Clemson Legend Making his Mark on the Georgia Tech Sideline Through a Tough Year

It has been a disaster season for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as they have tried to get back to relevance in the college football world. After a couple of seasons of really strong finishes and performances from this program, the 2026 season has been a massive step back.

The Yellow Jackets limp mercilessly into this weekend's game against the Clemson Tigers, and in the lead-up to the game, have made a couple more coaching changes along the way. 

At the beginning of this week, head coach Brett Key relieved four assistants of their duties, and in doing so, former Clemson legend Deandre Hopkins was promoted to become the primary wide receivers coach.

The circumstances are certainly tough, but what an awesome accomplishment by Hopkins in his very first year coaching. It wasn't just a short couple of months ago that he was maybe thinking about trying to make an NFL roster and then quickly and quietly made the switch to the coaching side of things.

He was in New England working for the Patriots during camp, and then word came out that he joined the Georgia Tech staff. What an awesome get for the Yellow Jackets as they tried to continue improving themselves on the offensive side of the ball. 

It obviously hasn't gone their way as they sit here approaching a week 10 game with just two wins to their name, and each of their losses hasn't really been close. 

The two victories have come against Mercer in their first three games, and then, oddly enough, they took down the Duke Blue Devils, who are one of the better teams in the ACC, and had they not lost that game, they would be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.

For Hopkins, it seems to be the coaching route that he is taking, at least initially, as he begins his post-NFL career. 

This is a great opportunity to remind you just how good "Nuke" was at Clemson. He was a three-year star whose career began in 2010. He wasted no time making an impact, as he had 52 catches for 637 yards and four touchdowns his first year. He responded with a 978-yard season in his sophomore year before his junior year came around.

He put up one of the great seasons in college football history with a 82 catch, 1,402 yard and 18-touchdown season. 

It was the preface to what turned out to be an insanely good NFL career that he is now parlaying into coaching, at least for now. The Tigers get to see an old friend on Saturday in a game that they must win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.