As the NFL calendar shifts from training camp to the regular season, 11 Yellow Jackets were awarded spots on NFL rosters with four more earning spots on practice squads for a total of 15 #ProJackets headed into the 2026 NFL season.
2025 ACC Player of the Year Haynes King took the NFL world by storm with a performance all too familiar to Tech fans at the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, completing 21 of 34 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns as well as 39 yards on the ground and a game-winning rushing touchdown as time expired to lift the Panthers to a victory.
Also turning heads throughout training camp, #ProJackets have begun to make their impact felt on both the offensive and defensive lines throughout the league with first round pick Keylan Rutledge establishing himself as an immediate impact player on the Texans interior line and sixth round pick Jordan van den Berg racking up four tackles and a stuff in his preseason action with the Bears, as he looks to carve out a significant role on the Chicago defensive line.
Harrison Butker recorded unofficial history this preseason when he connected for a 69-yard field goal in a Kansas City game against Tampa Bay. Since preseason stats are not official, Butker’s official career long remains 62 yards — a kick he made against the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 regular season. And the NFL record is still 68 yards, but the three-time Super Bowl champion appears to be on his game headed into his 10th season.
Other recent Tech graduates on NFL rosters include Rodney Shelley, who made the 53-man roster for the Los Angeles Chargers after suiting up 45 times for the Yellow Jackets over the last four years. Along with him, receivers Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson both earned positions in the practice squad for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
ZEEK BIGGERS (DT– MIAMI DOLPHINS)
2nd NFL season
Preseason Stats: Played in one game.
Career Stats: 9 games, 20 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 TFL, 4 QB Hits
HARRISON BUTKER (K– KANSAS CITY CHIEFS)
10th NFL season
Preseason Stats: 10-for-12 in field goals with a 69-yard field goal.
Career Stats: 251-for-284, 88.4% FG, 1,122 career points
JACKSON HAWES (TE– BUFFALO BILLS)
2nd NFL season
Preseason Stats: 2 games, 2 catches, 8 yards
Career Stats: 17 games, 16 catches, 187 yards, 3 TDs
EJ JENKINS (TE– PHILADELPHIA EAGLES)
4th NFL season
Preseason Stats: 3 games, 2 catches, 20 yards
Career Stats: 10 games, 1 catch, 7 yards, TD
HAYNES KING (QB– CAROLINA PANTHERS)
1st NFL season
Preseason Stats: 21-for-34, 180 yards, 2 touchdowns, 39 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown.
Career Stats: Beginning his rookie season.
JORDAN MASON (RB– MINNESOTA VIKINGS)
5th NFL season
Preseason Stats: 1 game, 3 rushes, 17 yards
Career Stats: 61 games, 395 rushes, 2,011 yards, 13 TDs, 28 catches, 173 yards
KEYLAN RUTLEDGE (OL– HOUSTON TEXANS)
1st NFL season
Preseason Stats: Played in 2 games, was given an “A” grade by NFL.com for his performance in Week 2 against the Raiders
Career Stats: Beginning his rookie season.
RODNEY SHELLEY (CB– LOS ANGELES CHARGERS)
1st NFL season
Preseason Stats: 3 games, 9 tackles, 3 passes defended
Career Stats: Beginning his rookie season.
JORDAN VAN DEN BERG (DT– CHICAGO BEARS)
1st NFL season
Preseason Stats: 3 games, 4 tackles
Career Stats: Beginning his rookie season.
DARREN WALLER (TE– CAROLINA PANTHERS)
10th NFL season
Preseason Stats: Did not play.
Career Stats: 95 games, 374 catches, 4,407 yards, 26 TDs, 4 rushes, 30 yards
KEION WHITE (DE– SAN FRANCISCO 49ers)
4th NFL season
Preseason Stats: 1 game, 2 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack
Career Stats: 47 games, 100 tackles, 12 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, nine passes deflected
Four former Jackets are on practice squads:
OL Devin Cochran (Detroit Lions)
WR Dean Patterson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
WR Eric Rivers (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
DB Juanyeh Thomas (Pittsburgh Steelers)
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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