2025 Georgia Tech Football Position Breakdown: Tight Ends

With ACC media days almost here, the season is starting to come into focus, and this season has the makings to be a special one on The Flats. The Yellow Jackets return a good mixture of veteran talent while also adding in freshmen from one of the best recruiting classes in program history. They supplemented that talent in the transfer portal with veteran additions in the winter and spring transfer windows as well, and that has fans and analysts alike feeling optimistic that Georgia Tech will be a top-half team in the ACC this season. Can they be something more?

Georgia Tech is losing some valuable production at the tight end position, most notably Jackson Hawes. Hawes arrived to Georgia Tech as a transfer from Yale and he left as a fifth-round NFL Draft pick. Hawes was one of the best blocking tight ends in the country and was vital to the success of Georgia Tech's running game. How will Georgia Tech go about replacing him and ensure that there is no dropoff? That is perhaps the biggest question awaiting this year's group. Avery Boyd, who was one of the best receiving threats on the Georgia Tech offense also has to be replaced.

Let's break down the position and how it looks heading into fall camp.

Who is Returning?

Georgia Tech is going to be returning Luke Harpring, who was a true freshman last season, Brett Seither (missed all of the 2024 season with an injury), and Josh Beetham. There is a lot of buzz around Harpring and what he was able to do this spring and if he can continue to progress, he could be a terrific new weapon in Buster Faulkner's offense.

Harpring got a little bit of playing time last season, most notably in the North Carolina win, and the highest-rated member of the Yellow Jackets' 2024 class could be ready to break out in a big way this year. Yellow Jackets tight end coach Nathan Brock spoke highly of Harpring and his progress during the spring:

"Yeah, I tell the guys all the time right you know the best guys are gonna play whether you're 19 years old or 25 And we've over the last few years had a mix of that right brought in some older guys, but the best guys are gonna play and so there's opportunity every day for Luke to go out and compete, you know he does some things really really well right with the ball in his hands playing in space And then there's still that piece of being a younger guy, of locking in on the details, right? You know, my alignment, just hand placement, things like that, that, you know, he's still continuing to develop playing the tight end position, right? 'Cause he was a defensive end in high school. So there's still some nuances that he's learning in the position, but he's doing a great job for us. He's got, like you said, a really bright future, you know, excited to see all the ways that he can help us this year. But yeah, Luke's doing a great job."

Beetham caught three passes for 29 last season, while also finishing with a 56.3 overall run-blocking grade on PFF (Pro Football Focus). I would expect him to be fourth among the tight ends in the rotation this upcoming season.

It would be huge for this group if Seither can get back and play just as well as he did during the 2023 season. He made some big plays in the passing game and was also a solid blocker.