Minutes after his team’s penultimate practice stateside before departing for Europe, Brent Key seemed to be in a jovial mood and, much like his players, itching to get out to see what the 2024 version of the Yellow Jackets looks like. The second-year Georgia Tech coach said he has been pleased with his squad’s growth throughout the offseason, but admitted there’s an uncertainty as to how a team truly will come together once preseason practice starts.
He said he believes this Tech team looks like one ready to go out and play for one another when the season kicks off against Florida State at noon Saturday in Dublin.
“August is when you come together as a football team. And you can’t predict how that’s going to be. You hope the chemistry becomes good, but It’s the shared adversity that they go through throughout (preseason) camp, throughout their day-to-day lives that allows guys to bond together in the locker room,” Key said. “To be able to have relationships, it’s a testament to the leadership on the team. It’s a testament to the people we have in the organization that do a lot with our players, our player-development groups with (director of player development Anthony Parker) and (football chief of staff Donald Hill-Eley), what they do with those guys, what they have done over the summer.”
Key’s team will depart for the capital of Ireland on Wednesday night after its usual morning practice. They’ll land in Dublin on Thursday and head straight to practice at Aviva Stadium, their last true full workout before facing No. 10 FSU.
The unique challenges of this particular matchup are plenty. The Jackets have to cross the Atlantic, play in a cooler (and likely wet) climate and compete in a unfamiliar stadium on a neutral site. And much of the college football world will be watching as the matchup will be preceded by ESPN’s College GameDay before airing live on ESPN.
Oh, and then there are the Seminoles, a team that went 13-1 last season and has aspirations of winning a second consecutive ACC championship. And even though coach Mike Norvell’s team has large number of new players at key positions, Tech still goes into the fray as 11-point underdogs.
“The important thing in your first game is, everybody talks about the opponent, the opponent, the opponent. The unknowns are what you can’t predict. So it’s really about your team, how sound you are with your base offense, defense, and kicking game, and how quickly your coaches can make adjustments within the game,” Key said. “Look, if you’re waiting until halftime to make adjustments, I mean, the game’s over. You’ve got to make adjustments fast, so then you have the ability to play for the full four quarters.”
Key also released his first official depth chart of the season, one that didn’t include too many surprises. Avery Boyd or Jackson Hawes (a Yale transfer) will start at tight end in place of the injured Brett Seither. Corey Robinson (6-5, 305) or Jordan Brown (6-5, 315) will start at left tackle, and Middle Tennessee transfer Keylan Rutledge will get the nod at right guard.
On defense, newcomer Warren Burrell (Tennessee) is the starting cornerback and Southern California transfer Romello Height could start at defensive end if veteran Kevin Harris doesn’t get the call. Tech will look to Omar Daniels or Rodney Shelley to start at nickel back.
All of the Jackets, on the depth chart or not, will have two full days to adjust to the five-hour time difference in Ireland, but Key joked that most of his team stays up late playing video games anyway before a full day of practice during the preseason – adjusting to a possible lack of sleep shouldn’t be an issue. He added it’s up to the coaching staff not to make too big of a fuss about the circumstances Tech has been dealt.
From there, all that will be left to do is play football, and Key hopes his team puts on a show Saturday.
“What an unbelievable opportunity that these kids and these coaches have and really to showcase our sport,” Key said. “To get over there and see the passion people have for it and how much they enjoy the game, how much they’re continuing to learn about the game. It’s a really cool opportunity to be on that stage to be the first game of the year to play the opponent like we have a chance to play in Florida State.”
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