Georgia Tech on the upswing under Brent Key after one of darkest periods in program history

Updated Aug. 19, 2024 6:10 a.m. ET

Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia Tech program that was about as low as it could go is suddenly filled with optimism.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off their first winning season since 2018 and feel like they're ready to push even higher under coach Brent Key.

The Yellow Jackets were a laughingstock under previous coach Geoff Collins, who talked a good game but was woefully unprepared to lead a major-conference team.

Those dark days are in the rearview mirror. While no one expects Georgia Tech to contend for national titles on a regular basis, this group has shown it can be competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“We want to embrace these challenges that we have in front of us,” Key said. “Nothing’s easy. We don’t want it to be easy."

Key's impact

Heading into his second full season as coach, Key deserves credit for lifting the Yellow Jackets out of the abyss that was the Collins era.

The fiery coach has instilled a winning, edgy attitude in his players, which paid off a season ago with unlikely victories over North Carolina and Miami.

Georgia Tech was 10-28 in three-plus years under Collins, including a 7-19 mark in conference play. Since Key took over four games into the 2022 season, the Jackets are 11-10 overall and 9-6 in the ACC.

Good to be King

Haynes King returns at quarterback after a breakout season.

The transfer from Texas A&M threw for 2,842 yards with 27 touchdowns to go along with 737 yards rushing and 10 more TDs.

If there's one thing King needs to work on, it's being a bit more selective with his passes after getting picked off 16 times. But no one was complaining much after the Yellow Jackets averaged 31.1 points per game — their highest output in five years.

“He does everything you want him to do,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. “We’ve got a lot of confidence in him and what he can do, and we just keep putting more and more on his plate.”

Offensive weapons

Faulkner received plenty of kudos for King’s development, which was hardly a one-man show.

Running back Jamal Haynes piled up 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, to go along with 20 receptions for 151 yards. Eric Singleton (48 catches, 714 yards, six TDs) and Malik Rutherford (46 catches, 502 yards, four TDs) were the top receivers. All are back.

“He’s got great players around him and he understands that,” Faulkner said of his quarterback. “He knows how to get them the ball and makes them look really good.”

Defensive shakeup

While the offense was a bright spot, Key was not pleased with a leaky defense that surrendered nearly 30 points a game, ranking 97th nationally.

Georgia Tech overhauled its staff on that side on the line, most notably bringing in Tyler Santucci from Duke as the new defensive coordinator. Under Santucci, the Blue Devils surrendered just 19 points a game to lead the ACC and rank 16th nationally.

He is expected to bring the same sort of results to Georgia Tech.

“That’s why I got hired,” Santucci said. “Stop people, create takeaways, get the ball back to the offense and don’t let them score touchdowns. That’s not pressure. That’s our job.”

The schedule

Georgia Tech faces a difficult slate of games, beginning with the Aug. 24 opener against No. 10 Florida State in Dublin, Ireland.

“It’s a great opportunity for Georgia Tech. for people to see the GT on a worldwide stage,” Key said.

The Yellow Jackets also host No. 7 Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons — on Oct. 19 and close the regular season at top-ranked Georgia on Nov. 29.

For good measure, there are back-to-back home games against No. 19 Miami (Nov. 9) and No. 24 N.C. State (Nov. 21), plus another tough road trip to Louisville (Sept. 21).

It's the kind of schedule that could make it difficult for Key's team to improve much on last year's 7-6 mark, even if they continue their upward trajectory.

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