The buzz around Georgia Tech’s 2025 football season is all about momentum and big expectations. And entering this year, the Yellow Jackets are filled with a lineup of returning players like quarterback Haynes King, who set an ACC record last year with a 72.9% completion percentage for 2,114 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. And also star tailback Jamal Haynes, who earned all-ACC recognition. The coaching staff is locked in, too. With offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner signing a new two-year, $3 million deal, placing him among the highest-paid coordinators nationally. So Brent Keys’ weapons are ready. But there’s someone else who is as thrilled as Key.
Roddy Jones, a Georgia Tech alum and football analyst who’s long championed the Jackets’ gritty style, has his optimism about their toughness this season. Jones points to the Jackets’ solid foundation on both lines of scrimmage as the bedrock of their toughness in a recent discussion with Zach, host of the Infinity Sports Network. Jones talks about their commitment to a physical style. That means they wear down opponents with relentless effort and toughness rather than relying solely on flash or finesse.
“I love the way Brent Key has really put his stamp on this program,” Jones said on the podcast. “And is a running football team that’s going to be physical on both lines of scrimmage.” Since Jones was an RB himself, he knows the nits and bits of running the football and how it can be the sole reason, they can fare well. “I just think this is a tough, bloodier-nosed football team,” Jones added. “That’s going to have some explosiveness with Malik Rutherford and the aforementioned Eric Rivers. Um, and then Blake Gideon comes in on the defensive side, coming over from Texas as the defensive coordinator. I love, I cannot wait to see how he puts his stamp on this Georgia Tech team.”
Key’s taken the blueprint from his Alabama days and brought it to Atlanta. In 2025, the Yellow Jackets return a core group of linemen. Malik Rutherford is the embodiment of playing bigger than your frame. This guy brings crazy energy, bounces off tackles, isn’t afraid to block, and is now the top target in a more dynamic offense. And then there’s Eric Rivers. A transfer who posted 1,172 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns last year. Also earning the All-American honors and racking up monster plays, including a school-record 295-yard game. And DC, Blake Gideon is already instilling a new, faster, and more instinctual approach. He is trying to make sure Tech’s D-line and linebackers set the tough tone and the secondary hunts for turnovers. Gideon’s pedigree, both as a coach and a player who started 52 games at Texas, gives the Jackets an edge in discipline and aggression. And it feels like the route to the playoffs won’t be too stressful.
Jones adds, “I keep talking schedule, but the schedule for Georgia Tech seems to set up pretty well.” He continues, “The ceiling for Georgia Tech this year, you know, who knows if they reach it, but I think it’s 10-2. And if you’re 10 and 2, wow. You are in the college football playoff conversation.” They open with a solid road game at Colorado. A team that finished 9-4 last year, so it’s a chance to get off on the right foot. Then they have three straight home games, including a huge ACC opener against Clemson, the reigning ACC champ and playoff team. Now, this game could be a turning point and a potential preview of the ACC Championship clash.
Throughout the season, Georgia Tech gets good opportunities on its home turf. It’s against Virginia Tech, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh, while their road slate includes matchups at Wake Forest, Duke, NC State, and Boston College. These are the teams they’ve historically done well against or have competitive matchups with. Now, winning ten games in a tough ACC schedule with marquee wins scattered throughout would turn heads nationally. And will also make Georgia Tech a serious College Football Playoff contender.
Josh Pate’s bold take on Georgia Tech
It’s not Roddy Jones alone who is raving about the Yellow Jackets this season. National analyst, Josh Pate, is seriously high on Georgia Tech as a 2025 ACC dark horse. And his reasons go way beyond just hype. Pate paints Georgia Tech as more than just a good team. He points to their near-upset of powerhouses like Georgia and Miami last season. It’s games where they showed toughness, heart, and the ability to hang in the big moments despite some key injuries and bad breaks.
Pate highlights how Georgia Tech’s 2024 team was better than its record suggested, and with almost all key pieces returning. That included star QB Haynes King, who might be in the ACC quarterback of the year conversation. The Jackets have the talent to back up their tough reputation. On top of that, the coaching staff, led by Brent Key and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, brings consistency.
Pate specifically singles out the Week 3 matchup against Clemson as a moment where the Jackets can announce themselves in a big way. Even if they don’t beat Clemson outright, that game will reveal if Georgia Tech is truly ready to be a playoff contender and a serious ACC championship dark horse. He goes so far as to predict Georgia Tech reaching the ACC Championship game against Clemson. Only time will tell whether his predictions hold true this season.
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