Countdown to Kickoff: No. 85

The countdown to kickoff is officially on as Georgia Tech's season-opening matchup at Colorado on Aug. 29 is less than 100 days away.

Until then JOL will be counting it down with one Jackets' player daily that wore the corresponding number of days remaining until toe meets leather in Boulder.

With it now 85 days until kickoff in Boulder, today's focus is on No. 85 Jackson Hawes, who only played at Georgia Tech one season but made an impact with his smash-mouth, physical blocking style at tight end.

Hawes transferred to Georgia Tech from Yale prior to the 2024 season and went on to play in 12 games with 10 starts for the Jackets last Fall as he caught 16 passes for 195 yards but made a bigger mark in the run and pass blocking game. He ranked first in the ACC and eighth nationally according to his PFF grade in run blocking (74.7) and pass blocking (74.9).

The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder went on to impress NFL scouts and front office personnel with his performance at the Reese's Senior Bowl in January and tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine in February before being drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills with the 173rd overall pick in April. He signed a 4-year, $4.5 million contract with the Bills recently as he prepares for his rookie season in The League.

Hawes was an unranked weakside defensive end prospect by Rivals out of high school in Utah before choosing Yale for his college destination. At Yale from 2019-2023, he played in 29 games and had 35 catches for 371 yards with six touchdowns before entering the transfer portal and choosing Georgia Tech for his final college season in 2024.