Georgia Tech’s late addition of DeAndre Hopkins to the staff is the kind of move that can ripple through an entire receiver room, and the Yellow Jackets have a few pass catchers who stand to gain more than others.
Hopkins, hired yesterday as an assistant wide receivers coach just days before Fall Camp, brings a different kind of value because he’s not just a former pro - he’s a former NFL All-Pro. He also happens to be a Clemson alum, with Georgia Tech set to visit the Tigers on Nov. 14th. That connection makes the hire a little more interesting, but the bigger story is what Hopkins can do for a Georgia Tech group that enters the season with plenty of questions.
Every receiver on the roster should benefit from having him around, but Allen looks like one of the biggest winners. His game and Hopkins’ game aren’t built the same way.
Allen is the more versatile piece, someone who can be used in multiple ways and already leads all returning Georgia Tech receivers after posting 22 catches for 304 yards and adding 85 rushing yards on six carries. He’s expected to be the top target for the Yellow Jackets this season, and the chance to learn from a receiver with Hopkins’ résumé could be especially valuable because the two bring such different skill sets to the table.
Fuhrmann is another obvious name. Georgia Tech went into the transfer portal and brought in the former Elon receiver to play a major role in the passing game, and he arrives with a chance to start right away.
He’s one of the few receivers on the roster with college game experience, even if it came at a lower level, and his size should matter for this offense. Fuhrmann is the kind of player who may be asked to win contested balls and make difficult catches downfield, and Hopkins built a career on doing exactly that.
For a player entering his first season at the power four level, that kind of teaching could go a long way.
And then there are the freshmen. Darnell Collins, J.J.
Winston, Kentrell Davis, and Jeffar Jean-Noel all have a path to playing time this season, and they now get to develop in a room with Jafar Williams and Hopkins. That’s a strong setup for any young receiver.
Williams had success as a receivers coach at Vanderbilt, and Hopkins brings the kind of current NFL knowledge that can only help players who are just starting their college careers.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Recruiting Is Turning Heads As Fall Camp Begins
As fall camp begins, Georgia Techs recruiting momentum is becoming a bigger part of the conversation around Brent Keys program. The Yellow Jackets already sit among the ACCs best with 26 commitments, placing them in the conferences top five and giving the staff a class that has turned some heads well before the season starts.
Now comes the harder part: keeping it together. Key and his staff are sorting through evaluations of the committed players while trying to hold off other programs that will keep pushing for flips, and the recent addition of DeAndre Hopkins as assistant wide receivers coach adds another layer to the effort, especially at a position where Georgia Tech would love to keep building. Miami may still be setting the pace in the ACC chase, but the Jackets have put themselves in a position where the next few weeks could matter a lot. [Read more 🡒]