Georgia Tech star running back Justice Haynes will enter the 2026 season with high expectations.
The former Alabama and Michigan transfer was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watchlist Monday and earned preseason All-ACC first-team honors. He looked the part in Tech’s first fall practice Monday afternoon.
Haynes showed agility and speed as he went through individual drills with the same intense running style that helped him succeed with the Wolverines. The bowling ball-like approach he deploys on the ground carried into the first bit of scrimmage action the Jackets performed, as he made a quick cut and escaped through several would-be tacklers.
Despite the lofty expectations for Haynes, who rushed for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven games for Michigan last year, Yellow Jackets coach Brent Key is not concerned about how the senior will handle the hype, given the talent behind him.
“You met Malachi Hosley? Trelain Maddox? Chad Alexander? Shane Marshall? J.P. (Powell)? We have a lot of really good running backs,” Key said.
Hosley transferred to Tech from Penn for the 2025 season and had an impressive campaign, tallying 697 yards and seven touchdowns on 98 carries, outperforming star running back Jamal Haynes on 26 fewer carries. If Justice Haynes suffers an injury or endures a lull, Hosley could be the Jackets’ highest-performing running back once again.
“Those guys all create competition in the room (and are) all pushing each other,” Key said. “But again, I want guys in the program that want the absolute best. There’s no room to really coast.”
The benefit of having as formidable a running back corps as the Jackets do is that they can rest key players like Haynes and Hosley. Factor in ESPN’s No. 32 strength of schedule and utilizing that depth starts to look essential to the Jackets’ success in 2026.
Key intends to avoid the manner of old and wearing out his best backs.
“One time in my career have I had a running back take every carry of the season. That was ’07. That was Kevin Smith,” Key said. “I mean, 450-something carries he had that season. That’s unheard of now. That would never happen.
“The other thing now, running backs, it’s a position that gets banged up. You don’t want to put all the stress on them in practice so then it becomes a big bang, per se. But you also want the best ones playing their best in the fourth quarter at the end of the year.”
The Jackets began fall camp Monday afternoon and will return to practice at Rose Bowl Field on Tuesday.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
