Does Georgia Tech Have One Of The Best Quarterback Rooms In The Country Going Into Next Season?

The 2024-2025 College Football Season ends tonight with Notre Dame and Ohio State playing in the national championship in Atlanta, but most programs are already working towards next season and making a run of their own, whether it is to win their conference or to the playoff. To do either of those things, it is important for a program to be set at the most important position and that is quarterback. Looking ahead to 2025, you can make the argument that not many teams are set up better than Georgia Tech. They will return veteran quarterback Haynes King, as well as freshman quarterback Aaron Philo. This will be King's last season of eligibility, but if what Philo has shown is any indication, than Georgia Tech will be in good hands moving forward. Not only that, but having depth at quarterback is very important.

When appearing on the radio today, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key expressed a lot of confidence in his quarterback room for next season.

Brent Key today on @680TheFan "I would argue we have one of the best quarterback rooms in the country coming back next year."
— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) January 20, 2025

Having King back for next season is massive for Georgia Tech and makes them contenders to get to the ACC Championship game. King is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country and he makes the Yellow Jackets offense hard to stop. King threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns as well as running for 110 yards and three touchdowns in the eight overtime loss to Georgia after the game, head coach Brent Key spoke about him and his performance, as well as what this game signals for the program moving forward:

""He's a warrior. He's one of the toughest kids I've ever been around in my life. He wills others around. Proud of him. Proud of all of them.

"Correct, but, the game's-- there's so much about college football that's special, And there's so many things that as a college football coach that you take pride in. Yeah, the judgment comes from when the scoreboard hits zero. But the things we do with these kids and to see these kids grow and mature, to see them do what they do in school, do what they do socially, do what they do each week on the football field, they're special. They're special. And it hurts. It hurts them. That locker room, I've never seen anything like that. What I know about these kids, what I know about this team, what I know about this school, this emotion will turn into fuel, and we'll use that fuel."

Two of Georgia Tech's five losses came with King out of the lineup. When he came back, he split time with Philo in wins over Miami and NC State, before playing his normal full-time snaps against the Bulldogs. Philo played the majority of snaps in the win over the Wolfpack. Philo finished the game 19-33 for 265 yards as well as 57 yards rushing and led the game-winning drive.

How good was Philo? He finished as the highest-graded quarterback in the entire country in week 13 according to PFF (Pro Football Focus). Philo earned a 93.7 grade (top in the country) and a 93.3 passing grade (3rd in the country).

In a recent article, 247Sports Carter Bahns listed King as a dark horse Heisman candidate:

"If Haynes King was healthy all year, there is no telling how special of a season this would have been for both himself and Georgia Tech. The fifth-year veteran took a major leap as a passer, going from an ACC-high 16 interceptions last season to just one on 236 pass attempts all year. That is not to mention his game-changing ability on the ground. Georgia saw firsthand how much King improved in Year 2 with the Yellow Jackets when he racked up 413 total yards and five touchdowns in their eight-overtime thriller. A healthy 2025 without a step backward would put him in the Heisman conversation."

It is hard to argue there are many quarterback rooms as set at Georgia Techs, both for next year and for the future. Next season has a chance at being special for Georgia Tech and both King and Philo are reasons for optimism.

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