Georgia Tech Has A New Quarterback For 2023
Tech Coach Brent Key Says Haynes King Is His Starter With Season Opener 10 Days Away
Tuesday August 22, 2023 was a landmark day for Georgia Tech football. It became so when head coach Brent Key announced at his press conference that Haynes King had been selected as the starting QB for the Jackets for the 2023 campaign.
Key went into great detail regarding the process of his decision, reminding all that the process began in January, and that it included many evaluations from his staff. At the same time, he emphasized that the decision was in fact his, and that both King and Zach Pyron had been informed by Key personally of the decision and what it was based on.
” I don’t believe in sugarcoating things” said Key.
He made a point to say that King would ” ..not be on a short leash”, and that he would not have to worry about being pulled quickly if things didn’t go well. This remark seemed to be aimed at Key’s predecessor, under whom the QB position seemed often to be in flux, with two or even three QBs playing in a given game.
Key was also careful to remind his audience that having 3 quarterbacks ( King, Pyron and Zach Gibson) on the roster who have started college games is a big plus and he said that each would see the field this season.
Later in his message, Key did say that a couple of other personnel decisions on the 2-deep roster were not yet complete. He did not give details.
He sounded almost relieved to have made his quarterback decision and to have now made it public. And understandably so. Whether Key’s time at Tech is long or short, much of his success this year will be tied to the success of the quarterback he has selected to run the show.
Key also did not give specifics when asked what specifically spelled the difference between King and Pyron. Of the two, King is felt to have slightly more foot speed and perhaps a stronger arm. He definitely has more experience, with Texas A&M in the SEC for the past two years. That said, Pyron had some success last year at Tech before injury intervened. Both quarterbacks appear to have the toughness factor that Key and his staff have repeatedly they want in their offensive leader.
Key finished up by saying that he was ready to focus on Louisville for Game One of 2023, to be played on Friday Sept 1 at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Tech is currently a 8-point underdog to the Cardinals. A win in this game would be a big positive step for the Jackets– and for Key.
He knows that as well as anyone. A big part of his success so far at Tech is that his players buy in to him as a communicator. A win in game one will only reinforce the bond between the head man and his players. That bond is often just as important as the x’s and o’s.
Key obviously wants no stone unturned in his preparation for game one. He said ” there is no ceiling on improvement”. As a sign of same, he said he was now “,, ready to go ….put on some tape and watch some Louisville film”.
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports.com