CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brent Key’s trip to the ACC Kickoff was not in vain.
The Georgia Tech coach did spend many syllables at the annual media event making clear he had little interest in making predictions about the Yellow Jackets’ season or raising expectations any higher than they need to be. Or, in other words, being totally unfun at a gathering dedicated to hype.
“I don’t believe in expectations, I don’t believe in hypotheticals, at all,” Key said Monday at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in response to a question about his expectations for an offense that brings back a slew of starters from an explosive 2023 unit. “I don’t live in a hypothetical world.”
But later, he delivered the goods. He stood on the table for Tech quarterback Haynes King (figuratively, mind you) with a declaration that served as a loud and clear signal of his expectations for his team leader.
“He’s the best quarterback in the ACC, guys,” Key said. “And I won’t be surprised if he’s on every (postseason honor) list at the end of the season. Would not be surprised. I’m saying that. I am backing that up when I say that right now. That’s not (expletive). That kid’s special.”
If Key had it on his mind to remind assembled media that, “Hey, our guy can play a little bit, too,” then mission accomplished. Ahead of his second season as the full-time boss at Tech, the coach is drooling (again, figuratively) over what King can do in his second year as starter after transferring from Texas A&M.
Credit: Chris O'Meara
Credit: Chris O'Meara
“When you’re a motion-based offense, the precision that comes with those motions and the timing that comes with those, the guy conducting the orchestra, now, he’s got to be perfect,” Key said.
It was in response to a question about his excitement level to have King back running the offense, insinuating that he and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner believe that he can operate the offense at the highest level.
It’s worth a couple of paragraphs to put Key’s comments into further context. First, for Key to say that he believes his quarterback is the best in the ACC is not a backhanded compliment of any sort.
He’ll have competition. Miami’s Cameron Ward transferred in from Washington State after averaging almost 280 passing yards per game with 48 touchdowns against 16 interceptions in two seasons as the Cougars’ starter. Two more who will be in the running for All-ACC accolades are Florida State’s D.J. Uiagalelei (formerly of Clemson and then Oregon State) and N.C. State’s Grayson McCall (a transfer from Coastal Carolina, where he was the three-time Sun Belt Conference player of the year).
And, second, to reiterate, Key’s endorsement was atypical for him. Key learned at the foot of Nick Saban, who during his championship-studded run at Alabama generally didn’t offer more to the media than what was necessary and loathed his players and team getting showered with praise, lest it create overconfidence and a lack of focus. He called it “rat poison,” colorful phrasing that portended his blossoming career as a media type.
And third, Key holds his view even though Tech’s schedule will, as usual, be full of prickles. All 11 FBS opponents played in bowl games last season, including six teams who could compete for spots in the new 12-team College Football Playoff (Georgia, Notre Dame, Florida State, N.C. State, Miami and Virginia Tech).
Key’s endorsement of King should be recognized as far more than a braying coach trying to make waves on social media during college football’s talking season. It is a strong indicator that it’s safe for Tech fans to believe the Jackets can build on their 7-6 record in 2023, their first bowl season since Paul Johnson’s tenure ended in 2018.
And, to Key’s point, King is worthy of the table pounding. His 2023 season was prolific – 2,842 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes (against 16 interceptions, a number that needs improvement), 737 rushing yards and 10 touchdown runs. He was first in the ACC in touchdown passes, first in points responsible for (224) and second in total offense (275.3 yards per game). His 37 touchdowns responsible for broke Tech legend Joe Hamilton’s school record of 35 in his standout 1999 season.
What Key likes as much as the production is the leadership that King has provided, a style that was first more reserved but since the start of the offseason has grown into a more vocal role. King said he spent the first year at Tech learning and understanding teammates and now feels more comfortable asserting himself.
This offseason, he has been willing to hold teammates accountable for not pushing themselves at practice or in strength and conditioning workouts.
“I can definitely tell the difference between last year and this year’s confidence level with walking up to people and actually, like, telling them that,” running back Jamal Haynes said Monday.
After Tech’s breakthrough season in 2023, King has been cognizant of the temptation for players to relax.
On a team he described as player-led (as opposed to coach-led), “people can hold the standard and check other ones, like, ‘Hey, you’ve been B.S.’ing. This is not you. You’ve got to start doing better or something’s going to happen,’” King said.
Key told a story Monday about King from the team’s Gasparilla Bowl win over Central Florida that would give him the authority to make those stands with teammates.
In the game, Tech wrested control in the second half with a dominant run game, closing out the game with 27 consecutive run plays. While it came at the expense of chances for King to show off his arm – he threw a season-low 13 passes – “he was screaming to run it again because that was the surest way to win and destroy somebody’s will to play,” said Key, speaking at a table a few yards to the left of King. “That tells you everything that you need to know about that kid right there.”
Displays like that – he led Tech to the 30-17 win after the Jackets had fallen behind 17-3 in the first half – surely reaffirmed to Key at least two things about King. First, that his quarterback is the best in the conference. And second, King will not be distracted by the praise that his coach heaps on him.
Tech will start practice Wednesday, a month before the Jackets open their season in Ireland against the defending ACC champion Seminoles.
Besides King, Tech has four returning starters on the offensive line, the team’s leading rusher from 2023 (Haynes with 1,059 yards; King was second with 737 yards) and the top three leading receivers (Eric Singleton Jr., Malik Rutherford and Christian Leary).
All the more reason for a normally reticent coach to campaign for his quarterback.
“The cast of characters around him, he’s got some good ones,” Key said. “So, you know how the season goes – there’s so many unknowns, ups and downs, those things. But that kid right there, I’m getting in his foxhole.”
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