Breaking: Brent Key names Haynes King as the starting quarterback for Georgia Tech
Brent Key has made a decision regarding the starting quarterback for Georgia Tech.
Key announced today that Texas A&M transfer Haynes KIng is going to be the Yellow Jackets starting quarterback for the Yellow Jackets' first game against Louisville. King has been competing with redshirt freshman Zach Pyron and Zach Gibson during fall camp.
From the beginning, this quarterback battle was kept close to the vest and Key said at the beginning of fall camp three weeks ago, they were going to take their time with the decision:
"With the quarterback situation, we have a great battle between three guys that have college experience, college game experience, big-time game experience. We are as fortunate as any team in the country in terms of the depth we have at that position and right now it is a lot of installation and a lot of routes on air, those kinds of things, getting timing down.
Like I have said before, it is different when you have the helmets on and the cleats as opposed in the summer and doing 7-on-7's. Every day is an evaluation of those guys, how they do in team periods, how they do off the field, how they transition from one play to the other. We have a good thing to have right now and that is experience and that is probably the same answer that I am going to give for the next three weeks. Don't plan on an announcement coming anytime soon"
Last season, King played 327 snaps according to PFF (Pro Football Focus), and finished with a grade of 53.4, a 48.6 passing grade, and a 71.6 rushing grade. He is an athletic player with a strong arm and it is a fair question to wonder if Texas A&M's offense was holding King back the last couple of seasons.
King is a former four-star recruit for the Aggies and won the starting job twice. His 2021 season was cut short after being injured early in the season. He started this season off as the starter but was benched after Texas A&M was upset by App State. He did return as the starter and had his best game on the road against Alabama, a game in which he threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
King's strengths are his mobility and his arm strength and I anticipate more passing in Faulkner's offense.
Georgia Tech has named Haynes King as the starting quarterback
When offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner was talking about the qualities the starting quarterback needed to possess, he singled out how he had to be the toughest guy in the room:
"First of all, he has to be the toughest guy in the building. In this day and age with the media and everything else, you have a lot to handle. Tough, a great leader... the beautiful thing about Coach (Chris) Weinke and I, we see it the same way. We did not know each other seven months ago and then we talked about quarterbacks and it was spot on, so we are aligned as far as that goes.
As far as the race, we are going to have all three guys getting reps, all three are getting an opportunity to play and whoever come out on top, you guys will know when we know or maybe even the first play of the game, but we are in no hurry to announce it, that is for sure."
King will have to keep this job now that he has won it. His first test is going to come against a Louisville team that is replacing several stars on defense.
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