Following his effective performance off the bench in the season opener against Northern Illinois, Georgia Tech quarterback Jordan Yates is expected to make his first career start Saturday against Kennesaw State, according to three people familiar with the situation. Two acknowledged the potential for a reversal, but expected Yates to be the starter.
Yates would replace Jeff Sims, who started against Northern Illinois on Saturday but left the game in the second quarter with an injury to his left arm or shoulder. Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Dave Patenaude said that he expected Sims to play against Kennesaw State. Sims was not at his sharpest against the Huskies, completing three of eight passes before his injury.
Yates played in a total of six games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, throwing 21 passes. Last season, he was the backup to Sims, who started all 10 games as a freshman. A Milton High grad, Yates has earned the praise of Patenaude for his preparedness, intelligence and energy. Against Northern Illinois, he completed 12 of 18 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown.
“He’s kind of got that thing, like, Hey, I’m the 5-10 kid who they always didn’t pick because I was 5-10, but I’m really a dude who can reverse windmill a basketball,” Patenaude said Tuesday. “He has that mentality.”
Asked after the Northern Illinois game about his role off the bench, Yates replied, “Just to be the next man up and always be ready for whenever my time comes and just fill right in and keep running the offense.”
Yates’ first series against the Huskies was particularly impressive, when he led a 97-yard touchdown drive at the end of the first half after Tech had fallen behind 14-0. In the possession, he completed four of seven passes, picked up two third-and-10 plays by scrambling for first downs and finished the drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kyric McGowan.
“Just from the offseason, I knew the confidence was there and I knew he’s been working,” McGowan said. “He had a really great fall camp. So when I saw him come in, there’s no doubt in my mind we could still go out and win the game.”
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