The AJC’s top 10 Georgia Tech football players: 2010s

A panel of AJC voters chose these players as the top 10 Georgia Tech football players of the 2010s. The players are listed alphabetically.

Jeremiah Attaochu

An All-American in 2013, Attaochu moved to Washington, D.C., from Nigeria as a youth and quickly became a football recruit. He arrived at Tech in 2010 and immediately contributed in a backup role before becoming a starter as a sophomore and leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks.

Attaochu started 13 games in 2013 and two of his 10 sacks on the season came in the ACC title game. He made 12.5 more sacks as a senior to become an all-ACC pick before being a second-round pick of the San Diego Chargers.

The 31.5 sacks by Attaochu is Tech’s all-time career record.

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Parker Braun

Braun twice was an all-ACC performer at guard before he transferred to Texas to finish his career. The Hallsville (Texas) High School product found his way into the starting lineup as a freshman and earned recognition from ESPN as an All-American.

One of two Yellow Jackets to start all 11 Tech games in 2017, Braun helped the Jackets rush for 307.4 yards per game during his sophomore season. By the time his career ended in 2018 he had played 32 consecutive games.

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Harrison Butker

Butker is Tech’s all-time leader in career points scored with 337, PATs made in a season with 65 PATs made in a career, with 210. Butker made 71.7% percent of his field goals.

On Nov. 29, 2014, Butker made a 53-yard field goal to force overtime at Georgia in a game the Jackets eventually won 30-24.

Butker has gone on to win three Super Bowls, win the NFL’s scoring title in 2019 and make the Pro Football Writers Association all-rookie team. Butker’s 57-yard field goal in the 2024 Super Bowl set a Super Bowl record.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Adam Gotsis

An Australian native, Gotsis played four years on the defensive front at Tech and turned himself into an NFL prospect over 48 games. He made 110 tackles, 12.5 sacks and blocked four kicks. Gotsis’ senior season was cut short by injury.

As a junior, Gotsis started all of Tech’s 14 games and made 36 tackles, three sacks and an interception en route to being named all-ACC. He was a second-round draft pick by Denver in 2016 and spent four seasons there before joining Jacksonville, where he currently plays.

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TaQuon Marshall

A star quarterback at Harris County High School who was named all-state as a senior in 2014, Marshall began his Tech career as a running back before becoming a backup quarterback as a sophomore and starter as a junior.

Marshall’s 2017 season included a program record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,146) and 17 rushing touchdowns. He had six 100-yard games that season and his five rushing touchdowns against Tennessee in 2017 is a program record.

Marshall ran for 971 more yards as a senior.

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Shaq Mason

Mason became an All-American at right guard after arriving at Tech in 2011 from Columbia, Tennessee. He played in 52 games and made 39 starts over his final three seasons.

An all-ACC selection as a senior and a junior, Mason was part of an offensive line that paved the way for an Orange Bowl-record 452 rushing yards against Mississippi State on Dec. 31, 2014.

Mason was a fourth-round draft pick by New England in 2015 and currently is with the Houston Texans.

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Quayshawn Nealy

Nealy put together an all-ACC season as a senior in 2014 by starting 14 games at linebacker and making 92 tackles and eight interceptions, recovering six fumbles and scoring four touchdowns.

Nealy, who redshirted in 2010 as a freshman, had a pick-6 for 74 yards against Utah in 2011 (a school record) and one for 71 yards against North Carolina State in 2014.

He spent four seasons in the NFL after his playing days at Tech.

Credit: Ken Sugiura

Justin Thomas

Once committed to Alabama as a recruit, Thomas signed with Tech instead for a chance to play quarterback. The Prattville, Alabama, product redshirted in 2012 before being the Jackets’ backup in 2013 and becoming the starter in 2014.

Thomas ran for 1,086 yards and eight scores and threw for 1,719 yards and 18 touchdowns in that ‘14 season and was named MVP of the Orange Bowl and all-ACC. He finished his career with 18.4 yards per completion, 2412 rushing yards (ninth-most in a Tech career and second-most by a quarterback) and 4,754 passing yards (sixth-most in a Tech career).

Credit: Daniel Varnado

Omoregie Uzzi

A member of Tech’s 2024 Hall of Fame class, Uzzi was one of the top offensive linemen during the coach Paul Johnson era and earned All-American honors in 2011 and 2012. Uzzi also made all-ACC first team in 2011 and 2012 and second team in 2010.

Uzzi played in 50 of Tech’s 54 games from 2009-12 and started 38 of Tech’s 40 games from 2010-12. He helped pave the way for the Jackets to lead the ACC and finish among the top four nationally in rushing each of his four seasons. He was part of two ACC Coastal Division championships, one ACC championship and four bowl games.

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Tevin Washington

Washington became Tech’s starting quarterback in 2010 and then led the Jackets to a 6-0 start to the 2011 season. He ran for 176 yards and a touchdown in an upset of Clemson later that year.

Washington would go on to finish first or second in 11 different statistical categories and set the ACC records for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season (20) and a career (38). Washington accounted for 120 points in 2012 and finished his career with 2,225 rushing yards and 5,537 total yards.