THE FLATS – Georgia Tech senior wide receiver Eric Rivers (Chattanooga, Tenn./McCallie School) continued to add to his list of preseason honors on Wednesday, earning second-team preseason All-America recognition from The Sporting News and a spot on the official watch list for the 2025 Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to college football’s top receiver.
Rivers, a graduate transfer from Florida International, is coming off a stellar redshirt junior season in which he hauled in 62 receptions for 1,162 yards (18.9 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. He made history at FIU by becoming the program’s first-ever Associated Press All-American, earning third-team honors in 2024, and was also a first-team All-Conference USA selection.
The preseason All-America nod from The Sporting News marks Rivers’ second such honor of the year. Earlier this summer, he and Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge (Royston, Ga./Franklin County H.S.) were both named second-team preseason All-Americans by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview.
The Biletnikoff Award, which recognizes college football’s most outstanding receiver, will be determined by a panel of 600 distinguished college football journalists, broadcasters, former receivers, and past award winners. Semifinalists and finalists will be announced in November, with the winner revealed during The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 12, live on ESPN.
Georgia Tech enters the 2025 campaign riding the momentum of back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in a decade. The Yellow Jackets return five all-Atlantic Coast Conference honorees from last year’s squad, highlighted by Rutledge, an All-America guard and first-team All-ACC selection. Other key returnees include defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, linebacker Kyle Efford, running back Jamal Haynes, wide receiver Malik Rutherford, and a talented quarterback duo in senior Haynes King and redshirt freshman Aaron Philo.
The Yellow Jackets will kick off the 2025 season on Friday, Aug. 29, with a prime-time showdown at Colorado (8 p.m. ET – ESPN). Tech’s home opener is set for Sept. 6 against Gardner-Webb (3:30 p.m. – ACC Network Extra), followed by a marquee ACC opener versus Clemson on Sept. 13 (noon – ABC or ESPN).
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