Athlon Sports Gives New Prediction For Where Georgia Tech Football Finishes In The ACC Standings

Jackson Caudell | Jun 23, 2025

Oct 26, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Malik Rutherford (8) runs the ball against Virginia Tech Hokies linebacker Sam Brumfield (3) during the third quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season is a little over two months away, and leading up to the season, one of the most interesting teams for 2025 is Georgia Tech. After back-to-back seven-win seasons, it seems like Brent Key's program might be ready to break through in a bigger way. Since taking over as the head coach, Key has put together two impressive seasons of wins over ranked teams and has added more talent to the roster. With enough returning experience, coaching stability on the offensive side of the ball, a talented transfer portal and high school recruiting classes, and a favorable schedule, some are projecting Georgia Tech to be among the ACC's top teams.

Athlon Sports is no different. In a recent release of their predicted ACC Standings for the 2025 season, the Yellow Jackets found themselves in the top five:

"The Yellow Jackets have posted back-to-back winning records (5-3) in ACC play for the first time since 2013-14. With the program on stable footing and nine returning starters, coach Brent Key’s team has its sights set on contending for a spot in the conference championship game.

Quarterback Haynes King battled injuries for a good chunk of the ‘24 season but still averaged 245.5 total yards a game under coordinator Buster Faulkner. With a full offseason to return to full strength, King is entrenched as one of the ACC’s top signal-callers. And he’s got plenty of help at the skill spots despite receiver Eric Singleton’s transfer to Auburn. Key landed a pair of receivers - Dean Patterson and Eric Rivers - from FIU in the portal to support Malik Rutherford on the outside. Also, the ground game is in great shape with first-team Athlon Sports’ All-ACC running back Jamal Haynes. A revamped line (three new starters) is the biggest concern.

Change on the defensive side is Georgia Tech’s biggest unknown for 2025. New coordinator Blake Gideon is a first-time play-caller, and there are holes to fill with only four returning starters. Linebacker Kyle Efford (64 tackles) and tackle Jordan van den Berg anchor the front. How Gideon handles some turnover in the secondary and develops the pass rush will determine just how much this unit can improve this fall."

ESPN released its first FPI (football power index) rankings earlier this month, and Georgia Tech finds itself as one of the ACC's highest-rated teams. The Yellow Jackets check in at No. 28 overall and the No. 5 team in the conference, behind Miami, Clemson, SMU, and Virginia Tech. FPI is projecting Georgia Tech for an 8-4 season and gives them an 84.9% chance to reach a bowl game, a 6.1% chance to win the ACC, and a 9.9% chance to make the college football playoff.

ESPN uses its FPI (Football Power Index) as an advanced analytical model to help look at matchups and predict outcomes. In ESPN's own words: "FPI is a predictive rating system designed to measure team strength and project performance going forward. The ultimate goal of FPI is not to rank teams 1 through 128; rather, it is to correctly predict games and season outcomes. If Vegas ever published the power rankings it uses to set its lines, they would likely look quite a lot like FPI."

Nov 9, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Jamal Haynes (11) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Here is how FPI sees the ACC in the first release:

1. Miami (No. 9 overall)

2. Clemson (No. 11)

3. SMU (No. 20)

4. Virginia Tech (No.26)

5. Georgia Tech (No. 28)

6. Louisville (No. 41)

7. Florida State (No. 48)

8. Boston College (No. 50)

9. North Carolina (No. 51)

10. Duke (No. 54)

11. NC State (No. 57)

12. Pittsburgh (No. 58)

13. California (No. 60)

14. Syracuse (No. 62)

15. Virginia (No. 63)

16. Stanford (No. 64)

17. Wake Forest (No. 89)

Here is how Georgia Tech's 2025 schedule looks from an FPI perspective:

Aug. 29th- Colorado (No. 49)

Sept. 6th- Gardner Webb (NA)

Sept. 13th- Clemson (No.11)

Sept. 20th- Temple (No. 129)

Sept. 27- Wake Forest (No. 89)

Oct. 11th- Virginia Tech (No. 26)

Oct. 18th- Duke (No. 54)

Oct. 25th- Syracuse (No. 62)

Nov. 1st- NC State (No. 57)

Nov. 15th- Boston College (No. 50)

Nov. 22nd- Pittsburgh (58th)

Nov. 28th- Georgia (2nd)

It has been talked about plenty this offseason, but his schedule sets up nicely for Georgia Tech, if they can take advantage of it. They face two projected top-25 teams heading into the year (Georgia and Clemson) and only one of them is in the ACC. Virginia Tech at 26 seems a little high to me, but the Hokies could have a bounce back season. Much like SP+, FPI sees the ACC with a lot of teams ranked ranked 50th or lower. Excluding Gardner-Webb, Georgia Tech faces seven teams ranked 50th or lower.

While FPI is just one set of ratings, it is another one that has Georgia Tech being in the mix in the ACC race.

More Georgia Tech Football News:

feed