Many players and coaches contributed to Georgia Tech having such a successful season last year. Here are some players to keep an eye on in the season opener against Florida State as they will have a big impact on the outcome.

1. Haynes King– King has been in the spotlight since his 2023 season and for good reason. In his first season with the Yellow Jackets, he threw for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns. King had the best year of his career, setting career highs in passing yards (2,842), completions (219) and touchdowns (26). His best game, in my opinion, was against UNC. It was one of Georgia Tech’s biggest games in recent memory and King threw for 287 yards and four touchdowns and had his second-highest quarterback rating of the season against the 17th-ranked Tar Heels (94.4). He is Georgia Tech’s undisputed leader and has taken this offense to new heights. He was one of only two players in the Power Five Conference with at least 2,800 yards, 700 rushing yards, 25 touchdown passes and 10 touchdown runs. Josh Pate, national anchor and analyst for CBS Sports, calls the Yellow Jackets one of the most underrated teams to start the year:

“Georgia Tech I could also say is a little underrated. The difference with Georgia Tech is the schedule is pretty tight, I’m not going to lie, and they have Georgia every year. Last year they were 7-5 and their win total is 5.5, which I think is largely because of how tough it is. Haynes King is still there, that’s their quarterback, their offense is in the top ten this year in terms of returning power, a strong wide receiver room.

King is a big reason why. After a great season last year, King was named to several preseason watch lists, including the 2024 Maxwell Award (national player of the year), Davey O’Brien Award (quarterback), Manning and Unitas Award watch list, and more. King has all the tools to not only be a great quarterback in the ACC, but an elite QB in the country. Depending on how the season goes, he could even hear his name called on draft night. How he starts his redshirt junior season against Florida State will have a huge impact on how good Georgia Tech can be in 2024.

2. RB Trey Cooley/RB Anthony Carrie– One of the biggest questions was who will be behind Jamal Haynes in the backfield to begin the season, especially after Haynes’ impressive season as a redshirt sophomore. Haynes was the first 1,000-yard runner for Georgia Tech in six years, earning him All-ACC Third Team honors and a preseason watch list nomination for the Maxwell Award, which recognizes the national college football player of the year. The senior running back finished fourth on the team in rushing yards (274), rushing attempts (64) and yards per carry (4.3). His best game was the season opener against his former team against Louisville, where he rushed for 52 yards and two touchdowns. His season high came in Week 2 against South Carolina State with 93 rushing yards. Cooley brings a much-needed veteran presence to back up Haynes and is a reliable back for the Yellow Jackets. Anthony Carrie brings youthful exuberance and is a dynamic back in the open field. Despite being a freshman, he is listed as the team’s third running back. He finished his high school career with 3,818 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns in four seasons. Carrie has a lot of potential and could get more playing time as the season progresses. Georgia Tech is a team that loves to play football.

3. TE Avery Boyd– With the announcement that Brett Seither is out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury, this is Boyd’s chance to step in for the Yellow Jackets. A little about Boyd: He played in all 13 games and made his first two career starts at wide receiver. Boyd finished the season with six catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. His very first catch in college was a 14-yard touchdown against 17th-ranked Ole Miss. Boyd is getting his first opportunity to play as a starter and key part of the offense.

Here’s what Key said about Boyd in a press conference earlier this week:

“Also, it’s an opportunity for Avery Boyd, who was a little limited at the beginning of training camp, like with tendinitis or something, but he and Jackson Hawes have been doing everything they can to start at tight end. I’m so happy for Avery, a guy who’s really put on muscle and, you know, transitioned well to the tight-in position at 240, 245 now and does everything really, really consistently at that position. I’m so happy to have him back, even though we’re upset about what happened with Brett.”

Jackson Hawes is listed as the Yellow Jackets’ No. 2 tight end. He played his four-year career at Yale and recorded 35 catches for 371 yards and six touchdowns. Another interesting player at the position is former four-star TE recruit Luke Harpring, who was listed as the No. 3 tight end on the depth chart entering his freshman season. If he continues to impress, he could see action later in the season.