Georgia Tech's Quarterback Room is Well-Positioned for the Future

Georgia Tech has a talented quarterback room moving forward

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Dec 27, 2023 5:16 PM EST

In this story:

It was not that long ago when Georgia Tech had uncertainty at quarterback.

After the 2022 season ended, Jeff Sims transferred to Nebraska and the Yellow Jackets were looking to add to the quarterback room with a transfer. Zach Pyron showed a lot of promise and Zach Gibson did well when he was called upon against North Carolina and Georgia to end that season.

Brent Key and his staff secured the commitment of Texas A&M transfer Haynes King and after a tough quarterback competition that lasted through fall camp, King was named the starter over Pyron and Gibson. King went on to have a season for the ages for the Yellow Jackets.

King finished the season with 2,842 passing yards, 737 rushing yards, 27 touchdown passes and 10 touchdown runs. Since 2000, the only other ACC quarterbacks that have had at least those same numbers in a season are Louisville’s Lamar Jackson (2016 and 2017), Virginia Tech’s Jerod Evans (2016), and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson (2015).

King set a new Georgia Tech single-season record with 37 touchdowns responsible for, breaking the previous record of 35 set by Joe Hamilton in 1999.

He also set a new Georgia Tech single-season record with 37 touchdowns responsible for, breaking the previous record of 35 set by Joe Hamilton in 1999.

2024 Georgia Tech signee Aaron Philo
Brooks Austin

King’s 2,842 passing yards are the fourth-most in Georgia Tech single-season history and the most since George Godsey’s school-record 3,085 in 2001. The 27 touchdown passes he threw are the second-most in Georgia Tech's single-season history, behind only Hamilton’s school-record 29 in 1999. King’s 3,578 yards of total offense are the second-most in Georgia Tech single-season history, behind only Hamilton’s 3,794 in 1999.

King’s 737 rushing yards are tied for the sixth-most by a quarterback in Georgia Tech's single-season history and the most since Marshall’s 971 in 2018. The 10 touchdown runs are tied for the sixth-most by a quarterback in Georgia Tech single-season history and the most since Tobias Oliver’s 11 in 2018.

Yeah, its safe to say that King had a good season.

What is so important though is building that depth and then maintaining it. Key has kept Pyron, who I still think has plenty of talent despite getting beat out by King. Pyron showed a lot during his time as the starter in 2022 and some thought he would beat out King during the competition in the fall. Pyron now has time to develop under offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke and whenever King decided he is done as a Yellow Jacket, Pyron should be ready to take over.

Zach Pyron at spring game — Georgia Tech quarterback Zach Pyron
Georgia Tech Athletics

Key and his staff went out and signed not one, but two talented quarterbacks in the 2024 class.

In the day and age of the transfer portal, you can't bring in enough talented arms. The Yellow Jackets coaching staff did just that with Aaron Philo and Graham Knowles and they have set themselves up to have talent in the quarterback room for the next few seasons.

Former Clemson quarterback and current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's all-time record for passing yards by a quarterback in the State of Georgia was broken by Phiolo in the Class 1A, Division 1 State Championship Game between Prince Avenue Christian and Swainsboro.

Lawrence had the record of 13, 902 yards coming into the season, but Philo was within reach of getting the record and he did. He has been one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Georgia High School History and wrapped up his career at that level before he gets on The Flats and plays for Brent Key.

Knowles became the second quarterback in the Yellow Jackets class in June and has stuck with Georgia Tech in this recruiting process. Knowles played at Southlake Caroll High School in Texas and at 6'7 220 LBS, has the size, arm strength, and tools to be developed into a starting quarterback in the ACC. He is also a two-sport athlete who also plays basketball. Other offers that the Texas quarterback had were from UTSA, Memphis, Colorado State, and UConn

According to the 247Sports Composite, Knowles is a three-star player, the No. 834 player in the country, the No. 49 quarterback, and the No. 132 player in the state of Texas.

So far, this staff has shown it has been able to keep the players it really wants on the team out of the portal and while there are no guarantees of that now in college football, the Georgia Tech quarterback room has a bright future if they all stay with the program. Quarterback is the most important position in the game and the Yellow Jackets have made sure to keep talented players in the room.