THE FLATS – On the strength of his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in last Thursday’s season opener versus Colorado, Georgia Tech’s Rahkeem Smith (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall College H.S.) has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Specialist of the Week, the ACC office announced on Tuesday.
Smith’s 100-yard return in the second quarter of the opener against Colorado was just the fifth 100-yard kickoff return in Georgia Tech history and the first since current Pittsburgh Steeler Juanyeh Thomas’ 100-yard return at Georgia in 2018. It was also the first-ever 100-yard kickoff return by a Yellow Jacket at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field.
100-YARD KICKOFF RETURNS – GEORGIA TECH HISTORY
Drew Hill at Georgia – Dec. 2, 1978
Dez White at Maryland – Oct. 31, 1998
Jamal Golden at North Carolina – Nov. 10, 2012
Juanyeh Thomas at Georgia – Nov. 24, 2018
Rahkeem Smith vs. Colorado – Sept. 3, 2026
Smith’s touchdown was the Yellow Jackets’ first kickoff return of any length for a score since current Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Boston College on Nov. 13, 2021.
The touchdown came on Smith’s first touch as a Yellow Jacket. Smith, a fifth-year student-athlete, came to Georgia Tech in 2025 but saw action in just one game last season and did not record any statistics.
Smith and the Jackets return to action on Saturday when they renew their century-old rivalry with No. 20/18-ranked Tennessee. Kickoff for the first meeting between the Yellow Jackets and Volunteers at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field in 40 years is set for 7 p.m. A very limited number of tickets remain for the matchup that is trending to be Georgia Tech’s fourth-straight sellout at Bobby Dodd Stadium, which would be its longest sellout streak since 1999. Remaining tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE.
2026 GEORGIA TECH FOOTBALL TICKETS
2026 Georgia Tech football mini-plan and single-game tickets remain on sale. In addition to the Saturday’s massive non-conference tilt against Tennessee, the remaining slate also features ACC battles against defending conference champion Duke (Oct. 10) and 2025 bowl winners Louisville (Nov. 7) and Wake Forest (Nov. 21).
Mini-Plan
The ACC Pick-3 Mini Plan offers a 15% savings over purchasing tickets on a single-game basis, allowing 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.
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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