Brent Key Plans To Add To Georgia Tech's Culture Of Success Against Florida State In Dublin

DUBLIN, Ireland — Georgia Tech might be serving as the secondary storyline on Saturday as it squares off with defending ACC champion Florida State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. That shouldn’t be the case, though. This Yellow Jackets team is set up perfectly to make a run to ACC contention, and has the juice to give the Seminoles a big-time fight Saturday inside Aviva Stadium.

Why? Offense drives success, and the Jackets have it in spades. 

Star quarterback Haynes King received the third-most votes among quarterbacks in the preseason ACC Player of the Year vote. King, who transferred from Texas A&M prior to last season after two injury-riddled years, threw for 2,842 yards, ran for 737 yards and totaled 37 touchdowns (27 passing, 10 rushing) last season — his first full season as a starting signal-caller. 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 25: Head coach Brent Key of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets brings his team onto the field during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Coach Brent Key, who is entering his second full season as the Jackets head coach (he took over midway through) the 2022 season), is pumped about King's return. That has allowed the entire offense to build upon its success during fall camp, rather than trying to find its identity.

"Both of us are in a position that the route to get here was the uncommon one you know," Key told Outkick in an exclusive interview. "It wasn’t the way people script it out … the way people write a book. We both kind of took the uncommon journey to get what we're at and that's allowed a bond to occur between head coach and quarterback."

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The quarterback-head coach bond is a great foundation, but the Georgia Tech offense is much more than that. It returns 1,000-yard running back Jamal Haynes, four starting offensive linemen and its top two receivers. 

"You want to be able to continue to add to what you have," Key said. "I think [offensive coordinator] Buster [Faulkner] does a great job of building the offense out for what’s good for our players. That’s what's important. It’s not about what plays you call. It’s about how they're executed. He does a good job of building the offense out to meet our strengths and really to eliminate some of some of the weaknesses. 

"So going into a second year, you really want to focus on the development of your fundamentals … techniques … especially when you got guys returning that have started. The big thing we've been able to really do from spring ball till now is increase our depth. That’s the big thing that is build depth … increase the depth .. have more guys that can come in and be that ‘six-line’ and ‘seven-line’ and ‘eight-line’ in the game cause that's only gonna make you better."

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 25: Haynes King #10 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets drops back to pass during the third quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Does Georgia Tech’s defense have to improve? Yes … in a big way. However, four new assistants have joined the defensive staff which has Key excited about the future.

"You see the chemistry and you can have really good people and really good coaches together," he said. "But sometimes you chemistry and right when working together so, I think we've had really good chemistry in the defensive room … really good relationships with the players. They’re really good teachers, not just what they're doing defensively, but what they're attacking offensively. It really all starts with stopping the rock. That’s the A1 thing we have to accomplish, and the coaches have done a good job putting defense in teaching the defense."

Will Georgia Tech spring the upset over the big, bad Seminoles on Saturday? That remains to be seen. Make no mistake, though. Key has set his alma mater up for success not just this year, but for years to come. Culture is everything, and Key has built a culture of success.