Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes return to Folsom Field with a big-time Week 1 showdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
I expect wideout Dre’lon Miller to step up for a new-look Colorado passing attack, while Yellowjackets' WR Jamal Rutherford and running back Jamal Haynes are also set for big games Friday.
Find out the answers with my Georgia Tech vs. Colorado player props and college football picks for Friday, August 29.
Georgia Tech vs Colorado props for Week 1
Miller o30.5 receiving yards (-114)
Rutherford o45.5 receiving yards (-114)- Haynes o70.5 rushing yards (-114)
Prop bet #1: Dre’lon Miller Over 30.5 receiving yards
The Colorado Buffaloes’ passing attack will look a lot different sans Shedeur Sanders and his top four pass catchers. Those top four combined for a whopping 255 receptions for 3,251 yards and 32 touchdowns.
How will the Buffs seek to replace all of that production?
Why not start with Dre’lon Miller, who was WR5 on last season's depth chart? He cracked the rotation as a true freshman, catching 32 passes for 277 yards and three scores.
It’s certainly not an easy thing to break into such a star-studded rotation as a first-year player, so it’s evident that Miller possesses a wealth of talent while also earning the trust of his coaching staff. There’s been nothing but positivity about his prospects this season, so it’s wheels up in 2025.
The Buffs haven’t been able to get a consistent ground game going under Coach Prime and had the second-highest pass rate a season ago. While that might normalize a bit, this is generally a pass-happy system, and Dre’lon stands to benefit as a top receiver.
Prop bet #2: Malik Rutherford Over 45.5 receiving yards
Malik Rutherford has had a productive first four years with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, catching 136 passes for 1,491 yards and seven scores.
His fifth year on campus should be his best one yet, and his experience should be relied upon in an opening game on the road against a Power 5 team.
The fine folks at FanDuel have FIU transfer Eric Rivers’ receiving prop at 57.5, while Rutherford’s is at 45.5. While Rivers had a strong statistical output last season in a lower conference, there’s no sure thing that he’s the WR1 for the Yellow Jackets, and in fact, Rutherford has proven more at a higher level.
There should not be a gap in their receiving prop lines, so this is an opportunity to exploit. Rutherford averaged 54 receiving yards per game in 2024, so we’re getting a discount.
Colorado played well defensively last year, but the secondary lost Travis Hunter, and the best pass rusher is also gone. If I were the opposing OC, I’d throw on this team until they prove they can stop it — the secondary loses a fair amount of talent, and the pass rush is unproven.
Prop bet #3: Jamal Haynes Over 70.5 rushing yards
Jamal Haynes is one of the best running backs in college football. He’s back for this third season as the Yellow Jackets’ RB1, which you seldom see in today’s day and age of the sport, so he should handle a sizable workload as one of the faces of the program.
He averaged 72.6 rushing yards per game a year ago despite dealing with an injury for much of the season. Now reportedly healthy and ready to be the focal point of Buster Faulkner’s offensive attack, Haynes should improve upon his numbers.
Haynes runs through tackles, averaging 3.31 yards after contact per attempt. He’s also a threat to take any handoff to the house, posting a 52.4% breakaway percentage. That well-roundedness makes him the real deal, even before we factor in improvements to his game.
He made the switch from wide receiver to running back in fall camp before the 2023 season and responded with a 1,000-yard season. Despite being banged up for much of last season, Haynes still came 56 yards shy of another 1,000 yards of production.
If all goes according to plan in 2025, he should clear that bar, and it all starts against a Colorado defense that surrendered nearly 2,000 rushing yards in 2024.
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