In 2022, Zach Pyron provided a spark to Georgia Tech’s offense during a three-game stretch in October and November.
Pyron, then a freshman, came off the bench in a loss at Florida State and went 18-for-28 passing for 198 yards with a touchdown. A week later he led the Yellow Jackets to a 28-27 win at Virginia Tech in which he threw for 253 yards and a touchdown and ran for 66 yards and a score. His season ended in the third of those three games when he suffered a shoulder injury in a 35-14 loss to Miami.
There was much reason going into the 2023 season to believe Pyron had a solid chance be the starting quarterback. But Texas A&M transfer Haynes King won the job, became one of the better quarterbacks in the ACC and is back for his second season with Tech.
In the age of the transfer portal, it would had been understandable for Pyron, used sparingly as King’s backup in 2023, to look for playing time elsewhere this offseason. Pyron decided to stick with the Jackets, however, for myriad reasons.
“Just first of all the relationships I’ve made, just with (quarterbacks) coach (Chris) Weinke coming in, being with him, just the relationship I have. I didn’t know if I could find many guys that can develop me better than what he’s developing right now,” Pyron said. “And then this (Tech) degree here, this degree means so much. Everybody jokes and says it’s a 40-year decision, but it really is. Just some of the connections I’ve made outside of football with some guys, it’s not about what you do, but it’s about who you know. I know a lot of people.
“And then just coach (Brent) Key, I’m just bought in for what he’s doing. He’s an awesome coach. A lot of respect for him. A lot of respect. Would do anything for him. Anything he tells me to do I’m willing to do, and any improvement he wants me to make, I’ll make. Those three reasons are big. It’s just a great place. I wanna be a part of something that we’re building right now.”
Pyron has thrown for 573 yards on 53 completions during his short Tech tenure. He’s completed three touchdown passes (all in 2022), thrown four interceptions and totaled 156 rushing yards.
A 6-foot-3, 220-pound sophomore, Pyron will continue to be the backup to King when the season begins later this month, but he also appears to be the heir apparent to take over the job in 2025, should he beat out current freshmen Aaron Philo and Graham Knowles.
His comfort with the offense likely will be only better then — and it’s in pretty good shape now.
“It’s nice being it now for two fall camps now, two springs and two fall camps. Now we’re really mastering the offense,” Pyron said. “I’m super comfortable with it, but not too comfortable where I’m still not learning and studying everything. You still gotta learn all the intricacies. I’m really enjoying it. It’s a fun offense, and now it’s just mastering it and learning all the small details and just knowing what everybody else has to do, too.”
Who do we play next again?
Key made a live appearance on ACC Network during Tuesday’s practice. The second-year coach insisted he didn’t know the Jackets’ 2024 opponents (other than season-opening foe Florida State) until recently.
“I taped a schedule up on a wall in my office (Monday) just to see as far as scheduling out game-planning and itineraries and whatnot because, yeah, we’re focused on right now, practicing, staying in the moment, one day at a time, one play at a time – being consistent,” Key said. “That’s the big message right now is consistency.”
Key’s team struggled with consistency in 2023, especially where the overall record was concerned. The Jackets alternated wins and losses through the first eight games before defeating Virginia on Nov. 4 for what would be their lone win streak of the season (two games).
Stringing wins together in ‘24 will be crucial for Tech not only to make it back to bowl season, but to improve on its seven-win total.
“In the beginning, you’re learning how not to lose, what you have to do not to lose: ball security, (reduce) penalties, special teams. Then we kind of overcame that, so we got to the point where we started learning how to win,” Key added. “Now the time is to consistently win. When you show the team how it’s gone, the only way to build that habit is to do it in practice.”
Biggers not so big anymore
As part of the 2021 Tech football signing class, Zeek Biggers came to Atlanta listed as a 6-foot-7, 330-pound defensive lineman. That 330 pounds may have been a conservative estimate.
Biggers said he has lost quite a bit of girth over the past few seasons.
“Since I’ve been here? Probably, like, 50 pounds,” he said on how much weight he has shed. “But from last year to this year I’ve probably lost about 10-15 (pounds). So I feel good right now, able to move better. I’m quicker, just in general.”
Biggers is listed by Tech at 320 pounds still, but he is noticeably leaner this preseason. He’s hopeful the body transformation will help his production, especially when it comes to sacks.
“I lacked in that the past year,” he said. “Definitely getting the weight off of me so I can get off the ball, work the move and get to the quarterback faster. These quarterbacks are getting the ball off in a couple seconds. Kind of got to twitch up in that sense and get after ‘em. Definitely losing that weight helped.”
Haynes, Powell-Lee on watch lists
Tech running back Jamal Haynes and safety Clayton Powell-Lee were added to more watch lists Thursday.
Haynes is one of 48 players on the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award, which is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football. He earned a spot on the list on the strength of his 1,257 all-purpose yards last season, which included 1,059 rushing yards, 151 receiving yards on 20 receptions and 47 yards on two kickoff returns. On Monday, Haynes was named to the official preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award, which honors college football’s national player of the year.
Powell-Lee is on the watch list for the Wuerffel Trophy and is a nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team. Both awards recognize the player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership and performance on the field.
Birr on Groza watch list
Tech kicker Aidan Birr was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list Friday, an honor presented to college football’s top kicker. Birr, a sophomore, was 17-for-19 on field-goal tries and 37-of-38 on extra-point attempts last season.
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