Bobby Dodd was rocking like a busted speaker at a trap concert. Spring game vibes? Nah, that was straight-up energy in surround sound. But there was something else—something under the surface. You could feel it in the air like the calm before a fourth-quarter blitz. Haynes King was moving different. The veteran QB had that vibe like he knew this was it. But he wasn’t just clocking out—he was passing the torch ( not literally). Not quietly, either. Nah, this man made it known. And it ain’t just words. Georgia Tech’s QB future? Oh, it’s cooking. And Brent Key? That man got a blueprint and a blowtorch for this portal season.
After a 2024 campaign that felt like a movie—thrillers, heartbreaks, and overtime sagas—Haynes sat down at the press along with his successor after their White and Gold Game on April 12; he spun it into a masterclass on leadership. “I feel like the assessment is pretty good,” King said when asked about the overall spring assessment. “We found out a lot about ourselves—who can fight, who can go out there operate and execute, as well as going through adversity. Like, how do you fight through it? How do you respond?” Then, he dropped the mic with one of the smoothest torch-pass quotes you’ll hear all year.
“The person sitting next to me, he’s a really great example. Was struggling early on, but kept fighting, kept playing, kept operating, going through the basics and fundamentals, and you know, put his team in a really good situation and almost won it.
He was talking about Aaron Philo—the baby-faced baller who went from clipboard carrier to fan favorite real quick. And that’s no fluff. Philo finished that spring game with 275 passing yards and made it look like 7-on-7 drills at summer camp. So who exactly is this new golden boy? Aaron Philo isn’t your average underclassman. This QB came out of Bogart, Georgia, and left high school defenses looking like JV teams. He even shattered Trevor Lawrence’s all-time Georgia passing yardage record. And this wasn’t no flash-in-the-pan freshman season, either. He showed his heart from day 1. Against NC State, he went full main-character mode—265 passing yards, 57 more on the ground, and a cold-blooded 18-yard game-winner. ACC Rookie of the Week, headlines, the works. Philo closed the season with 565 passing yards and made it clear—when King’s era ends, his is just getting started.
Now, if you’ve watched Georgia Tech football since the early 2000s, you know this program had an unhealthy obsession with running the rock. 40 times a game? That was light. Triple option? But something shifted in 2025. It was like Brent Key walked into that spring game and said, ‘Aight, let’s see what these arms can really do.’ 69 pass attempts. You read that right. Not since AOL dial-up days have Yellow Jackets fans seen that much air traffic over Tech’s offense. King, Philo, Graham Knowles, and even a sneaky trick play from Jamal Haynes all got in on it. The result? 512 passing yards, 3 TDs, and a whole lot of jaws on the floor.
Let’s keep it a buck: Georgia Tech has been looking for a new identity since the Paul Johnson days. Smash-mouth was cool in 2009, but this is 2025. We’re talking spread offenses, mobile QBs, and chunk plays like candy. Haynes King brought some of that new-gen spice last year—2,114 passing yards, 14 TDs, 653 rushing yards, and 11 more on the ground. But here’s the kicker—he only played 11 games due to injury. Still finished with MVP honors. Still led the Jackets to a 7–6 record, with monster wins over Miami and NC State, plus a legendary eight-overtime showdown with UGA. That loss hurt, but it proved one thing: Tech isn’t scared of the moment anymore. And now, the masterplan…
Georgia Tech’s portal masterplan
Now let’s talk shop. Brent Key ain’t just trying to ride the wave. This man’s building the tsunami. After the spring game, he kept it blunt with the media. “This is an opportunity for us to continue to make our football team better and better right and I’ve told our staff numerous times. I’ve told our team the most important portal is in that locker room right there, those are the most important guys in the country to me,” Key said. “It’s not people somewhere else. All right, if we have an opportunity to add guys in here there to fill a hole that’s great, but those guys right there, those are the most important ones to me.”
Respect. Key’s loyalty is loud—but that doesn’t mean he isn’t out here window shopping. The spring portal opens on April 16, and the Jackets have their eyes on some serious reinforcements. Big name on that list? Markell Samuel left tackle out of App State. 6’5”, 305 pounds, started all 11 games last season, and got All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention. If Key lands him? That O-line goes from solid to straight-up steel-reinforced.
And Samuel isn’t just a name in the mix—Tech’s already making moves. With offers from USC, Colorado, and Oklahoma State, the buzz is loud. But Georgia Tech’s got the edge with playing time, system fit, and a real shot at ACC relevance. Not to mention, they allowed just nine sacks all of last year—third in the entire country.
Samuel isn’t alone. The January portal haul already had some heaters. A.J. Hoffler (Clemson) joins the D-line rotation. Eric Rivers (FIU) adds spice to the wideout room. And Matthew Alexander (UCF) is going to plug up the middle on defense. Plus, Villanova QB Connor Watkins adds veteran depth. On the flip side, yeah—some names dipped. Safety Jayden Davis, DE Jacob Cruz, OL Jordan Brown, and RB Evan Dickens are all gone. That’s the game now. But Key’s making sure it’s addition by subtraction. Every piece brought in is part of a bigger puzzle.
If Brent Key plays this portal window right, Georgia Tech could be sitting pretty with their best two-deep in years. A line stacked, a defense with bite, and a QB room that actually scares people? Yeah, that sounds like a problem—for everybody else. Georgia Tech is cooking. Haynes King gave them a taste. Aaron Philo’s the encore. And Brent Key? That man’s running the kitchen. With the spring portal wide open and Tech already on an upward swing, it’s only a matter of time before the Jackets start crashing top-25 parties this fall. This ain’t your granddaddy’s triple-option squad. This is Georgia Tech 2.0—and they want all the smoke.
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