Georgia Tech Football 2025 Preview
- Lewis Huston
- Aug 13
- 7 min read
It honestly feels like Georgia Tech has done more than go just 7-6 in each of Brent Key’s first two seasons at the helm. That’s likely due to a few marquee wins and two competitive losses to in-state rival Georgia, including last year’s 8OT thriller which saw them hold a 27-19 lead with under 4 minutes remaining in regulation. That being said, Key’s teams play with a swagger and toughness that wasn’t seen in the prior regime and it really feels like they’ve been building to something bigger. This also feels like the year to do it with his best team so far led by star QB Haynes King and a favorable schedule. It’s time to start paying more attention to what’s happening down in Atlanta.
Offense
The Yellow Jackets ranked 35th in total offense and 55th in scoring offense, although those numbers were hurt by the two games Haynes King sat out when they finished well below their season averages. The Haynes backfield, Haynes King and Jamal Haynes, returns to form one of the best in the league. King has found his niche after defecting from a failed 3-year stint at Texas A&M. His overall passing numbers were down last year, missing 2 games and severely limited in 2 more, but his 81.0 Pass grade was a by far a career high; same thing with a 72.3 comp% and 7:1 TD:INT ratio.
Where he changes the game is with his legs, both on designed runs and off-script scrambles. In two years as the starter at GT he’s rushed for 1,392 non-sack yds (5.9 ypc) and 21 TDs. Last year he had a run of at least 14 yards in every single game except VMI, when he didn’t record any carries. An astounding 89 of his 223 carries at GT have gone for first downs. He’s one of the most difficult QBs in the country to prepare for, because even when you’re prepared, he still makes plays. They’ve got a solid insurance policy in RS Fr Aaron Philo, who was electric in a last second win against NC State.
Jamal Haynes didn’t record any statistics during his first two years on campus as a WR but has since blossomed into one of the best backs in the ACC. A couple early exits from games due to injury kept him from his second straight 1,000-yard season, but he still finished with 944 yds (5.6) and 9 TDs. He’s a home run threat any time he touches the ball and is due for another big year. There’s better depth behind him with the addition of Ivy League Offensive POY Malachi Hosley from Penn, plus # 3 and # 4 leading rushers Chad Alexander and talented youngster Trelain Maddox back. Even missing King and Haynes at times, this was still a top-35 rushing offense.
There are several losses from the WR group, including leading receiver Eric Singleton, but with the return of their # 2 Malik Rutherford and a few transfers the hope is there shouldn’t really be a drop off. Slot man Rutherford has improved each of his four seasons and did lead the team with 62 receptions in ’24. Bailey Stockton (17 rec, 206 yds) returns as does big 6’4” Isiah Canion who saw action as a true freshman. Brent Key was able to pluck away FIU starters Eric Rivers and Dean Patterson. Rivers was 1st Tm All-CUSA leading the conference with 1,666 yards to go along with 12 TDs while Patterson had 51 rec, 692 yds (13.6) and 7 TDs. Rahkeem Smith is another 5’9” shifty playmaker like Rutherford who had 349 yds and 3 TDs last year at Bowling Green, also contributing as their primary K/P returner.
This was one of the best offensive lines in the country last year allowing just 9 sacks on the year (some of that attributed to King’s elusiveness). They lose two of their top guys who were both All-ACC selections, but do return both guards in 1st teamer and All-America HM Keylan Rutledge along with Joe Fusile. Ethan Mackenny slots in at LT where he was the starter in ’23 as well as the bowl game last year after dealing with injuries all season. They brought in a couple tackles in the transfer portal with Malachi Carney (13 starts at South Alabama) and Will Reed (10 starts at Princeton). Both played RT at their previous stops so it’s likely they’re battling for that job. Center is the biggest question mark for this group, but Harrison Moore appeared in 10 games as a true freshman at different spots on the line and is the best bet here. There is an understandable drop off expected with key losses, but Brent Key has a long history as an O-line coach and should keep them up to par.
Defense
Georgia Tech’s D-line was much improved last year, moving up from 131st to 30th in rush defense. The bad news is they lost just about everybody and will have to completely rebuild. The one returning starter is Jordan van den Berg who became a 2nd Tm All-ACC selection after playing 3 seasons at Penn State. Jason Moore is the only other returner and was the 2nd highest graded defender in a backup role. The rest of the production will likely come from transfers. Akelo Stone played his first 3 seasons here before appearing in 23 games at Ole Miss with 42 tkl in ’23-24. Those three along with Matthew Alexander (UCF) should be the rotation in the middle. At DE look for Brayden Manley (3rd Tm FCS All-American at Mercer) and Ronald Triplette (23 tkl and 4 sk at UTSA) to emerge, with Clemson transfer AJ Hoffler plus a couple young returners to push for time in the rotation. There’s plenty of bodies up front, but outside of van den Berg it’s unclear who will step up to replace the big losses incurred.
A lot production returns elsewhere on the defense though starting with Kyle Efford who has led Georgia Tech in tackles two straight years, coming off 3rd Tm All-ACC honors. The vintage linebacker look with the neck roll just makes him even more of a joy to watch. He’ll have former Oregon State starter Melvin Jordan (45 tkl) behind him to keep him fresh. EJ Lightsey is a breakout candidate at WLB in his second season since transferring from Georgia, struggling with injuries for much of the first half of the year before coming on late. He started the Birmingham Bowl and was the 3rd highest graded Yellow Jacket defender in that game. Cayman Spaulding (66 tkl, 3 sk, 8 TFL at Tenn Tech) and returner Tah’j Butler (25 tkl, 1 start) are other options here as well.
The secondary is even more experienced returning 4 guys that started at least 4 games a year ago, including CB Ahmari Harvey and second leading tackler SS Clayton Powell-Lee. Nickel is the only starting spot to fill which will be a fall camp battle to watch between UAB transfer Kelvin Hill (12 starts, 43 tkl, 5 PBU as true Fr) and Jyron Gilmore who has 39 career starts between Georgia State and Tennessee Tech. This unit did a solid job limiting explosives through the air but ranked average to below average in many other statistical areas and will need to be better on a down-to-down basis. They are two deep at every position in the secondary this year and plenty of continuity has me optimistic the pass defense could take a step similar to how the run defense did from ’23 to ’24.
Special Teams
This unit performed poorly at times last year, including blocked kicks and snapping issues, which led to the midseason dismissal of their special teams coach. K Aidan Burr is back for a third year after seeing his FG make rate decline to 15/22 last year, although not all of that falls on him with the whole kicking operation having issues. I’d expect a bounce back closer to ’23 when he was perfect inside 40 yards and 7/9 beyond that. 4-year starter David Shanahan departs at punter, although he wasn’t very good last year with just a 37.3 net average and 3.47 hangtime. Marshall Nichols takes his place from UNLV where he was a 3-year starter and Mountain West HM last year. Rhakeem Smith could step into the KR role that Eric Singleton left voided, while Bailey Stockton is back to handle punts; it’s also possible Smith does both just as he did at BGSU.
Schedule
The Yellow Jackets’ Friday night season opener at Colorado is one of my favorite games of the week 1 slate. Colorado will take a step back without Travis Hunter and Sheduer, so it’s no surprise Georgia Tech is actually a 4-point road favorite. Clemson at home in week 3 is a massive opportunity to make a splash and become ACC title contenders right out of the gate. Even if they drop that game, they’ll be favored in their other five games to start the year with a real chance to be 5-1 heading to Duke in mid-October. Avoiding Miami, SMU and Louisville makes this a pretty manageable conference schedule. Hate that they don’t get a true home field advantage against Georgia after last year’s instant classic, as Georgia Tech’s turn for a home game instead shifts to Mercedes-Benz.
Overall Outlook
Year 3 of a coach’s tenure was often times where you’d see a big jump if that coach had things going in the right direction. While that isn’t necessarily the case anymore in today’s transactional era, this really does feel like that old school type of process. Brent Key has established a tough, competitive program and has several projected top contributors who have stayed around to help build it with him. I also think they did a super underrated job in the portal despite losing several starters to it. The portal giveth just as it taketh.
Now Georgia Tech has legitimate depth at a lot of positions, a gritty playmaking QB and a manageable schedule. The biggest concern is the production needing replaced in the trenches, especially on the D-line. If both units can avoid big drop offs, this is a team that can be in the ACC hunt deep into the season. Can you imagine the buzz around this program if they take care of business at Colorado then pull off the home upset over Clemson two weeks later? I’m certainly not predicting that, but I’ve got the floor for this team at 8 wins with anything less being a massive disappointment.
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