Besides the first day of the early signing period and the announcement that running back Jamious Griffin will return to Georgia Tech out of the transfer portal, the Yellow Jackets roster had three additional updates Wednesday.
Linebacker Ayinde Eley, who came to Tech as a grad transfer from Maryland and was sixth in the ACC in tackles per game, announced that he will stay for his final year of eligibility. At the end of the season, Eley had said that he had not yet decided on whether he would stay or enter the NFL draft. Eley developed into a team leader since his arrival last January and was named the ACC linebacker of the week for his career-high 13 tackles in the Jackets’ win over Duke.
“Georgia Tech is a special place and I want to finish what I started,” Eley wrote in his announcement posted to social media. “I have the utmost confidence in the success of this group, and I want to be a part of it.”
Also, Tech received Syracuse tight end Luke Benson out of the transfer portal, which he likewise announced. Benson, from Chalfont, Pa., outside of Philadelphia, played a total of 34 games in three seasons for the Orange. In 2021, he caught five passes for 22 yards. He showed versatility at the position, lining up in the backfield, on the line, in the slot and as a wide receiver, as well as contributing on special teams. Tech is trying to add depth at tight end with new offensive coordinator Chip Long, who often has relied on personnel groupings with two tight ends. Benson has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Also, freshman quarterback Chayden Peery announced that he was entering the transfer portal after one season with the Jackets. Peery, from southern California, said in a post on Twitter that, after discussions with his family, “I believe it is in my best interest to enter my name in the transfer portal in search of a new home.”
Without Peery and Jordan Yates, also in the portal, Tech’s quarterback depth chart for scholarship quarterbacks consists of Jeff Sims, Trad Beatty and incoming freshman Zach Pyron. It’s possible that Collins and general manager Patrick Suddes could look into the portal for additional depth.
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