When Georgia Tech rolls into Boulder, Colo., to begin the college football season, Ellijay’s Will Kiker will be on the Yellow Jackets’ sideline once again.
Kiker is a 2023 Gilmer High graduate and is set to enter his third year in Atlanta. He was redshirted as a freshman and still has three years of eligibility remaining. The Yellow Jackets were under the summer sun this week for the start of fall camp. Kiker described his time with the program so far as, “enjoyable.”
“Everybody wants to be great and go to that next level so everybody is working their butt off to be the best they can,” Kiker said. “Everybody kind of pushes each other to be great and strive to be better. It’s intense and strenuous, but it’s fun.”
Tech’s offseason began in January following its bowl loss to Vanderbilt. Players attended weight training and conditioning sessions in the months leading up to spring practice. The Jackets were on the field for two weeks and held their spring game April 15.
After a six week break — their longest of the year — players were back in June and July for more lifting and running. Kiker made the most of his offseason and currently squats 635 pounds and power cleans 405. A shoulder injury “limited” his bench press, which is currently 335.
Fall camp is more than just full pads as players’ entire days will be consumed by football. Kiker said they usually report at 8 a.m. and remain at the facility for 11 to 12 hours. They lift, condition, practice, attend meetings and eat all three meals together before being dismissed for the day.
Now entering his third season, Kiker has improved more than just his strength, though the learning curve was initially steep.
“Coming from Gilmer, it’s a little smaller, so when I got to Tech, my main problem was learning the playbook,” he said.
“Now that I’ve been here a couple of years, my football IQ has gotten a lot higher just knowing the game more. That has changed dramatically and something I had to work on for a little bit. It’s definitely come along after being here for awhile and around some people who really know the game.”
Kiker did plenty of learning as a redshirt player, and he was permitted to play in four games without losing a year of eligibility. He took the field for his first play when Tech defeated Central Florida in its bowl game.
“Coming in my first year and not knowing what to expect, I just wanted to get consumed in the place where I could do the best and take ownership of my role. For me, that was on punt return, and then I got a chance to get in that bowl game. I wanted to do my job the best I could and just improve from there,” Kiker said.
“My first play out there went by very quickly. It was probably four seconds, and it happened so fast. It was pretty awesome being out there. There was a lot of energy and it was a close game. It was very awesome.”
Kiker made his way through spring workouts last year, but endured a setback at spring practice. He suffered a Lisfranc injury, which is located midfoot and occurs when bones and ligaments are broken or torn.
Kiker’s surgery and recovery kept him out of fall camp and preseason practices. By game three against Syracuse, he was back on the field. He was a mainstay on special teams for the remainder of the season on both punt and kickoff teams.
Tech wrapped up the regular season against rival Georgia, and the Bulldogs won in eight overtimes, 44-42. While Kiker grew up a UGA fan, his affinity has dwindled since arriving on The Flats.
“It was a heartbreaker. It was right there,” Kiker said of the game. “I definitely have grown a hatred for that other team.”
Kiker’s field time was limited to special teams, but he hopes to change that this season. With Tech’s season opener four weeks away, Kiker, a nickel back, has time to improve his position on the defensive depth chart.
“I’ve been doing pretty good getting some reps with the second-team defense,” Kiker said. “During our spring exit meeting, my coach told me I should be looking at some defensive snaps this year, so I’m hoping to get to come in on defense a little bit.
“This is what I’ve been working for. I want to play defense and make the biggest impact there that I can. I still need to work on my man defense. That’s something I have to perfect.”
Tech opens its season Aug. 29 at Colorado at 8 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.