A Helluva Quarterback
Today’s Impact Player article is sponsored by Section 103, our favorite place to get comfortable and quality Georgia Tech apparel and hats. In the theme of today’s piece, you can get a Haynes King shirsey in white or gold, or his Tech Like shirt to get ready for the 2025 season. Use code ‘FTRS’ for 10% off your order!
Around this time two years ago, I wrote a quarterback preview where I gently dismissed Haynes King as a long shot. I focused on his inconsistencies at Texas A&M and capped it off by saying, “It’s currently unclear whether King’s volatility will benefit a Bent Key offense that desperately needs consistency at the QB position.”
Well, come to you all today, hat in hand, to gladly admit my misjudgment.
Over the past two seasons, Haynes King has proven to be not just consistent, but essential. His athleticism, leadership, and raw talent have been driving forces behind the Jackets’ success. In his first year on The Flats, King delivered standout numbers in both the air and on the ground, slotting himself into elite company— 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels. That same year, he etched his name in the Georgia Tech Football record books, breaking Joe Hamilton’s single-season touchdown record. Last season, King was on pace to outdo even that banner season. But a mid-season shoulder injury benched him for two games, slightly cooling what could have been another record-breaking run.
Now entering his third and final year at Georgia Tech—and his sixth as a college athlete—King brings more than just a polished skill set. He brings rare experience. King is regularly mentioned as a star amongst ACC quarterbacks and has seen some national recognition this offseason as well, falling in the top ten rankings of both Greg McElroy and Adam Rittenberg.
NEW: Top 10 College Football QBs via @GregMcElroy
Do you agree? https://t.co/eSlPmKTfkJ pic.twitter.com/4gbvcMoL5l
— On3 (@On3sports) April 28, 2025
Tech fans and foes alike know the stat lines. I won’t list off any more accolades or passing yards totals from 2024. Instead, let me delve deeper into the people who raised this Tech man.
Haynes King hails from Longview, Texas, about an hour west of Shreveport, Louisiana. His football roots run deep. His father, John King, is an all-american offensive lineman turned athletic director and head football coach at Haynes’s alma mater, Longview High School. Under his father’s guidance, King helped lead the Lobos to their first state title since 1937—a moment that solidified his place in Texas football lore long before he stepped onto a college field. His mother Jodie was multi-sport athlete, playing collegiate softball and eventually coaching. His sister, Steelie, is a renown gymnast at Texas Women’s University. It is clear that the genes in this particular family are strong.
As we look forward King is faced with the challenge of working with a mostly new receiving corps. When asked he sounded optimistic: “We are getting better every day,” he said. As for his recovery? He’s feeling strong and focused. When asked about his goals for 2025, King didn’t hesitate. “The main thing within my game is probably… consistency and pushing everybody on a consistent basis,” he explained. “If you look back the past two years, we can play really, really high or really, really low. [I want] to hold that level of confidence, that level of maturity, that level of leadership—and just keep pushing everybody.”
In other words, the volatility has been tamed. King has matured and with one final season ahead, Haynes King isn’t just playing for numbers—he’s playing for a legacy.