THE FLATS – Georgia Tech place kicker Aidan Birr (Kennedale, Texas/Kennedale H.S.) and running back Justice Haynes (Alpharetta, Ga./Buford H.S.) have both been named preseason all-America by Athlon Sports.
Birr and Haynes were tabbed third- and fourth-team preseason all-America by Athlon, respectively. The duo was also named first-team preseason all-Atlantic Coast Conference, as was Georgia Tech offensive tackle Ethan Mackenny (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter H.S.).
Offensive guard Malachi Carney (Pleasant Grove, Ala./Pleasant Grove H.S.) earned second-team preseason all-ACC recognition from Athlon, while linebacker Kyle Efford (Dacula, Ga./Dacula H.S.) is a third-team selection. Running back Malachi Hosley (Columbus, Ga./Northside H.S.) and linebacker E.J. Lightsey (Fitzgerald, Ga./Fitzgerald H.S.) round out the Yellow Jackets’ honorees as fourth-team preseason all-ACC selections.
Birr returns for his senior season after being one of three finalists for the 2025 Lou Groza Award, which honors college football’s top kicker. He made 25-of-29 field goals and 45-of-45 extra points as a redshirt junior last season. His 25 field goals were a Georgia Tech single-season record and ranked third nationally (1.92 per game). He also ranked fifth nationally in kick scoring (9.2 ppg), en route to earning third-team All-America honors from the Associated Press and Phil Steele.
Haynes returns home for his senior season after rushing for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns in just seven games last season at Michigan. The Atlanta-area native averaged 7.1 yards per carry and 122.4 rushing yards per game, which led the Big Ten and would have ranked second and third nationally if he hadn’t fallen just two games shy of qualifying for the final NCAA rankings. He also ran for 100 yards six times in his seven games at Michigan in 2025.
Carney and Mackenny helped anchor a Georgia Tech offensive line that paved the way for the Yellow Jackets to rank among the top 25 nationally in rushing offense (21st – 197.5 ypg) and top five in fewest sacks allowed (third – 0.69 pg) last season. Like Haynes, Hosley also averaged a gaudy 7.1 yards per rush last year for Tech. Efford and Lightsey ranked first and second on the Jackets in tackles last season with 77 and 76, respectively, while Efford became the first player in 24 years to lead Georgia Tech in tackles three-straight seasons.
The honors from Athlon come on the heels of Phil Steele also naming Birr preseason all-American and selecting six Jackets (Birr, Haynes, Carney, Mackenny, Lightsey and TE Gavin Harris) as preseason all-conference honorees.
Georgia Tech opens the 2026 campaign on Thursday, Sept. 3 when it hosts Colorado in a nationally televised showdown. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN.
2026 Georgia Tech Football Tickets
With one of the most attractive home schedules in school history, the only way to guarantee seats at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field in 2026 is by being a season ticket member or purchasing a three-game mini plan.
In addition to opener against Colorado, Georgia Tech’s highly anticipated seven-game home schedule at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field also includes a massive non-conference tilt against Tennessee (Sept. 12 – 7 p.m., ESPN) and ACC battles against defending conference champion Duke (Oct. 10) and 2025 bowl winners Louisville (Nov. 7) and Wake Forest (Nov. 21).
To become a season ticket member (for yourself or to donate as part of Georgia Tech’s Military and Heroes Appreciation Donation Program) or to purchase one of the Yellow Jackets’ two exciting mini plans (White and Gold or ACC Pick-3), click HERE.
Georgia Tech posted a 9-4 overall record (tied for the 10th-most victories in Tech’s 133-season football history) and No. 24 final national ranking in 2025. The Jackets rose to as high as No. 7 in the national rankings and were ranked in the final 14 national polls of the season, which was their longest streak since Tech was ranked in all 16 polls in 1999.
Georgia Tech also went 6-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play in ‘25, which was good for a tie for second place in the 17-team conference. The Yellow Jackets are the only ACC team that has finished in the top four of the conference standings each of the last three seasons.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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