Georgia Tech embraces lofty expectations at ACC Media Days

CHARLOTTE — Confidence wasn’t in short supply when Georgia Tech arrived at ACC Kickoff Thursday.

Neither was ambition.

The Yellow Jackets aren’t celebrating last year’s nine-win breakthrough. They aren’t interested in being labeled one of the ACC’s feel-good stories anymore, either. Brent Key made it clear this week that Georgia Tech expects to keep climbing, and his players believe they have the talent to do it — starting with what they consider the nation’s best running back tandem.

Transfer Justice Haynes and returning standout Malachi Hosley give the Yellow Jackets a one-two punch that few teams can match, and both backs made it clear they don’t think there’s a better duo in college football.

“We’ve got the best running back room in the country,” was the message coming from Georgia Tech’s representatives throughout the meeting, a confidence echoed by Key as he praised the depth and unselfishness of the position group.

The addition of Haynes, who transferred home after one season away, gives Georgia Tech another explosive runner to pair with Hosley, whose emergence last season helped fuel the Yellow Jackets’ resurgence.

Key smiled when discussing the position.

“We’ve got two running backs here with us today,” he said. “I think we have, what, four more back at home we couldn’t fit on the plane with us, if that tells you what type of team we’re going to be. They all complement each other very well.”

That depth becomes even more important with former quarterback Haynes King gone.

Georgia Tech turns the offense over to transfer Alberto Mendoza, and Key doesn’t want the burden of carrying the offense to fall squarely on the new quarterback’s shoulders.

“When you have a new quarterback… how do you take the pressure off of him?” Key said while motioning toward his running backs. “That’s how you take the pressure off of him. Allow him to develop and grow as a quarterback… We don’t put him in a position to have to win every game all year long.”

The confidence surrounding the running game reflects the growing expectations surrounding the entire program.

Georgia Tech finished 9-4 last season, climbed into the national rankings and re-established itself as an ACC contender. But Key suggested that simply matching nine victories isn’t the goal.

Instead, the Yellow Jackets believe they have positioned themselves to compete for championships.

That confidence also extends to recruiting, where Key believes Georgia Tech has an advantage few schools can match.

“Atlanta, Georgia, is the greatest city on the face of the earth,” Key said while discussing Haynes’ decision to return home. “I’m super excited about that entire group.”

Key has repeatedly pointed to Atlanta as one of the program’s biggest selling points — a major metropolitan area filled with elite high school talent, Fortune 500 companies and opportunities that extend well beyond football.

He has often said Georgia Tech isn’t simply developing NFL players.

It’s developing future CEOs.

That vision, combined with significant investments in facilities and sports science, has helped elevate recruiting and raise expectations inside the program.

Key also struck a different tone when discussing the constantly changing landscape of college football.

Rather than blaming players for transfers and NIL movement, he challenged coaches and administrators to look inward.

“People say, ‘Kids are different now.’ Well, so are the adults,” Key said. “The adults in the room sometimes end up being the bigger problem.”

It’s a perspective that reflects the culture Key has tried to build since taking over his alma mater.

Now comes the difficult part.

Nine wins changed how the rest of the ACC views Georgia Tech.

Another step forward — perhaps into the conference championship race — would change how the Yellow Jackets view themselves.

And if Haynes and Hosley are right about owning college football’s best backfield, Georgia Tech might have the horsepower to make that jump.