Brent Key Reveals Georgia Tech’s True Identity as Haynes King Details Pivotal Colorado Moment

Sleeping in the locker room for the entirety of training camp will do something to a player. You will make plays in your sleep. Haynes King channeled his inner Lamar and turned into a runner with three rushing scores, none bigger than a 45-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left that gave GT the lead for good in Boulder. Rather than take the credit, the humble quarterback handed the keys to coach Brent Key, praising the identity his head coach instilled in the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets after they recovered from a disastrous start to beat Colorado 27–20 in their own backyard.

Brent Key, for his part, made no bones about where he thought the game was won. He said he challenged his offensive line all week, and the payoff was in plain sight on Saturday night. “We know what our identity is. We wanted to make sure everyone else knew, too,” Key said per GT beat writer Chad Bishop, laying it out as bluntly as possible. Georgia Tech leaned into its bread and butter: the run game. Against a CU defense that had numbers in the box, Tech’s big men in the trenches delivered when it mattered most.

That identity was tested early, and it nearly unraveled. GT coughed up the ball on the second play of the game when Haynes King and Jamal Haynes botched a handoff. Then the Jackets doubled down with turnovers on each of their first three possessions. It was a recipe for disaster on the road, against Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes, in a raucous Folsom Field environment. Yet the Jackets didn’t fold. King steadied the ship, trading his arm for his legs and wearing down Colorado’s defense with a style that’s more grindstone than glitz. His three rushing touchdowns were less about flash and more about resilience, each one sucking oxygen from the Buffaloes’ sideline.

HAYNES KING WITH A 45-YARD RUSHING TD TO GIVE GEORGIA TECH THE LEAD LATE IN THE 4TH

HIS THIRD RUSHING TD OF THE GAME pic.twitter.com/uXWWYIqUK1

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 30, 2025

Colorado had its chance. Down seven with two timeouts in their pocket, the Buffs let the clock bleed. They somehow burned nearly a full minute before even crossing their own 40. By the time Kaidon Salter heaved a desperate Hail Mary into the Boulder night, Georgia Tech’s secondary was ready. The ball sailed incomplete, and the Jackets exhaled. For Colorado, it was a disasterclass in how to squander situational football. But for Tech, it was the validation of their ability to respond to adversity.

For Haynes King, the win in Boulder carried personal weight. This was the same field where his season ended in 2021 at Texas A&M after a brutal leg injury. Returning to the scene with scars and lessons behind him, he showcased the dual-threat he’s grown into over two years at Georgia Tech. He’s no longer just a passer trying to fit the mold. He’s an efficient thrower who thrives in chaos and welcomes contact in the run game. On Saturday, he proved he’s just as capable of closing out a game with his legs as with his arm.

That evolution is one reason why Georgia Tech sits as a legitimate sleeper in the ACC. They’re not Clemson, Miami, or even SMU, at least not yet. But nights like Boulder are what build that case. When you can hand your opponent three turnovers and still walk out with a win on the road, that’s culture.

Haynes King’s brick-by-brick rise at Georgia Tech

A humble King doesn’t ask for a crown, he just keeps stacking bricks. That’s exactly what Haynes King has been doing in Atlanta. After Georgia Tech’s gritty win over Colorado, King wasn’t quick to soak up the spotlight. Instead, he went on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt and pointed right back to his head coach.

When asked what’s growing inside this Georgia Tech program, King didn’t hesitate. “Coach he’s done a really good job building it from the ground up the way he does it. He wants to do things the right way and just the people that we have in our building. It takes care of itself you know. If you surround yourself with the right people you’re just going to prosper… it’s going to be amazing trip in the journey.”

That’s the kind of answer you expect from a QB who believes in something bigger than himself. King has lived through the grind, the injuries, the turnovers, the doubters, and he sees where the Yellow Jackets are heading. An ACC conference title does not seem so far fetched anymore.

The post Brent Key Reveals Georgia Tech’s True Identity as Haynes King Details Pivotal Colorado Moment appeared first on EssentiallySports.