What Brent Key Is Most Excited About With His Team This Spring

Georgia Tech is a team that played at a high level in 2024 and won the most games in the Brent Key era, going 9-4. However, there is one thing that he is super excited about this year’s team and what they have more of compared to the 2025 version. That answer is size. From the top to the bottom, the Yellow Jackets are bigger. You can look at who they brought in from the transfer portal on the offensive line and also what they brought in on the defensive line, and one thing is crystal clear. Head coach Brent Key wanted to get bigger. Here is what he said he is most excited about: this new group.

“Size. I think today was telling something you know, wearing underwear out there running around and we had three competitive team periods when you were just spiders on but I bet I didn't see two or three guys on the ground you know, looking at evaluating a big man, especially when you're looking to increase your size. That's something, you know, to me the number one quality when you're increasing the size of your roster is their balance and body control.

They have the ability to play with the base, stay off the ground. You got guys out there who in years past, you know, we'd have guys on the ground and, you know, especially when you get some of the new guys, the freshmen, I mean, we got some freshmen offensive linemen out there, some freshmen and redshirt freshmen that they don't look like freshmen at all. I mean, those twins are not just big guys. I mean, those guys are not on the ground. They play with a base, and they can bend their knees. You know, getting Xavier Canales back after sitting out last year, so he's really like a freshman because he didn't really get any reps last year. Then, the addition of some of the guys we brought in. And look, we got three or four guys competing for starting offensive linemen that are – Markell's banged up. He'll be out for a couple practices,” said Key.

“We got a couple of guys who won't practice for the spring, Josh (Petty) and Ethan (MacKenny). But I'm excited about the big men we've brought in, and we've been developing in this program. But that's what we have to do. That was another thing I was disappointed in last year, going back after the season and really self-scouting the whole year. I don't think we did a good job of developing our players early and putting them in a position to be able to play early in the season. I'm a believer that if you play guys first three, four, five games, they're going to be, if they're talented, they're going to be better versions of themselves. They're going to be better players when you get to later on. We shouldn't have waited, and that's on me. I'm the head coach. We shouldn't have waited for the Georgia game to play Fenix Felton."

So what does that mean?

It means Coach Key did a lot of self-reflection and didn’t like how the season ended for the Yellow Jackets after an 8-0 start. So he prioritized the team being more physical and winning the line of scrimmage and point of attack on a consistent basis. The Yellow Jackets met a number of physical teams down the stretch, like Pittsburgh and Georgia, but couldn’t prevail in those games despite their efforts. Coach Key always wants his teams to exude that physicality and be bigger, faster, and stronger than the other team. If you look at the 2026 recruiting class and the transfer portal, he made a conscious effort to do so in that area.

Another element that makes you excited is that he called himself out and that he needs to be better at playing young guys. One Fenix Felton, who showed signs and glimpses despite being on the bench for the majority of his freshman season, is a player who should have seen the field way earlier. That is a good sign for young players and fans because it shows that Coach Key will play his younger players if they are ready. We saw names like Christian Garrett, Tae Harris, Andre Fuller Jr, Jordan Allen, and Felton all play a season ago and looked ready to go. Hopefully, we will see more of that in 2026.