One of Georgia Tech’s key offensive contributors has been awarded with a scholarship.

Running back Chad Alexander, previously a walk-on, was put on scholarship during the middle of Tuesday’s practice at Rose Bowl Field. Tech coach Brent Key tricked Alexander by having campus police arrive midway through practice and question Alexander. Key then called the entire team into a huddle and informed the sophomore he now was on scholarship.

Yellow Jackets players lifted Alexander up on their shoulders in celebration.

“I keep going back to this one play in a scrimmage in the stadium over the summer where he finally got the ball in his hands and he hit it full-speed and I pulled him back out of the game and said, ‘Man, that’s it.’ We finally saw it,” Key said Tuesday. “Credit to (Tech running back coach) Norv (McKenzie) and (Tech offensive coordinator) Buster (Faulkner), they’ve really believed in that kid and spent a lot of time and energy on him developing him as a running back.

“He’s a solid No. 2 for us. Had some really hard runs for us (Saturday), explosive runs. Really happy for him.”

A 5-foot-9, 185-pound graduate of Archer High School, Alexander had 10 carries for 59 yards in Saturday’s 24-14 win over Duke. He now has 26 runs for 141 yards this season and is averaging 5.42 yards per carry in four games played.

Alexander was a key player on special teams in 2023, playing 160 snaps (117 of those on kickoff return and kickoff coverage). In the 2024 season opener in August against Florida State, Alexander made his debut at running back with seven carries for 41 yards.

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