It’s an off day for Georgia Tech, but not for Geoff Collins who was in the building at 5 a.m. watching every single Clemson punt and punt return from the past three years as the Yellow Jackets continue their prep for Monday’s season opener at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Opening the 2022 campaign in a primetime slot is fitting for a program and a head coach under a microscope entering a pivotal season. Collins arrived in Midtown with the promise of rebuilding the Georgia Tech program to its former glory and the creation of a strong brand, but with a 9-25 record in three years, the Yellow Jacket faithful is ready to see results.
Collins isn’t running from those expectations, and after an introspective offseason, he knows that his players are embracing them.
“I think collectively, the mindset of this team and this organization; there’s an edge. There’s a chip on their shoulder. There’s a level of focus and maturity. There’s a lot of things that we’ve gone through with shared adversity that have kind of galvanized this team and we’ve just got to continue to use all of the things to make us a better program and get better every single day because we’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us Monday night,” Collins told the Steakhouse on 92.9 The Game.
The challenges don’t stop on Monday night as the Yellow Jackets' schedule features out-of-conference matchups with Ole Miss and UCF along with their annual meeting with the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs in Athens.
Collins added key pieces to his staff this offseason with new offensive coordinator Chip Long and quarterbacks coach & former Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke. While Long is tasked with tweaking the offense as a whole, Weinke’s job is clear heading into this season—maximize Jeff Sims. Collins credited his quarterback for his growth over the past few months both on the field and as a leader heading into his third season as the starter.
Tasked with taking the program over from Paul Johnson and reigniting the fan base, Collins faced an uphill battle when he arrived, but his personality made it an inspiring hire. During his conversation with The Steakhouse, he shared that he remains dedicated to delivering on the vision he laid out during his early days on the job, but he’ll have to make significant strides this season if that is to be the case.