Georgia Tech Football: Biggest Takeaways From ACC Media Days

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

ACC Media days has wrapped up and now the season is officially right around the corner. For Georgia Tech, they were one of the most interesting teams to watch in Charlotte this week. The Yellow Jackets have been getting a lot of love heading into the season as a darkhorse team in the ACC and around the country and this was the unofficial kickoff to what they and their fans hope is one of their best seasons since making the ACC Championship in 2014.

So what are the main takeaways from this year's ACC Media Days?

1. Brent Key wanted to show Georgia Tech off for what he wants it to be for players on the field, but emphasized what it also does off the field for players

Most coaches come to ACC wanting to send a message about their program and for Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key, he dove right into why he came to Georgia Tech and why he believes it is special for players:

"Question I probably get asked the most is why Georgia Tech. I wanted to come up here and just give a few reasons why Georgia Tech is the place it is to me, to these guys here. Some of the things we've accomplished, first back to back winning seasons and bowl appearances in over a decade at our school, 5-0 at home last year, largely in part because of our fan base and the reenergized students in our student section and the how they really are a part of our team on game day.

The last two media days we've come up here we've been picked to finish 12th and 10th in the conference and we've finished fourth, one of only two teams to finish fourth in the league in the last two years, us and Louisville. We had multiple wins last year over top 10 teams for the first time in program history. But on top of that, we had our third consecutive semester of over a 3.0 GPA with a 3.03. It was the highest in the history of the football program, and that's at Georgia Tech.

We're building a new football building that will be completed next March. We'll be able to move in in the middle of March of next year, and that's to be followed by a massive stadium renovation of Bobby Dodd Stadium. We're the top program in the country in terms of our investment in how we use sports, science and technology and the cutting edge that we are with that, which you would expect nothing less from a place like Georgia Tech.

The Atlanta business community and how they've embraced our team and embraced our programs and all of our athletics programs in our entire school, and we know moving forward how important that's going to be in the landscape of college football with the real NIL opportunities, sponsorships, job opportunities when these guys are done playing. Our 5th Quarter Program, which is our life after football program that we have. It really sets these guys up for when they are done playing football and prepares them for that life. To be in the state of Georgia with the outstanding high school coaches that are there in our life, our lifeline of recruiting and the relationships we have there and the support we have from them. And at the end of the day, Georgia Tech is a place where you can come to be a first-round pick and a CEO.

That's why Georgia Tech is important to me. That's why it's important to these guys. My belief in those things, and that's important. Talking about football and really to recap a little bit of last year, we took a big step forward last season. Really, the last two years we have. But we ended the season with two very disappointing losses that we felt like we had an opportunity to win. But we know at this point we've established an identity of this football team, and that's not going to change. We know who we are as a football team. Everyone in the country knows who we are as a football team, and we embrace that.

You sign up to play a game with Georgia Tech and people know what they're going to get. They know what they're in store for. That's something that we've worked extremely hard to build over the last two years, the identity that we have as a team.

Look, we're going to celebrate that. We're going to embrace that and make sure that we enjoy the fruits of the labor it's taken to put that together because it's not going to stop.

You come to Georgia Tech, you have no choice but to be a part of that identity as a football player."

2. Brent Key is excited that offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner is back and got an extension

Yesterday, it was reported that Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner got a two-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid assistant coach in Yellow Jackets history and as you can guess, Key is fired up about him being back:

Yeah, first off, Buster is not only an extremely respected football coach, but he's a very dear friend. Him and his family, they're very close. I entrust him with the offense. I entrust him with putting a plan together. We converse a lot and talk a lot. He's one of the closest confidants I have on the entire staff with a lot of things. But at the end of the day, I trust Buster Faulkner.

Look, what transpired with that, that just is another sign that shows the commitment that starts with Dr. Cabrera, with his commitment to Georgia Tech athletics and his commitment to Georgia Tech football, and giving us the resources to compete with anybody out there, anybody in the country.

I can't thank him enough for allowing those things to continue to happen. But at the same time, it's no different than I talk to the players about all the time. There's one thing to walk in somebody's office and ask them for an increase in NIL or go out and earn it, and we're very transparent when it comes to these things. I want people to earn what they get, earn what they go out and receive, not just have it given to them. We talk about that.

To have a coach mimic that same thing, there's not anybody up here that's going to disagree. He's the best play caller in the country. Talk about getting the ball in the hands of different guys, and we've got a lot of really good skill players on offense this year. Everybody talks about running the football, by the way. We're throwing the ball 70 to 75 times a game this year, at minimum (laughter).

But I'm excited for him, excited for the opportunity, but more excited for these players to be able to have continuity on the staff. Continuity on your team, retention of your team, your roster, continuity on your coaching staff. That shows stability of a program."

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

3. Haynes King dove into what made him come back to Georgia Tech

King is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and one of the most experienced and he is back for one more season in Atlanta. While his answer was brief, he did talk a little bit about why he decided to come back:

"It was very simple and easy. I believe in what we're doing, what we're trying to do, and we have a really good opportunity, like we've said before, with all the people coming back, whether it's players, coaches, strength staff, nutrition. You name it. Everybody coming back, we have a great building, great people, people I trust and people that are wired the same and want to do things the right way. That just makes the decision so much easier, so much simpler when you put in stuff like that and decisions like that. It's not about chasing whatever, chasing greener grass or chasing that -- it's like I'm surrounding myself with the right kind of people, and I will be successful if I do that."

4. Malik Rutherford says this is the deepest team that Georgia Tech has had in his years there

There are more than a few national analysts out there who think Georgia Tech can compete in the ACC this season, and wide receiver Malik Rutherford pointed out that he thinks this will be the deepest team they have had since he has been there and that is why people should believe in this team:

"Because of the depth we have. We never had this much depth in all the years that I've been here. I feel like every guy on our team could play ball at the highest level that Coach Key wants us to play at."