It’s a cliché from football coaches that any time a team finds success on the field that success is likely due the efforts of the players up front at the line of scrimmage. Georgia Tech certainly strengthened that argument in 2023 with the play of its offensive line, especially late in the season.
“I think it’s a real testament to how far they’ve come with how cohesive they are,” Tech defensive lineman D’Quan Douse said. “From being on the defensive side going against them it seems like whether you beat one man or not, the second man or the help is there quicker or they’re just there connected quicker. The chemistry is being built well and with a lot of guys returning that will even grow stronger.”
Offensive lineman Jordan Williams has been part of a unit that became a strength of the Yellow Jackets (6-6) over the past three months. But it took that group some time to find its footing with a new offensive coordinator in Buster Faulkner and new position coach in Geep Wade.
The Jackets managed just 156 rushing yards per game in the first half of the season, an average that dips to 133.6 when surveying Tech’s production against five FBS opponents before the team’s bye week Oct. 14. After that, something clicked.
Tech ran for 238.2 yards per contest over the second half of the season, a clip that includes just 117 rushing yards in a loss at Clemson, and slowly climbed atop the ACC leaderboard (tied with North Carolina) to become the best rushing offense in the conference.
Only 15 teams nationally averaged better than Tech’s 197.08 yards per game.
Run blocking wasn’t the only area where Tech’s front five excelled. They also kept quarterback Haynes King upright for much of the year, allowing just 15 sacks in 12 games. That’s the program’s fewest sacks allowed since the 2015 squad also gave up 15.
For contrast, the 2022 team surrendered 39 sacks.
“It’s really just building reps with each other, getting more confident playing with each other. Just knowing more of what to do, knowing more about the defenses, learning more throughout the year,” Williams said of the offensive line’s improvement over the year. “When you just add all that up, with everybody’s chemistry that we already got, and we’re still building on, that just sets you up for success down the road.”
As impressive as Tech’s offensive line play was in 2023, it should be equally exciting for Tech supporters that four of the team’s five starters are expected to return in 2024.
Williams played tackle on 525 snaps in 10 games, guard Joe Fusile logged a team-high 819 snaps in 12 games, center Weston Franklin was on the field for 817 plays and tackle Ethan Mackenny, a freshman, played in 10 games and on 526 snaps. Tackles Corey Robinson (307) and Jakiah Leftwich (312) each played in eight games as well.
Franklin and Fusile were two of the team’s best pass blockers, according to Pro Football Focus, and Fusile was graded as the team’s best run blocker.
Only guard Connor Scaglione, a Princeton transfer who played on 804 plays and in all 12 games, is out of eligibility.
“It’s real good to have everybody back,” Williams said. “Just talking about everything we’ve been accomplishing throughout the year and just knowing we can build upon that and we know that we can make sure that before any of us leave we can set a stone for any O-lineman coming in and making sure everybody know what we’re trying to do out there, how physical we’re trying to play, how fast we’re trying to play and just making sure going into next year we can build upon that and be even better.”
Tech’s offensive line has been under the direction of Wade, a Chattanooga graduate and Tennessee native whose only previous job at the Power 5 level had been in 2004 as a graduate assistant at Tennessee. Tech coach Brent Key hired Wade in December from Appalachian State and gave him $350,000 annually.
Key has sung the praises of Wade’s efforts throughout the season. Williams said Wade’s accessibility has been his biggest asset.
“He’s just an overall good dude, good coach. Just fun to be around, fun to talk to, easy to talk to – I guess you could say that’s the tactic,” Williams said of Wade. “Everybody bonds well in the O-line room, everybody know each other good, everybody’s friends. Coach Wade’s like a coach and a friend to us. That’s a really good connection to have with your coach.
“(And Key) does a good job of making sure he takes the pressure off of you. He’s still an O-line coach at heart. He still be at the O-line chewing us out left and right, doing all that. We love to have him with us.”
Tech’s offensive line will face a Central Florida defense Dec. 22 in the Gasparilla Bowl that has 27 sacks (second among Big 12 teams) and 65 tackles for loss this season (10th in the Big 12). The Knights, however, finished as the worst rush defense in their league.
The Jackets will be looking to capitalize on that latter matchup in order to put a bow on an impressive offensive season.
“Everybody realized in spring and fall camp that we got a really good playbook and we can build up off this,” Williams said. “That really just had the whole offense excited from the jump. Shoutout to (offensive coordinator Buster) Faulkner.”
About the Author
