Georgia Tech is a quarter of the way through the season. Today, we take a look at who is leading in snap counts so far this year, who have been pleasant surprises, who should see the field more, and players who are getting too many snaps on both sides of the ball.
OL Kevin Peay leads the way with (274) snaps this season and has been one of the healthiest offensive linemen this year for the Yellow Jackets and, frankly, most consistent. Next is Alberto Mendoza with (265) snaps. Malachi Carney is third with (255) snaps.
A player who wasn't mentioned but is currently fifth in snaps is Justice Haynes . Haynes has been a steal this offseason for Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets. When you look at how bad the offensive line has been, and he is still the highest-graded player on the team with an 80.6, per PFF, on the fifth most snaps, it shows he is doing the best with what he has. No complaints from Haynes; just putting your head down and working. It has paid dividends for him.
Overall, the offensive line has been a bit of a struggle this year for the Yellow Jackets. Joseph Ionata (173), Markell Samuel (164), and Jordan Floyd (157) all have gotten several snaps but haven't been the most productive with them. Then, an influx of snaps is due to injuries. Ionata has a 54.1 PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade, Samuel a 41.0, and Floyd a 56.7 for offense this season. It hasn't been the prettiest from the offensive line.
Isaiah Fuhrmann is the third-leading receiver for the Yellow Jackets with (146) snaps, but hasn't been the most productive with them. You can make the argument that Kevin Roche Jr., who is 13th in snaps with (138),, deserves more snaps on the field,, especially with his consistent production.
Other players who deserve more reps are Trelain Maddox (87) snaps this season. You can make the argument he is the most productive on offense outside of Justice Haynes this season for the Yellow Jackets. Jaiven Plummer is another one,, especially with his back-to-back weeks and a receiving touchdown. Plummer has only (48) snaps this year, and he's shown he deserves more time on the field. I would say the same for Debron Gatling, who has only had 37 snaps but also has been effective when he has been in the game.
If I were Georgia Tech, when healthy, I would look at playing some young, explosive freshmen who can help with the explosive plays: Darnell Collins , Coi Jean-Noel, and even Kentrell Davis. I would lower the snaps of Samuel, Floyd, and Ionata.
On defense, the top 10 leading in snaps is Tae Harris (272), E.J. Lightsey (217), Daiquan White (209), Tawfiq Thomas (206), Kelvin Hill (202), Savion Riley (199), Vincent Carroll-Jackson (174), Taje McCoy (160), Cayman Spaulding (143), and Kyle Efford (129)
Harris has been one of the most productive players on defense, along with Thomas, McCoy, Lightsey, Riley, Efford, and Spaulding, who all rank at the top in tackles this season. One of the biggest surprises this year has been White, who has been a solid cornerback this season and had one of his best games against Stanford before leaving with an injury. His sticky coverage was on full display.
Hill has also been elite in run defense and tackling this season. He is top 5 in snaps, and you can see why. Hill has an 85.5 tackling grade and an 80.1 run defense grade this season, per PFF.
A player who deserves it is Noah Carter. Carter has just (91) snaps this season for the Yellow Jackets but has the best pass rush grade on the team with an 84.2, per PFF. He has the ability to wreck games and be an efficient pass rusher. CJ Gamble (18) and Braylon Outlaw (41) have also proven they can be difference makers for this defense. They both had their best performances against Mercer in the first win of the season for the Yellow Jackets. I am not saying they should start, but they do need to get more snaps with how productive they have been with them.
Another is cornerback Trae Stevenson Jr who has (36) snaps. He's been banged up with injuries, but you've seen his impact. He already has a punt block that was returned for a touchdown this season. He can be extremely effective and deserves more time on the field than he gets.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/georgiatech as Georgia Tech Snap Count Analysis Through The First Four Games: What Stands Out? .
