to do. It comes down to the details, the techniques, the alignments, getting into the proper stances and alignments before the snap, being able to play whether it was a huddle play or a tempo play or whatever it may be.”
The transfer portal is something that all programs have to deal with. They had 32 players enter the portal ahead of the 2024 season. They have also added some transfer talent.
Some of these new additions are tight end Josh Beetham (Michigan), safety Jayden Davis (Cincinnati), defensive lineman Thomas Gore (Miami), defensive end Romello Height (USC), cornerback Zachary Tobe (Illinois), linebacker E.J. Lightsey (Georgia), corner back Warren Burrell (Tennessee), defensive lineman Ayobami Tifase (Florida State) and defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg (Penn State).
The Yellow Jackets ranked 120th in total defense last season out of 130 FBS teams. They should be better since they have added more talent. It’s also very hard to get worse than that.
Quarterback Haynes King transferred in from Texas A&M. He passed for 2,842 yards, 27 touchdowns and he rushed for 737 yards and 10 TD’s. He did lead the ACC with interceptions so he will need to improve his decision making and cut down on his turnovers. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.
Tech has a total of 17 starters returning, which is tied for 7th with Cal. They have eight on offense and seven on defense.
That includes most of their offensive line, leading rusher Jamal Haynes and top-two receivers Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr.
Haynes rushed for 931 yards, 7 scores and averaged 6 yards per carry. He had 1,129 all-purpose yards. He should be one of the best backs in the nation this season.
I believe the Yellow Jackets are looking to win six games again to become bowl eligible. They have games against five teams that are ranked in the preseason top 25 Coaches Poll. They will need to win against at least one of those teams to make that happen.
Here is the rest of their schedule:
8/31 vs Georgia State
9/7 @ Syracuse
9/14 vs VMI
9/21 @ Louisville
10/5 vs Duke
10/12 @ North Carolina
10/19 vs #7 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
10/26 at Virginia Tech
11/9 vs #19 Miami
11/21 vs #22 NC State
11/29 at #1 Georgia
High School Football Factory
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Some of the most talented football players in the country come from Georgia.
Georgia has the fourth most players in the NFL with 150. Let’s take a look at some of the top recruits from the great state of Georgia that will be playing this Fall.
QB Julian Lewis, Carrolton: Lewis is the prodigy that appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated last year as a 15-year-old sophomore. He has reclassified to the class of 2025 so he is graduating a year early.
The five-star recruit is currently committed to USC. In his two seasons, he has a 25-3 record and he was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year in 2022 and MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year in 2023.
As a freshman, he led the Trojans to the 7A state championship game and an undefeated record before losing to Mill Creek. He set the state-finals record with 531 passing yards in that game.
Last season he threw for 3,094 yards, 48 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and he completed 66.4% of his passes.
He was named to the Elite 11 finals roster, which is prestigious for the top quarterbacks in the nation. He is going to try to lead Carrolton to the 6A state championship this season but they do not have the same level of talent as teams like Buford or Milton.
DL Elijah Griffin, Savannah Christian Prep: He’s the top player in the state for the class of 2025 and a five-star recruit. Griffin is 6’5 and 285 pounds so he’s a man amongst boys in the high school, especially at the 3A level. He has committed to Georgia.
Last season he was named Georgia Class AAA Defensive Lineman of the Year and MaxPreps Junior All-America selection. He helped lead the Raiders to the AAA state title game. In 2023, he had 97 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks and an interception.
I expect him to have more huge numbers in 2024.
LB Zayden Walker, Schley County: Walker is the No. 2 player in the state, a five-star recruit and committed to UGA. The 6’1, 225 lb. linebacker also plays basketball and runs track.
Last season he had 77 carries, 518 yards, 13 TD’s and he averaged 6.7 yards per carry. He also caught 10 passes for 169 yards and 4 scores. He had 40 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 27 quarterback hits, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a pass breakup.
The Wildcats were 13-1 last season and I expect them to compete for the single A state championship this year. Walker might be able to lead them there.
DL Justus Terry, Manchester: He’s the third ranked player in Georgia for the class of 2025. I’m starting to sound like a broken record but he’s a five-star recruit and committed to Georgia.
In 2023, he was a MaxPreps Junior All-America second-team selection. He led the Blue Devils to an 11-3 record and their first state title game appearance in 26 years. They lost the single A division 2 state championship to Bowdon, 28-27.
Last season Terry had 78 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 13 sacks, 2 FF and 2 PBU.
There are many other great athletes around the state to watch this fall. If you have the chance, you should try to watch some of these future stars.
Soaring Eagles
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Last season Milton won the final 7A state championship.
They beat Walton 31-21 to capture their second state championship. They also won the state championship in 2018. It looks like Milton has become an elite program.
They have a lot of talented players that are looking to repeat as state champions in 2024.
Tight end Ethan Barbour is the 18th ranked player in Georgia for the class of 2025. The four-star tight end is 6’3, 235 pounds and he’s a great pass catching tight end. Last season he had 49 catches for 966 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s committed to UGA and he also plays basketball.
As good as Barbour is he’s the second target on this team. Four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley is the primary target. He’s 6’4, 195 lbs. and he has the great combination of size and speed. He also runs track and he ran 100 meters in 10.83 seconds. In 2023 he had 68 receptions, 1,473 yards, 14 TD’s and he averaged 21.7 yards per catch. He’s committed to Florida State.
Quarterback Luke Nickel is a three-star recruit. The 6’2, 205 pound signal caller made the Elite 11 finals roster in 2024. He was named MaxPreps Junior All-American second-team in 2023. Last season he passed for 3,914 yards, 39 touchdowns, 5 interceptions and he completed 66.1% of his passes. He also ran for 181 yards and 6 scores. He’s committed to Miami.
Three-star tight end Ryan Ghea should see his role expand this season. In 2023 he caught 32 passes for 273 yards (18.2 ypc) and 3 TD’s. He’s 6’5, 231 pounds and he also plays basketball and baseball. He’s committed to Auburn.
Corner back Tyler Redmond is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He’s 6’1 so he’s a big corner.
Defensive lineman Caleb Bell is also a three-star player. At 6’3, 270 pounds he’s one of the biggest guys on the field at the high school level. He’s committed to Arkansas.
They have another corner back that’s also committed to Tennessee, Dylan Lewis.
Safety Ma’khi Jones is a three-star player that’s committed to Duke.
This is their schedule:
August 16- Buford: This will be a tough game. The Wolves were 11-2 last year and one of the most talented teams in the state. I give Milton the slight edge since their at home.
August 23- American Heritage (Plantation, Fl): The Patriots were 10-2 last year and they are an elite program from Florida. I think American Heritage will win this game.
August 30- Alpharetta: The Raiders are solid but no match for Milton.
September 13- @Blessed Trinity: The Titans are pretty good but the Eagles will win.
September 20- Chattahoochee: The Cougars have been struggling recently so this is an easy win.
September 27- @Seckinger: Seckinger is the newest school in Gwinnett and they just started playing football in 2022. This is a blowout win.
October 4- @Lanier: The Longhorns are tough but give the W to Milton.
October 11- @Gainesville: The Red Elephants were 12-1 in 2023. This will be a close game but I give the edge to Milton.
October 25- Johns Creek: This is another blowout win.
November 11- Roswell: This might be for the region title. The Hornets were 11-2 last year. This is too close to call.
I believe the Eagles will finish the regular season with eight wins and repeat as state champions.
Wolf Pack
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 high school football season is kicking off next month. One of the new developments is that class 7A has been eradicated and 6A is now the highest classification.
We are going to look at the Buford Wolves and see how they will do this season.
Buford is always a state championship contender. They have 14 football state championships from single A up to 6A. They have one championship prior to the year 2000.
This year will be no different. They have a very talented roster so I expect them to have another great season.
Last season they were 11 – 2. Buford was 9 – 1 during the regular season with their only loss to Mill Creek, 31 – 24. They advanced to the third round of the playoffs and lost to Grayson, 19 – 14.
They have the No. 13 ranked recruit in the state, four-star linebacker Jadon Perlotte. He’s 6’3, 210 pounds and he’s committed to Georgia.
Offensive tackle Brayden Jacobs is also a four-star recruit and the No. 16 player in Georgia. He’s 6’7 and 310 lbs. so he’s a behemoth, especially at the high school level. He’s committed to Clemson.
Four-star corner back Devin Williams is the 21st ranked player in Georgia and he’s an Auburn commit.
Three-star linebacker Mantrez Walker has committed to Colorado.
Running back Justin Baker is a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Tennessee. He also runs track so he has good speed.
Wide receiver Jordan Allen is also a three-star recruit and he’s committed to Louisville.
Three-star linebacker AJ Holloway is committed to South Carolina.
Junior defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright is a four-star recruit and the No. 5 player in the class of 2026 in Georgia.
Four-star corner back Nassir McCoy is also a junior.
Buford is in AAAAAA Region 8. Their non-region schedule to start the season is pretty tough.
The first game is August 16th on the road against the defending 7A champs, Milton. The Eagles are very talented so I think this game can go either way. It’s too tough to call but I will give the advantage to Milton.
Week 2 is the home opener against Benedectine (Savannah). The Cadets are in 4A but they are a very good program. They were 13 – 1 in 2023. The Wolves will win this game.
Buford travels to Roswell after a bye week. The Hornets were 11 – 2 last year and they also have a very good program. I think Buford will win a close game.
The final non-region game is at Douglas County. The Tigers were 13 – 1 last season and they expect to have similar results in 2024. The Wolves will win this game.
The region schedule begins September 20th at Discovery (Lawrenceville). The Titans are one of the newer schools in Gwinnett County and they have not had much success. They were 1 – 9 in 2023. This is a blowout win.
After another bye week they play Collins Hill at home. Collins Hill has produced some great players but they are inconsistent as a program. Last season they were 5 – 7. This is another W.
The last four games are against Dacula, Central Gwinnett, Mountain View (Lawrenceville) and Mill Creek (Hoschton). The only team that has a chance to beat Buford is Mill Creek. The Hawks won last year’s matchup and they were 12 – 1. I believe Buford will get their revenge this year.
I think Buford will win eight or nine regular season games. Their tough schedule should prepare them to make a deep playoff run.
The Frenchman
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are going to recap the 2024 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look around the Southeast and rate each team’s first round pick.
#1 Atlanta: 6’9 SF Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg (France)
For the second year in a row, the top pick from the NBA was a French player. It’s interesting to see France now as a hotbed for basketball talent.
This draft was a bit different from because there was not a person that was a consensus number one pick.
Another Frenchman, Alex Sarr was selected No. 2 by Washington. He obviously was in play to be picked by Atlanta but he refused to workout with the team, which forced them to go in a different direction.
Risacher has potential, which will get the general manager fired if he does not live up to it. He’s a solid 3-and-D prototype player. You do wish you could say more about a top draft pick though. His stats are not impressive when you look at them.
He played pro basketball in France and he averaged 10.1 points per game and played 22 minutes per game. He was 18 last season playing against adults so take that into consideration.
“I feel like there is no pressure,” Risacher said at the team’s introductory press conference. “I’m just realizing my dream, and I feel like I’ll just focus on the good stuff and on the right stuff.”
He wants to compete and contribute to winning in Atlanta.
“Just focusing on like the good stuff, like being a pro player, who is serious, who has his routine, who doesn’t pay attention to outside noise, who is always with his teammates, who feel like he’s a part of this family,” Risacher said. “And I think that those are important for, especially, first-round pick to have. Because there was a lot of expectations and a lot of noise around. So it’s important to focus on the good stuff, and I’m super glad to get into this great organization with those great people who want to develop me as a player, who want to win. So that’s amazing.”
Grade: B
# 6 Charlotte: 6’9 PF Tidjane Salaun, Cholet (France)
He’s still 18 so we also cannot put a huge emphasis on his stats last season. He averaged 9 ppg, 4 rpg and 22.7 mpg. He does have a high motor and the potential to improve his shot. He does fill a position of need for the Hornets but he was also picked based off his potential
Grade: B-
# 9 Memphis: 7’4 C Zach Edey, Purdue
Edey is one of the most decorated college players ever. He led the Boilermakers to a national championship game appearance against UConn.
Even though his team lost, he scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds. He was projected as a late first round pick because some people doubt his athleticism but I think this is a great pick.
Grade: B+
# 15 Miami: 7’0 C Kel’el Ware, Indiana
Ware averaged 15.9 ppg and 9.9 rpg last season. He has all of the measurables but there are questions about his motor and physicality. He has also said that he’s not sure how much he loves basketball.
Grade: B-
# 18 Orlando: 6’8 Wing Tristan da Silva, Colorado
He’s a four-year starter so he has a lot of experience. He can step in and play right away. He averaged 16 ppg and 5.1 rpg. He will probably play small forward now unless he bulks up enough to be a small-ball power forward.
Grade: B
Welcome To The South
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 NBA Draft is coming up on June 26-27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
We are going to take a look at the teams around the South and see who they might select in the first round.
# 1 Atlanta: The Hawks have the chance to select the best player in the draft. Zaccharie Risacher is a 19-year-old wing/forward the played for JL Bourg (France). He shot 38.7% from beyond the arc. He is 6’8 so he has the prototypical size for his position.
Atlanta already has one star player with point guard Trae Young. It would make sense to pair him with another talented player but there is always the chance of a surprise in the draft.
Young is only 25, so he still has several good years ahead of him. There is a chance the Hawks could take a guard like Reed Sheppard (Kentucky) and then trade Young.
#6 Charlotte: UConn center Donovan Clingan would be the ideal pick but he may not be around for the Hornets. If he were, the 7’2 Clingan would be a great fit.
Small forward/shooting guard Dalton Knecht (Tennessee) might be the player to select here. He’s 6’5 and primarily played guard in college. Charlotte already has point guard LaMelo Ball and small forward Brandon Miller.
Knecht averaged 25.5 points per game in SEC play and shot 48.4% from the field. He would help to create space on offense for Ball and Miller.
#9 Memphis: 6’7 small forward Cody Williams (Colorado) might be drafted here. He is the younger brother of OKC Thunder wing Jalen Williams.
He’s 6’7 with a 7’1 wingspan. He should be able to defend multiple positions, pass and pressure the rim. He averages 11.9 points per game as a freshman.
Forward Ron Holland II can also potentially be picked here if he’s still available. He played for the G League Ignite last season and averaged 19.5 ppg, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game. The 6’8 forward was the only bright spot on the team. The Ignite were 6 – 44 last season.
“In high school I feel like I was just playing at 100 percent and running over guys,” Holland said at the NBA Draft Combine in May. “I definitely learned how to deal with it with the Ignite playing against bigger and smarter defenders.”
#15 Miami: 7’4 center Zach Edey (Purdue) is one of the most decorated college players in the last decade.
He played for the Boilermakers from 2020-24. Edey was the two-time National College Player of the Year (2023, 2024), two-time Pete Newell Big Man Award (2023, 2024), two-time Kareem Abdul-Jabar Award (2023, 2024), two-time consensus first-team All-American (2023, 2024) and the NCAA season scoring leader (2024).
He led Purdue to the national championship game and averaged 25.2 ppg and 12.2 rpg. He has a great mix of size, power and intensity.
Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter could also be picked here. He averaged 14.5 ppg for the Bears. He was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year last season.
#18 Orlando: 6’9 wing Johnny Furphy (Kansas) would be a good pick. Furphy was born and raised in Australia and came to the US for college. He struggled with being consistent last season. He averaged 9 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
#21 New Orleans: 6’10 forward Yves Missi (Baylor) is the likely pick here. He averaged 107 ppg and 5.6 rpg for the Bears.
Rise Up?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons 2024 preseason kicks off August 6th down in Miami against the Dolphins and the regular season starts on September 8th at home against Pittsburgh.
We know they made a big move in the offseason by signing Kirk Cousins. He was signed in March to a four-year, $180 million contract. That seems like a move to show Atlanta is all in and ready to win now.
Surprisingly, the next month in the NFL Draft they took QB Michael Penix Jr in the first round (8th overall). That caused the entire NFL world to look at them and wonder, what’s going on? This is a move that will not pay off for at least two seasons. It would have made more sense to draft a high caliber pass rusher that can help the team immediately.
Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8 last season, so that is concerning. Prior to suffering the injury, Cousins had reached a career-high in Pro Football Focus’ adjusted completion percentage. Cousins wasn’t as aggressive with his attempts, but his accuracy remained high when he did throw long: sixth in deep passing rating and 10th in deep yards.
The Falcons are coming off their third consecutive 7-10 season. Arthur Smith was fired and he was replaced by Raheem Morris. Morris was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams from 2021-23. He was an assistant coach with Atlanta from 2015-20. He was also the head coach for Tampa Bay from 2009-11.
The offensive side of the ball is Atlanta’s strength. They have very solid skill position players with running backs Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.
The offensive line is tough and physical. Guard Chris Lindstrom was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023. I do want to point out that Cousins did have superior talent in Minnesota and we saw what he did with that.
For London, having consistent QB play could take his game to the next level. He is 6’4, 213 pounds and he is a big, physical receiver. They have been working on timing thus far.
“I pride myself on being able to catch the ball from anybody, so I don’t really look at that,” London said on the final day of the team’s minicamp. “It’s kind of just wherever the ball is thrown, I try to go get it.”
London paused and smiled before adding: “(Cousins) throws it well, though.”
Atlanta ranked 19th in total defense and 21st in sacks. It seems like every season we talk about how they can’t rush the passer. This year will not be any different.
Safety Jessie Bates III was the other Falcon selected to the Pro Bowl in 2023.
The NFC South isn’t the toughest division but New Orleans and Tampa Bay are decent teams.
The first three games of the season are Pittsburgh, at Philadelphia and Kansas City. The only game I think they have a chance to win is against the Steelers.
The next games are New Orleans, Tampa Bay, at Carolina, Seattle, at Tampa Bay, Dallas, at New Orleans and at Denver before the Week 12 bye. The Falcons will have to at least split the games with the Saints and Bucs. Carolina should be an easy win. There aren’t any great teams here so they have a chance to win all of these.
The rest of the games are the LA Chargers, at Minnesota, at Las Vegas, New York Giants, at Washington and Carolina. Honestly, these should all be wins if the main starters are healthy.
I believe the Falcons can win 10 or 11 games.
North Avenue Buzz
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech is a great academic institution that has also been known for having strong athletic programs.
They are a program that has multiple national championships on their resume in football and they have played in several bowl games.
Brent Key had his first full season as head coach for the Yellow Jackets last year. Key took over after the 2022 season and he went 4 – 4. He looked like he might find success and he delivered.
Tech went 7–6 overall and 5–3 in the ACC in 2023. On the surface that does not sound impressive, because it’s just one game over .500. This was their first bowl appearance since 2018, which was Paul Johnson’s final season.
They started the season 2 – 3 with an embarrassing home loss to Bowling Green. The highlights of their season were two upsets over North Carolina and Miami, both were ranked 17th at the time of the game.
They played in the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida and they beat UCF 30-17. Now the question is can they build on that in 2024?
The transfer portal is huge in college football and unfortunately, the Yellow Jackets are dealing with that. They had 32 players enter the portal ahead of the 2024 season.
Some of the key players leaving are corner back KJ Wallace (UCLA), defensive lineman D’Quan Douse (Michigan State), corner back Kenan Johnson (Utah), defensive end Kyle Kennard (South Carolina), quarterback Zach Wilson (Georgia State), wide receiver Juju Lewis (FIU) and defensive end Malcolm Pugh (Louisiana Tech).
They also acquired players in the transfer portal. They added a few more from the spring. Tight end Josh Beetham (Michigan), safety Jayden Davis (Cincinnati), defensive lineman Thomas Gore (Miami), defensive end Romello Height (USC), cornerback Zachary Tobe (Illinois), linebacker E.J. Lightsey (Georgia), corner back Warren Burrell (Tennessee), defensive lineman Ayobami Tifase (Florida State) and defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg (Penn State).
The Yellow Jackets ranked 120th in total defense last season out of 130 FBS teams. It’s good to see them addressing that side of the ball because they were awful.
Quarterback Haynes King transferred in from Texas A&M. He passed for 2,842 yards, 27 touchdowns and he rushed for 737 yards and 10 TD’s. He did lead the ACC with interceptions so he will need to improve his decision making and cut down on his turnovers. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the conference.
Georgia Tech has a total of 17 starters returning, which is tied for 7th with Cal. They have eight on offense and seven on defense.
That includes most of their offensive line, leading rusher Jamal Haynes and top-two receivers Malik Rutherford and Eric Singleton Jr. Haynes rushed for 931 yards, 7 scores and averaged 6 yards per carry. He had 1,129 all-purpose yards. I think he could have a breakout year in 2024.
The season opens August 24th against Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. FSU will be favored to win this game.
The other games where they will be underdogs are against Notre Dame at Mercedes Benz Stadium and at Georgia.
The games I expect them to win are Georgia State, Syracuse, VMI and Duke.
The other games that are too close to call are Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Miami and NC State.
I think they are capable of winning six games again, if they stay healthy.
As of now their 2025 recruiting class is ranked 22nd in the country and that could improve with another good season.
