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Fall camp is quickly approaching and the 2022 season is fast approaching. I’ve been previewing the offense for Georgia Tech before fall camp and so far the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers have been covered. Today, I’ll take a look at the tight end position, which has become more prominent under new offensive coordinator Chip Long.
When Long was hired as the new coordinator, my first thought was that Georgia Tech was going to be in more of a 12 personnel (1 back, 2 tight ends) group than they had been in a long time. However, more pieces needed to be put in place and head coach Geoff Collins and his staff have been busy this offseason building depth and adding interesting pieces there.
The guy starting at tight end will be Dylan Leonard. Leonard talked about how this new offense is tight end friendly and how he thinks he and others will make an impact in the offense under Long. He had 11 catches for 112 yards last season and I expect that number to go up a bit.
While Leonard is a returning player at the position, the other guys playing alongside him are new. Long has a clear view of the tight ends at Tech this offseason and who has arrived and who has switched positions.
Paige Harris is a converted wide receiver and will be an athletic option for quarterback Jeff Sims in the passing game. At 6-3 225 LBS, Harris is going to be used more in the passing game, but has a good catch radius and has shown strong catch ability. Don’t forget about Harris at the tight end this year.
One of the two incoming transfers, Syracuse transfer Luke Benson, is hoping to jump-start an offense better than his time with the Orange. Benson has played in most games during his time at Syracuse, but the Orange have struggled to throw the ball recently. He is a quick player for a tight end and can be used as a vertical threat. He hasn’t put up great numbers yet in his career, but he’s someone I’d like to hear from in fall camp.
The guy who surprised me the most was South Carolina transfer EJ Jenkins. At 6’7 243 LBS he is an athletic player and a matchup nightmare. Jenkins can be used out wide as a receiver and will be a formidable red zone threat. South Carolina had very poor quarterback play last season, which is one reason I don’t think Jenkins flourished. An offense like Longs could be a superstar for Georgia Tech in 2022.
Redshirt freshman Ben Postma, a three-star in the class of 2021, and sophomore Billy Ward are three-stars in the class of 2020. Neither guy has played much in their careers, but they could have a good fall camp. But I don’t expect to see them on the field in 2022.
Overall, this is a team that I think has gotten better with the additions in Portal and Long coming in as coordinator. It will be interesting to see the different combinations used in games this season and how these guys are used.
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