Georgia Tech’s freshman class is starting to sort itself out as fall camp winds down, and a few names are making real noise while others are facing a longer road to playing time.
At the top of the rise list is true freshman wide receiver Jean-Noel, who has already flashed the explosive open-field ability that made him such an intriguing arrival. That same burst has carried over into camp, where he’s impressed the coaching staff and put himself in the mix at receiver.
There’s room for movement there, too. Behind Dalen Penson, Isaiah Fuhrmann and Jordan Allen, the position is set for rotation, and that could open a door for Jean-Noel if he keeps cashing in his chances.
The expectation is that he could make a Year 1 impact similar to what Allen did.
Another freshman making a strong case is cornerback Stevenson, a former four-star who has quickly looked like a real addition on defense. Known in high school for his two-way skill set, he arrived with the reputation of a long, athletic ballhawk, and that’s carried over to camp. Head coach Brent Key didn’t hide his view of Stevenson’s early work.
“He’s going to help us this year. A big and long cornerback.
He’s looked good out there moving around. We will see," said head coach Brent Key.
Stevenson’s path now is simple: stay ready, because he should get a chance to play.
The freshman who may have boosted his standing the most is linebacker C.J. Outlaw.
After a brief spring and an illness that cost him some time, he has taken full advantage of fall camp and shown why the staff keeps talking about his athleticism. Key made clear how often Outlaw has shown up in practice.
“Then I can’t say enough about the two freshmen. I can’t say enough about those guys-C.J. and Braylon.
Thirty-four and 35. When they’re out on the field, it’s fun to watch.
Now, they’re going to make mistakes, right? I told the staff yesterday, ‘They’ll make a lot fewer mistakes in Game 6 because they played in the first five.’
That’s the only way to get them to continue to develop and improve.
Outlaw, every time I looked up, he was showing up-really for the last week and a half on the field. I mentioned that in the springtime, and then he got sick and had to miss a little time. He’s just a tremendous athlete,” said Key.
Braylon Stevenson is in that same group of freshmen drawing attention in the linebacking room, where the staff likes what it sees from his athletic profile and the way he plays the game.
CJ Gamble is another freshman linebacker who has quietly built momentum in camp. Even with a room full of veterans, he’s been ready and active, and the staff has praised his football IQ.
That should earn him a role on special teams, and he could also be worked into specific defensive situations to help keep the linebacking group fresh. Key pointed to the mental side of Gamble’s game.
“C.J. has such a high level of football IQ-knowing where to be, how to fit plays and how to communicate. That goes back to C.J., obviously knowing Joey King for so many years, his high school coach, who also coached Kelvin,” said Key.
Key also said the linebacker core could be a major factor in how much better the defense looks this fall, which would put Georgia Tech in position for a big year.
Not every freshman is in the same spot, though. Richerson has been quiet so far as he adjusts to the college game, and the depth chart around him makes it tough.
Gavin Harris, Chris Corbo, Kevin Roche Jr, Spencer Mermans and freshman Nathan Agyemang are all in line for roles in 2026, leaving little room to break through this season. Richerson is unlikely to see the field in 2025 and appears headed for a developmental year.
The same goes for Bergeron, whose move from wide receiver to safety has pushed him into a crowded room. The Yellow Jackets have plenty of bodies there, including Tae Harris, Savon Riley, Fenix Felton, Kealan Jones, Chris Hewitt Jr, Kymani Morales and others.
Georgia Tech had a chance to use Bergeron at receiver, especially with some uncertainty at the position in the spring and even during camp, but the staff chose to move him to defense. That leaves him with a steep climb to playing time.
Bergeron is also dealing with a crowded quarterback room, where Alberto Mendoza is the starter and Grady Adamson and Graham Knowles are expected to handle the backup job. That places Bergeron behind those three. Still, there is value in the process for him: he can learn a pro-style system, get a better feel for running an offense and develop into a quarterback who can compete for a starting job down the line.
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