THE FLATS – Georgia Tech second-year freshman Jahmyr Gibbs (Dalton, Ga./Dalton) and redshirt junior Jordan Mason (Gallatin, Tenn./Gallatin) are both preseason candidates for the 2021 Doak Walker Award, which is presented annually to college football’s top running back. The official Doak Walker Award Watch List was announced by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum on Wednesday.
One of the nation’s most dynamic true freshmen last season, Gibbs led Georgia Tech in all-purpose yards (968) and scoring (seven TDs) and ranked second on the team in rushing yards (460), rushing touchdowns (4), receptions (24), receiving yards (303) and touchdown receptions (3), compiling the gaudy numbers in just six-and-a-half games in 2020. He also averaged a gaudy 25.6 yards per kickoff return, which would have ranked second in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 22nd nationally if he had enough attempts to qualify for the NCAA’s official statistical rankings.
Since 2000, Gibbs is one of only seven Power Five conference players to compile 450 rushing yards, 300 receiving yards and 200 kickoff return yards in a team’s first eight games of the season, joining an elite list that includes Reggie Bush (USC – 2004), Marion Grice (Arizona State – 2013), Christian McCaffery (Stanford – 2015), Joe Mixon (Oklahoma – 2016), Saquon Barkley (Penn State – 2017) and Lynn Bowden, Jr. (Kentucky – 2019). His feat was made even more impressive by the fact that he missed the season opener at Florida State and left his final game of the season versus Duke before halftime due to injury.
Mason, who earns a place on the Doak Walker Watch List for the second-straight season, ranked third on the team with 352 rushing yards and two touchdowns and caught seven passes for 72 yards last season despite limited playing time due to an injury that would cause him to miss five games. He returned from injury with a purpose, compiling 245 yards on the ground over the final three games of the season, beginning with a season-best 105-yard effort in the primetime victory over Duke – his fourth 100-yard rushing game of his career.
The Gallatin, Tenn. native then almost hit 100 yards again with 99 rushing yards the following week at NC State before wrapping up the season with 41 rushing yards against Pitt.
2021 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS
2021 Georgia Tech football season tickets are on sale now. Starting at just $299 per seat, season tickets include reserved seats for all seven games on the Yellow Jackets’ 2021 home schedule, including “Mayhem at Mercedes-Benz Stadium” versus North Carolina on Sept. 25 and the return of “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” versus archrival Georgia on Nov. 27 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. For full 2021 Georgia Tech football season ticket information, visit ramblinwreck.com/footballtickets.
Single-game tickets will go on sale on Aug. 2 with presale opportunities available HERE.
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