Buster Faulkner Details The Next Step For The Georgia Tech Offense

Nov 29, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) passes the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Ever since he was hired as the Georgia Tech offensive coordinator in 2023, Buster Faulkner has turned the Yellow Jackets into one of the most dynamic offenses in the ACC. They have had a powerful run game and a strong offensive line, but his work with quarterback Haynes King is notable as well. King came to Georgia Tech after transferring from Texas A&M and has developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the country. King is back, as are a host of other leaders on Georgia Tech's offense, and Faulkner detailed today what he thinks the next step is for this group:

""Yeah, absolutely. And it's like we talked about in the spring, it's being able to throw the ball when we need to throw the ball, being able to be explosive in the passing game. Not just every other game, but when we need it or when we wanna be able to do it. That's the biggest step that we gotta take. Now, we're always gonna do what it takes to win games and that's what I love about Coach Key. He's put together a plan right to win the game, you know, and each one of those could be different. So, you know, that's the best part about it, but that is the next element to what we wanna do offensively. - Just being able to do it on demand. - Yeah, being able to do it on demand, right? We cut some things down, do some things more that he's comfortable with, and let him go play football. 'Cause when he just goes and plays football, and like we told him, you know, a few days ago going into this year go be you right, and that's what we want him to do, don't try to be anybody else just go be Haynes King and and the chips will fall where they need to."

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

Faulkner had talked since the spring about how he wanted to see the vertical passing grow and that was a topic for him again today:

"Well, it's something that we, you know, we know that we have to be able to do to be able to, again, reach our goals. You look across the country last year and, you know, the teams that had the best records in their conference, a lot of them were really good at throwing the ball, not to say they couldn't run the ball, right? But their passing statistics were really good. So we're trying to get up there, but their passing statistics were really good. So we're trying to get up there in that. I think it helps having a guy back in the third year, and also, I think having more depth on the perimeter helps. But some of that last year is hard to say with what happened with Haynes, of where it could have gone. But we got him back full speed. He's looked great the last two days. He's taken on a really good leadership role, and we're making an emphasis on that. And he's fired up for it."

Georgia Tech's offense has the pieces to once again be one of the best in the conference. King is back at quarterback, Jamal Haynes leads a deep running back room, and the receivers are deep and explosive. If the Yellow Jackets can replace some experience on the O-Line, they should be in great shape to take the next step.