Of Georgia’s three rivals they typically are the least worried about Georgia Tech. They are in a different conference and tend to be worse than both Auburn and Florida, so while it is important to beat them Georgia normally doesn’t have to give them much thought.
That however is changing. Georgia Tech just announced the hiring of DeAndre Hopkins who was one of the top wide receivers in the NFL in recent history to be their new assistant wide receiver coach.
In recent years Georgia Tech has come close to upsetting Georgia. At the end of the day their offense hasn’t been able to overcome Georgia’s great defenses, but the hiring of Hopkins will make their offense significantly better as soon as this season.
Hiring DeAndre Hopkins could be what Georgia Tech needs to overcome Georgia
Georgia Tech has really pushed Georgia over the last few years. Three years in a row Georgia has only won by one score, and with a slightly better offense all three games could've gone the Yellow Jackets way. And with Hopkins in Atlanta now he could improve their offense just enough to finally take down Georgia.
Hopkins doesn't have any true coaching experience, but he won't be relied on in a traditional sense. All of his focus will be on making their wide receivers better, and a former pro of his caliber will easily be able to make all of their receivers improve.
Hopkins throughout his 13-year NFL career recorded 1,006 receptions for 13,295 yards and 85 touchdowns. He also was dominant in his three seasons at Clemson as he helped lead their program to their successful run in the 2010s.
He knows how to dominate as a receiver better than most, and that will immediately translate in his role at Georgia Tech. Georgia's defensive backs will have to be extra ready for their upcoming matchups against Tech now because their wide receiver room could be the best they've been throughout Smart's entire tenure.
In-state recruiting depends on dominance over Georgia Tech
Georgia's in-state recruiting has been rough throughout the 2027 cycle. Two years ago they dominated Peach State recruiting with the 2025 class, but since then things have gone downhill.
Just take a look at the top 20 players in the state of Georgia in the 2027 class. The Bulldogs only have three commits out of those 20 players, and that is not nearly enough when the state of Georgia is home to some of the most talent in the country.
Georgia Tech isn't a school that is stealing these players from Georgia. They only have a commitment from one of these 20 players, but if they start beating Georgia regularly they may find more success recruiting the top talent in the state.
Hopkins gives Georgia Tech a better chance at beating Georgia, so they need to ensure that doesn't happen. They are already losing a lot of their priority in-state recruits, so the last thing they need is to have Georgia Tech become more of a force by beating them a few years in a row.
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