Georgia Tech gained some momentum during the 2023 campaign, Brent Key’s first full season as the program’s head football coach.
The Yellow Jackets (7-6) finished last season with their first winning record since 2018, and ended the year on a promising note by winning four of their final six games, with the only two losses in that span coming to Clemson and Georgia.
Although Florida State and Clemson are once again the favorites to win the 2024 ACC Championship, with other teams like Miami, Louisville and NC State expected to potentially be in the mix, some may see Georgia Tech as a sleeper to win the ACC title coming off its best season in quite a while.
If that’s the case, does Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King take the Yellow Jackets being viewed a “sleeper” team as a form of disrespect, or does he believe they should be competing for the conference title anyway?
The Clemson Insider is on hand for the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, where King was asked the aforementioned question on Monday.
“I’d probably say both. To me that’s still disrespect, especially with what we had last year, what we have coming back,” he said.
“But then the same deal, it’s supposed to be like that. We’re supposed to be contending for that ACC championship each and every year with the people we have in the building, coaches, players, team, the culture that we’ve built.”
Georgia Tech concluded last season by overcoming a 14-point deficit to beat UCF, 30-17, in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. It marked the largest deficit the Yellow Jackets have ever overcome in a bowl victory, and their first bowl victory since a 33-18 win over Kentucky in the 2016 TaxSlayer (Gator) Bowl.
King, who heads into his redshirt junior season after recording more than 2,800 passing yards, 700-plus rushing yards, 27 touchdown passes and 10 TD runs last season, spoke about his excitement and expectations for the upcoming campaign.
“I’m excited. We’ve been talking about this since the bowl game in December,” he said. “I’ve been ready for a long time, ready to get back at it. Tired of just doing workouts, lifting, running. I’m ready to put the pads on and get right to it.
“Building off that, building off last season is a big step. Now our expectation and standard has risen. It’s not going to be the same. People always say you either get better or you’re getting worse, you can’t stay the same.”
This past November, Clemson intercepted King four times and scored 42 consecutive points to race past Georgia Tech in a 42-21 win at Death Valley.
The Tigers and Yellow Jackets aren’t scheduled to play each other during the 2024 regular season, though Clemson is slated to travel to Georgia Tech in 2025.
The Yellow Jackets are set to face a difficult 2024 schedule featuring matchups such as Florida State, Louisville, Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Miami, NC State and Georgia.
A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available. Get yours while supplies last! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
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