The NFL playoffs are here and three Georgia Tech football alumni are battling to continue the streak of three-straight season with a Yellow Jacket lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
JACKSON HAWES (TE– BUFFALO BILLS: 12-5 No. 6 Seed (AFC))
First NFL season
Regular Season Stats: 17 games played, 8 starts, 16 catches, 187 yards, 3 receiving touchdowns
Hawes emerged as the No. 2 rated tight end in the NFL this season according to Pro Football Focus, finishing with an 85.2 overall offensive grade, second behind only George Kittle. He burst onto the scene in his rookie season, becoming an integral part of the Bills potent 2025 offense, catching 16 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns over the course of the season but his biggest impact, just as it was in his 2024 season on The Flats, was in his blocking. He did not allow a sack or a QB hit in 404 snaps as a rookie and finished Top 10 in the NFL among tight ends in both run blocking and pass blocking. Hawes established himself instantly as a mainstay in the Bills lineup and will be a key piece in their quest for the 2026 Super Bowl.
WILD CARD MATCHUP: Sunday, January 11 – at No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
KEION WHITE (DE– SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: 12-5 No. 6 Seed (NFC))
Third NFL season
Regular Season Stats: 14 games played, 3 starts, 18 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.0 TFLs, 6 QB Hits, 1 pass deflection
Since being traded from New England to San Francisco back in October, White has returned to the level of production that saw him become a regular starter on an NFL defensive line. In his nine games in San Francisco, he has started two games, recorded 1.5 sacks, six QB hits and 12 tackles along with a pass deflection and a fumble recovery, helping the 49ers to a 7-2 record in those games. He seems to be peaking at the perfect time, recording his three highest PFF graded games in the last three weeks of the regular season for a 76.63 average grade. White will look to provide a spark on the defensive line as the Niners look to return to their Super Bowl winning ways.
WILD CARD MATCHUP: Sunday, January 11 – at No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
E.J. JENKINS (TE– PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: 11-6 No. 3 Seed (NFC))
Second NFL season
Regular Season Stats: 2 games played, 42 snaps
Jenkins split his time between the active roster and the practice squad this season in Philadelphia, playing in two games with 42 snaps, mostly on special teams.
WILD CARD MATCHUP: Sunday, January 11 – vs No. 6 San Francisco 49ers, 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
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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