ESPN CFB Tiers: Georgia Tech Labeled As A Team That Is "Flying Under The Radar"

Sep 21, 2024; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) runs the ball against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 31-19. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech could be ready for a breakthrough season in Brent Key's third season.

The Yellow Jackets return a good mixture of veteran talent while also adding in freshmen from one of the best recruiting classes in program history. They supplemented that talent in the transfer portal with veteran additions in the winter and spring transfer windows as well, and that has fans and analysts alike feeling optimistic that Georgia Tech will be a top-half team in the ACC this season. Can they be something more?

It is possible, and the Yellow Jackets are seeing themselves talked about more on the national stage than they have been in a long time. Georgia Tech was voted to finish fourth in the ACC preseason media poll as well. In a recent column, ESPN's David Hale placed every FBS team into one of twenty tiers and the Yellow Jackets landed in Tier 7, which was labeled " Flying beneath the radar like Tom Cruise in 'Maverick'" and that tier also included Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, and Washington:

"We've seen a lot of change in college football in recent years, which has made Iowa's offense such a needed through line connecting the modern version of the sport with an older generation. Granted, that generation probably lived through the Great Depression, but let's not split hairs. Nevertheless, there were signs that even the Hawkeyes might be taking a small step forward, as the offense scored 40 points in a game four times last season -- something Iowa had done just four times in the previous four seasons combined. Now, Iowa has a QB it likes in South Dakota State transfer Mark Gronowski, the defense should be stout again, and nobody punts like the Hawkeyes.

Kansas was 1-5 in games decided by a touchdown or less last year but also had wins over three straight ranked teams in November. With a more settled offensive approach and the return of Jalon Daniels, this Jayhawks squad looks like a potential sleeper.

Not counting the 2020 COVID-19 season, Minnesota is one of just 15 teams to win 60% of its Power 5 games. That's more impressive than it sounds. It's better than Washington, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miami and Texas A&M. The Gophers enter 2025 with a ton of intriguing options led by Koi Perich and Darius Taylor, and while the schedule includes road trips to Ohio State and Oregon, there's certainly a path for PJ Fleck to get Minnesota back to the 10-win plateau.

Fun fact: Since Brent Key took over as head coach at Georgia Tech on Sept. 26, 2022, the Yellow Jackets have as many wins against ranked foes (six) as Clemson and more than Penn State (five), Oklahoma (four) or LSU (four). In fact, they have more than Miami, Colorado, Boise State, Indiana and BYU combined -- and all five of those teams finished last year in the top 25. Of course, in that same span, Georgia Tech has losses to Virginia, Bowling Green, Virginia Tech and Vandy. So, it's a work in progress.

Washington is a work in progress, too. In Year 1 under Jedd Fisch, the Huskies floundered to a 6-7 record, including losses to Washington State and Rutgers. But Demond Williams Jr. looks like a difference-maker at QB, and it's worth remembering that, at Arizona, Fisch went from a completely noncompetitive 1-11 in Year 1 to 5-7 in Year 2 with one of the most improved teams in the country. Washington might still be a year away, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Huskies take a big leap forward now before threatening in the Big Ten in 2026."

Jul 23, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Georgia Tech Head Coach Brent Key answers questions from the media during ACC Media days at Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech Will Have Early Chance to Show Its Contender Status

Georgia Tech is going to get an early shot at facing the preseason favorite in the conference. Clemson comes to Georgia Tech in week three, and if the Yellow Jackets can pull the upset, they will set themselves up well for the rest of the conference slate. Georgia Tech avoids Miami, SMU, Louisville, and Florida State this season, giving them their most favorable ACC slate on paper in some time. Can they take advantage of it?

As Hale pointed out, as many notable wins as Key and the Yellow Jackets have managed to pull out during his tenure, they have not been the most consistent team. Between the two biggest games of the year (Clemson and Georgia), Georgia Tech is going to face Temple, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Duke, Syracuse, NC State, Boston College, and Pittsburgh. They might be favored in all of those games (at Duke and NC State are questionable), but they won't be large favorites. How they navigate those games, plus the opener at Colorado could be just as telling of this team as their performances against the Tigers and the Bulldogs.