Kirk Herbstreit Picks Haynes King as the Nation's Most Under the Radar Player

Is Haynes King one of the most underrated players in the country heading into the 2025 season?

Dec 27, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) warms up before the 2024 Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The college football season is officially here, with week zero games kicking things off for the first weekend. Georgia Tech is going to kick things off on the road next week in Boulder against Colorado in one of the most anticipated games of the first weekend. The Yellow Jackets are being seen by some national analysts as one of the darkhorses to contend in the ACC and want to get their season starterd on the right foot.

Most under the radar player?

Dec 27, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) looks to throw against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half of the 2024 Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

One of the reasons that Georgia Tech is being seen favorably heading into the year is quarterback Haynes King. King has been terrific since arriving in Atlanta two seasons ago and for his final season in college football, he is hoping to take the Yellow Jackets to new heights.

Before every season, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit hands out his preseason awards "The Herbies" and he awarded King with "Most Under The Radar":

Haynes King is a name to watch this college football season 👀@KirkHerbstreit selects the Georgia Tech QB for the Under the Radar Herbie 🔥🏈 pic.twitter.com/1Al6zudIsB

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 23, 2025

A member of the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell (national player of the year), Davey O’Brien (nation’s top QB), Manning (QB), and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm (QB) awards, King enters the season ranked as one of the nation’s top 10 quarterbacks by ESPN.com. In just two years as a Yellow Jacket, he has moved into the top 10 in school history in passing yards (4,956 – sixth), total offense (6,280 yards – fifth), touchdown passes (41 – t-fourth), and touchdowns responsible for (62 – t-fourth).

Last season, he became the first NCAA Division I FBS player in at least 69 years (dating back to 1956) with no less than 2,000 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes and a 70% completion percentage, as well as two or fewer interceptions in a season. His 72.9% completion rate in 2024 and 37 touchdowns responsible for in 2023 are both single-season school records, while the 72.9% completion percentage in ’24 also set a new Atlantic Coast Conference record.

One of CFB's Most Important Players

Georgia linebacker CJ Allen (3) blocks a pass from Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King (10) during the second half of a NCAA college football game against Georgia Tech in Athens, Ga., on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a recent article from ESPN's Bill Connelly, he named the 40 most important players for the upcoming season and King was ranked No. 23:

"King's Tech began 2024 by sending Florida State down its nightmare path, then finished it by KO'ing unbeaten Miami and nearly beating Georgia. King and running back Jamal Haynes can play the ball-control game as well as just about anyone, and they get home games against Clemson and Georgia in 2025. OK, fine, the Georgia game is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and that only sort of counts. Still, that sounds semi-ominous."

King is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country and one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks as well. After a good debut season with Georgia Tech in 2023, King was showing improvements in plenty of areas last season (particularly cutting down his turnovers and becoming more efficient), but injuries unfortunately played a crucial role in how his season played out. He was forced to miss games against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, and even when he came back against Miami and NC State, he was clearly hampered by the injury. He came all the way back for the last game of the regular season against Georgia and had one of the guttiest performances of the season as the Yellow Jackets nearly pulled off the upset against the Bulldogs.