Georgia Tech will have to finish the season without two of its offensive linemen, with Brent Key confirming Friday that Ethan Mackenny and Kevin Peay Jr. are done for the year because of injuries.
Mackenny went down in the week two loss to Tennessee and has not played since. Peay was hurt last weekend against Boston College, and now both linemen are out for the remainder of the season as Tech gets ready for Pittsburgh.
The timing only makes the line situation more complicated. Mackenny had already been replaced by Jordan Floyd, who has had an uneven run as a first-time starter. This week, the Yellow Jackets are turning to former five-star recruit Josh Petty, who has been Georgia Tech’s highest-graded offensive player and will start at Alberto Mendoza’s blindside against one of the ACC’s stronger defenses.
Petty had not been able to play through the first six games of the season because of injury, and earlier this week he described what it meant to finally get back on the field:
“It was awesome. You know, being able to get back out there and do what I love.
That's always an amazing feeling.. Uh this offseason it was a lot of hard work.
You know it's a lot that comes with you know going into surgery and coming out of that and a lot of guys around the building helped uplifting you know with the physical parts of it the mental parts of it. I had a great team around me and you know got back early and got it done,” said Petty.
He also spoke about the impact Mackenny had on him during his time at Georgia Tech:
“You know, an older guy like Ethan McKennay. He really mentored me, lectured me, brought me up through the system, taught me how to be a left tackle in this offense. And, you know, seeing him go down, it kind of hurt, but, you know, it let me know that I got to be that guy and I got to fill his shoes,” said Petty.
Peay’s injury leaves another open spot, and that one may be trickier to solve. He has been Georgia Tech’s highest-graded offensive lineman at PFF this season among players with at least 100 snaps, posting a 69.1 overall grade. Even with that, the unit has struggled across the board, and Peay had been one of the few steady pieces.
Courtney Heard is listed as the backup at left guard, but he is questionable for Saturday. If he cannot play, Georgia Tech may have to get creative.
One possibility would be moving center Will Reed inside to guard. Another is Courtlin Heard, Courtney’s brother.
However it shakes out, Saturday is shaping up to be a significant test for Georgia Tech’s offensive line.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Faces One Big Lineup Question Before Pitt
Georgia Tech heads into its matchup with Pittsburgh carrying a familiar late-week mix of concern and optimism on the availability report. The Yellow Jackets have been sorting through several injury questions, and the latest update brought a new name into the picture with left guard Kevin Peay Jr. joining returner Rahkeem Smith on the report as the team prepares for kickoff.
The bigger issue sits on the offensive line, where Georgia Tech may need another answer at left guard if backup Courtney Heard is unable to go. On the other side of the ball, there is better news in the middle of the defense, with defensive tackles Tawfiq Thomas and Vincent Carroll-Jackson expected back. Their return would give Georgia Tech a welcome boost against the run as it tries to settle in before a key ACC test. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Fans Should Watch How Florida Tests Georgias Defense
Floridas prep for Georgia is being shaped by a simple formula: keep mistakes to a minimum and make the game physical. SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic has framed the matchup around how the Bulldogs handle quarterback Gunner Stockton and running back Jadan Baugh, two players who could tilt the script if Florida can get enough pressure on the edges and stay on schedule. For Georgia Tech fans keeping an eye on how their rivals stack up, it is the kind of chess match that usually comes down to whether one side can force the other out of its comfort zone.
One wrinkle worth watching is how Florida chooses to attack Georgia before the Bulldogs settle in defensively. The Gators have not named a starting quarterback for Saturday, and Tramell Jones Jr. already showed how effective the read option can be against Texas. If Florida leans into that look again, the real issue may not be the play design so much as whether Georgia can avoid the turnovers Cubelic could end up deciding the game. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Florida Spread Keeps Moving As Rivalry Pressure Builds
The number attached to the Georgia-Florida game keeps climbing, and with it comes a little more clarity about why oddsmakers are leaning so heavily toward the Bulldogs. Major sportsbooks have Georgia installed as a 12.5-point favorite, a move that reflects not just the rivalry name and the usual Jacksonville tension, but the way the matchup has tilted heading into kickoff. Georgias side has had a small bit of encouraging news too, with running back Chauncey Bowens moving in the right direction on the availability report.
On the other sideline, Florida is dealing with a far messier quarterback picture, and that uncertainty has helped fuel the shifting line. The injury report leaves the Gators with questions at the most important position, which is never ideal in a game already loaded with history and pressure. Bowens adds another layer to the backdrop, considering what he did in this rivalry a year ago, but for now the bigger story is how much the market has continued to move as the week has worn on. [Read more 🡒]