THE FLATS – Preseason honors continue to arrive for Georgia Tech football as five Yellow Jackets were named to the Lindy’s Sports Preseason All-ACC teams. Earning second-team honors were redshirt senior linebacker David Curry, redshirt senior offensive lineman Jack DeFoor, redshirt junior running back Jordan Mason, and redshirt junior cornerback Tre Swilling. After a stellar first year, sophomore wide receiver Ahmarean Brown was selected to the third team.
Named an honorable mention all-ACC performer in 2019, Curry led Georgia Tech and ranked eighth in the ACC with 97 tackles and was one of only four Power Five conference players to record at least 97 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery during the 2019 regular season. His 16 tackles versus North Carolina were tied for 36th-most by any NCAA Division I FBS player in a single game last season. Curry was also named to Athlon’s second-team preseason all-ACC team this summer.
One of the ACC’s most steadfast offensive lineman, DeFoor started 11 games as a redshirt junior last season, one game at right tackle and 10 games at left guard. In a season that saw several moving pieces on the offensive line, DeFoor was a steady component to an offensive line that helped Georgia Tech average 4.1 yards per rush and Mason accumulate three 100-yard rushing games. En route to honorable mention all-ACC recognition for the Jackets last season, DeFoor also helped the offensive line surrender zero sacks in two of the last four games of 2019. He was also recognized to Athlon’s fourth-team preseason all-ACC team this summer.
Mason was named to the 2019 all-ACC third-team after leading Georgia Tech with a career-high 899 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, good for seventh and ninth in the ACC, respectively. He had three 100-yard games, including 141 yards apiece in wins over Miami and NC State. He also ran for 99 yards in the Yellow Jackets’ victory over USF. Just two seasons into his collegiate career, the junior already ranks 27th in Georgia Tech history with 1,558 career rushing yards. Mason was also named to Athlon’s third-team preseason all-ACC team this summer.
Swilling also earned honorable mention all-ACC recognition last season as a sophomore after tying for 10th in the conference with 11 passes defended. He also recorded an interception, 23 tackles and two tackles for loss from his cornerback position in 2019. Locking down receivers, Swilling helped Georgia Tech hold five of its opponents to 200 passing yards or less. Swilling was also named to the official watch list for the 2020 Lott IMPACT Trophy and earned Athlon’s third-team preseason all-ACC honors this year.
One of college football’s most dynamic true freshmen in the country last season, Brown jumped onto the scene to lead Georgia Tech in receiving yards (396), receptions (21), yards per receptions (18.9) and touchdown catches (seven). His seven touchdown receptions tied the Jackets’ freshman record that was originally set by Calvin Johnson in 2004. Brown co-led all true freshman nationally and tied for third among all freshman in touchdown catches after seeing the endzone in four of the final six games of the season.
2020 Georgia Tech football season tickets are on sale now. The Yellow Jackets’ seven-game home schedule is one of the best in program history, featuring matchups at Bobby Dodd Stadium versus Clemson, Miami, Virginia and UCF, as well as the inaugural “Mayhem at MBS” showdown against Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Nov. 14. Season tickets start at just $229 and include the Mayhem at MBS contest versus Notre Dame. For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit ramblinwreck.com/footballtickets.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and Athletics Initiative 2020, Georgia Tech athletics’ ongoing $12 million initiative to allow Tech to recruit the nation’s most elite student-athletes, build a better student-athlete once they arrive on The Flats and, ultimately, win! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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