Notre Dame football heads into a really interesting week of action, heading down to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday. They will be defending a talented offense that is averaging 444.5 total yards per game. There are many playmakers to know, but one thing they seemingly all have.
That’s speed. That has to be the top concern for the Irish this weekend, defending their athletes all over the field. If you give this Georgia Tech offense space to create, they can absolutely hurt you behind a rock solid offensive line.
QB Haynes King
When you talk about King, the first thing that you have to talk about is his athleticism. At 6-3 and 215 pounds, King is rumored to run in the 4.5s in the forty-yard dash. In 20 games with the Yellowjackets, the former Texas A&M signal caller has rushed for 1,090 yards and 16 touchdowns. King has also averaged just under six yards per carry.
While King is an inconsistent passer, he does do enough to create some big plays at times through the air. His pocket presence and toughness stands out most when watching the film of Georgia Tech. King is nails working against pressure, and has that playmaker feel to him.
Speaking of speed and explosiveness, there might not be a bigger weapon on the Georgia Tech roster than Haynes. While not the biggest runner at 5-9 and 190 pounds, Haynes has been a huge weapon for the Yellowjackets. Through seven games, he has rushed for 536 yards and seven touchdowns. Haynes has also hauled in 15 receptions and another score through the air.
Outside of the explosiveness and propensity to make big plays, Haynes also has tremendous vision. He has a great feel for space, and understands where to find soft spots in a defense. The ability to create explosive plays is on an extremely high level.
There will be times where offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is going to work to get Haynes in space. When he does, opposing defenders are put into a really tough situation. He’s an excellent overall football player.
Whether you are talking about Eric Singleton Jr. or Malik Rutherford, the wide receiver group has the ability to make some big plays down the field. That is especially true of Singleton, who boasts legitimate track speed. If the offense is making plays down the field, there’s a good chance that it is one of those two pass catchers doing it. The duo has combined for 70 receptions for 908 yards and four touchdowns so far this season.
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