While there will never be another No. 15 worn by a Georgia Tech player in men's basketball, that hasn't stopped a young athlete with the last name Harpring to sport that same number on the football field for the Jackets.

Luke Harpring, a freshman tight end for Georgia Tech and son of the legendary Yellow Jackets' small forward Matt Harpring, has made his way onto the field very early in his college career as the first-year player from Marist has played in three games so far in 2024, including his most significant snaps in the Jackets' win at North Carolina last Saturday.

Matt Harpring starred from 1994-1998 for legendary Georgia Tech head basketball coach Bobby Cremins as a four-year starter and a three-time All-ACC selection. When he finished his career, he was the program's all-time leader in free throws made and second all-time for Georgia Tech in points and rebounds. He was so impactful on the court that Georgia Tech retired his No. 15 jersey before his final regular-season home game before he went on to play more than a decade in the NBA.

Now his son Luke, who committed to Georgia Tech over several other offers, said his dad is proud to see his son wear the No. 15 while also encouraging him to create his own legacy on The Flats.

"Yeah, I mean he's always been super with me and supportive of all I do," said Luke during a player media session after Wednesday's practice. "He obviously thinks 15's a great thing that I'm following in his footsteps and everything. But he also likes that I'm trying to make a name for myself."

With the Jackets down a few of their tight ends due to injuries last Saturday in Chapel Hill, Luke Harpring, who has seen a few snaps in his other two games appeared in, stepped up to play crucial ones in the dramatic victory over the Tar Heels. He finished with two catches for 36 yards, including a big 27-yard reception in the fourth quarter that set up the Jackets with a first down at the UNC 17. He said he was ready to do whatever needed of him in the circumstance he got his chance to play.

"They threw me right in. Obviously, Ryland Goede got hurt, and I've always got to be ready when my number is called, and I thought I did pretty good," said Hapring. "I went in there, caught the ball and got as many yards as a I could. So yeah, I thought it was a pretty good play."

During Tuesday's media session after practice, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key, who played his college ball at Tech in the 90s during the elder Harpring's impressive run on the basketball court, remarked that it's pretty cool to have a No. 15 Harpring making plays in the athletic realm once again in Atlanta. He also talked about Luke's impact as a true freshman and that one of the things he often says is that "freshmen that play as freshmen don't act like freshman."

When asked on Wednesday about what has made him feel more comfortable on the field as a freshman, Luke Harpring responded by saying the way he's grown in such a short amount of time over the summer and in practice has gone a long way.

"I feel in practice I've been able to build up my confidence and get me ready for the game. I feel like over these last couple months and over the summer I've been able to kind of get used to the new speed of the game as far as switching from high school to now college," said Harpring. "And I feel like I've done a pretty good job with that. I've always got to get better so there's always room for improvement."

While he's made the transition to the college level well, Luke said he's definitely had to adjust quickly to how much more physical it is than as a high school player as well as taking some time to learn the complicated offensive system and playbook.

"The physicality point, it's definitely different from high school," said Luke. "But I feel like I'm learning, and I think I'm doing pretty good as far as physicality and where I need to put my hands and hand placement and body positioning and everything. But like I said there's always room for improvement."

"As far as the hardest things, I feel like I've picked up the plays. It took me a little bit to get the plays down, but I feel like over the time now that I've gotten in a bunch I've been able to pick them up pretty easily. I would say that."

Luke isn't the last in the line of Harprings that will likely be a stellar college athlete as his younger sister Kate is ranked as one of, if not the, top girls' basketball recruits in the class of 2026. The junior point guard at Marist has picked up offers from schools all across the country already, including one from Georgia Tech. Luke said he has talked to his sister some about the recruiting process but has mostly left it up to her to be patient and make the right decision for herself and her future.

"Yeah, I mean we talk a lot. She's obviously really busy. Hers is a little different as far as basketball, and she's got a lot of recognition across the country," said Luke. "She's also only a junior so she's got a little time to make a right decision, but I think she's going to make a good decision."

Next up for Luke and the 5-2 Jackets' football team is a date with a top-12 ranked Notre Dame team on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He said after they have watched the Irish defense on film, he and the rest of the offense knows it will be a challenge but are also excited about the opportunity.

"They are a physical team. I feel like we can attack them, though," said Luke. "I feel like they have some guys that we can attack as far as matchups. We know kind of their overall scheme, what we're expecting. So we can mold our gameplan around that. I think it should be a good game."

Being an Atlanta native, Luke added that playing on the big stage in The Benz against a tradition-rich program like Notre Dame adds another layer of excitement for him.

"It's great. It should be a really great atmosphere," said Luke. "A lot of people are going to be at the game. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be awesome."