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Oct 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) loosks to pass in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Haynes King Named One Of College Football's 25 Most Important Players For This Season

Originally posted on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on SI
By Jackson Caudell | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The college football season is getting closer and closer, and Georgia Tech's season opener against Colorado is close to three weeks away.

The Yellow Jackets return a good mixture of veteran talent while also adding in freshmen from one of the best recruiting classes in program history. They supplemented that talent in the transfer portal with veteran additions in the winter and spring transfer windows as well, and that has fans and analysts alike feeling optimistic that Georgia Tech will be a top-half team in the ACC this season. Can they be something more?

One of the reasons for optimism is the quarterback position. Haynes King is back for one more season in Atlanta, and Aaron Philo is waiting in the wings. Philo had to step in unexpectedly last season when King was injured, and he helped Georgia Tech pull the massive upset vs Miami late in the season and also led a comeback win against NC State. It is hard to find many quarterback rooms across the country that are in a better position than Georgia Tech's.

In a recent article from ESPN's Bill Connelly, he named the 40 most important players for the upcoming season and King was ranked No. 23:

"King's Tech began 2024 by sending Florida State down its nightmare path, then finished it by KO'ing unbeaten Miami and nearly beating Georgia. King and running back Jamal Haynes can play the ball-control game as well as just about anyone, and they get home games against Clemson and Georgia in 2025. OK, fine, the Georgia game is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and that only sort of counts. Still, that sounds semi-ominous."

King is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country and one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks as well. After a good debut season with Georgia Tech in 2023, King was showing improvements in plenty of areas last season (particularly cutting down his turnovers and becoming more efficient), but injuries unfortunately played a crucial role in how his season played out. He was forced to miss games against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, and even when he came back against Miami and NC State, he was clearly hampered by the injury. He came all the way back for the last game of the regular season against Georgia and had one of the guttiest performances of the season as the Yellow Jackets nearly pulled off the upset against the Bulldogs.

King threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns as well as running for 110 yards and three touchdowns in the eight overtime loss to Georgia after the game, head coach Brent Key spoke about him and his performance:

"He's a warrior. He's one of the toughest kids I've ever been around in my life. He wills others around. Proud of him. Proud of all of them."

He threw for over 2,100 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also cutting his interceptions from 16 to just two. Is there another step for King this season? If so, this Georgia Tech offense should remain one of the ACC's most dynamic. King also ran for nearly 600 yards last season to go along with 11 rushing touchdowns. Having Buster Faulkner for a third straight season is a huge plus as well. King is hoping to continue to elevate the program back to ACC contention, and he has everything at his disposal to do that in 2025.

This article first appeared on Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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