THE FLATS – In recognition of being considered two of the top prospects for the 2027 National Football League Draft, Georgia Tech running back Justice Haynes (Alpharetta, Ga./Buford H.S.) and linebacker E.J. Lightsey (Fitzgerald, Ga./Fitzgerald H.S.) were each named to the Top 300 list for the 2027 Panini Senior Bowl on Thursday.
Widely known as college football’s preeminent all-star game and the first stage in the NFL Draft process, the Senior Bowl is played annually in Mobile, Ala. More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and over 1,100 media members from around the country were on hand to watch NFL prospects work out throughout the week, culminating with the annual Senior Bowl game.
In an effort to showcase the “best of the best,” the Senior Bowl discarded its 850-player watch list in favor of a top-300 list, last season.
In his first season at Tech after establishing himself as one of the best running backs in the nation last year at Michigan, Haynes ran for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns in just seven games as a junior for the Wolverines in 2025. His 7.1 yards per carry and 122.4 yards per game led the Big Ten and would’ve ranked second and third nationally had he not fallen just two games shy of qualifying for the final NCAA rankings. A third-team all-Big Ten selection, Haynes’ eclipsed 100 yards on the ground six times in his seven games in ’25.
Lightsey enters his third season on The Flats after finishing second on the team with 76 total tackles in his first full season of collegiate action, starting all 13 games in 2025. He enters his 5th year of eligibility with 15 starts over 26 games and 101 total tackles. A preseason All-ACC selection in the annual Phil Steele College Football Preview, Lightsey enters 2026 with elevated expectations under new defensive coordinator Jason Semore.
The 78th Annual Panini Senior Bowl is set for Jan. 30, 2027. It will be televised nationally on NFL Network.
Haynes, Lightsey and the Yellow Jackets open the 2026 season on Thursday, Sept. 3 versus Colorado. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field and the opener will be televised nationally on ESPN.
2026 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL TICKETS
2026 Georgia Tech football season, mini-plan and single-game tickets are on sale now. In addition to the opener versus Colorado, the Yellow Jackets’ highly anticipated seven-game home schedule at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field features another massive non-conference tilt against Tennessee (Saturday, Sept. 12 – 7 p.m., ESPN), as well as ACC battles against defending conference champion Duke (Oct. 10) and 2025 bowl winners Louisville (Nov. 7) and Wake Forest (Nov. 21).
Season Tickets
With one of the most attractive home schedules in school history, coming on the heels of back-to-back sellout crowds to close out the 2025 campaign, the only way to guarantee the best seats for all seven games at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field in 2026 is by being a season ticket member. One limited-edition Buzz/Ramblin’ Reck bobblehead will be gifted to each season ticket account.
Mini-Plans
A pair of three-game mini plans offer a 15% savings over purchasing tickets on a single-game basis.
The White & Gold Mini Plan tickets for three of the most in-demand home dates of the season – the opener versus Colorado (Thursday, Sept. 3), Family Weekend against Mercer (Saturday, Sept. 19) and homecoming versus Boston College (Saturday, Oct. 24), starting at just $115.
The ACC Pick-3 Mini Plan allows fans to choose three of the Yellow Jackets’ four ACC home games this season – versus Duke (Saturday, Oct. 10), Boston College (Saturday, Oct. 24), Louisville (Saturday, Nov. 7) and Wake Forest (Saturday, Nov. 21) – starting at just $96.
Single-Game Tickets
Single-game tickets start as low as $30. Tickets for the all-new Wreck Deck premium experience in the Fanning Center, available for purchase on a single-game basis only, start at $150.
For more information and to purchase 2026 Georgia Tech football tickets today, 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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