Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2025 College Football Preview
Posted July 15, 2025
2024 Recap
Record – 7-6
ATS – 7-6
The Yellow Jackets finished the season at 7-6 but had some memorable moments along the way. It doesn’t seem like a big deal in hindsight, but they took down once-mighty Florida St as double-digit underdogs in the season opener in Ireland, beat Duke and UNC in back-to-back games, and then took down YOUR previously undefeated Miami Hurricanes (W 28-23). Oh, and who can forget the impossibly impossible 8-OT DEATH MATCH with Georgia (L 44-42)? They finished the campaign with a loss to Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl which was a bit of a downer, but there’s clearly something brewing down in HOTLANTA!
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2025 Outlook
OFFENSE
The Yellow Jackets averaged 425 YPG (#35) for the second consecutive season LY and they were a very balanced outfit (187 YPG rush, 238 YPG pass). Star QB Haynes King is back for his senior campaign and he’s one of the most lethal dual-threat QBs in the country (73%, 14-2 TD to INT; 587 rush, 11 TD). RB Jamal Haynes is a legit #1 workhorse (944, 1,059 L2Y) and we like the addition of Malachi Hosley who did some serious damage with the Penn Quakers LY (1,192, 6.2, 9 TD). The Jackets have an underrated WR corps with the return of the electric Malik Rutherford (702, 3 TD) and the addition of a few SPICY transfers from FIU including the devastating Eric Rivers (1,172, 18.9, 12 TD). The offensive line will be fine but they lost a couple of key cogs in the machine and recall that they were fantastic LY (5.0 YPC; 9 sacks allowed, #3 FBS).
DEFENSE
Georgia Tech made some good strides on defense LY and they were particularly strong vs the run (122 YPG, #30). The Jackets are almost certainly gonna be less stout up front this season as they lost a lot of contributors from LY’s squad including an NFL DC in NG Zeek BIGGERS. On a positive note, Georgia Tech had a difficult time achieving PENETRATION last season (18 sacks, #114) but they picked up a couple of dangerous DEs in Ronald Triplette (UTSA) and Brayden Manley (Mercer) to help stir things up. The LB room is solid and is led by stud MLB Kyle Efford (#1 tackles, 5.5 TFL), and they should be better in the secondary thanks to the return of a pair of senior CBs and the addition of a few promising transfers.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Special teams have been a horror show under HC Brent Key but it appears as though they may have a competent kicking game this season with PK Aidan Birr back in the mix (15/22 FG LY) and the addition of punter Marshall Nichols who was solid during his three years at UNLV. They still need some juice in the return game.
Schedule Analysis
Overall – The Jackets have a pair of automatic wins to look forward to in non-conference action (Gardner-Webb, Temple) but they also have a pair of DOOZIES (at Colorado, Georgia-N). Georgia Tech opens the ACC schedule with a nasty home date vs Clemson but it’s good to know that they avoid SMU, Miami, and LUA-VUH. That’s a good looking conference slate, yo.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot – Temple (Sept 20)
It’s embarrassing to say, but we aren’t completely disgusted by Temple’s roster and this game pops up between a pair of ACC contests (Clemson, at Wake Forest). Also note that HC Brent Key is just 4-7 ATS as a home favorite. Not saying, just saying.
Season Win Total
Market consensus July 15
Over 7.5 -160
Under 7.5 +130
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage.
We’d be seriously interested in going over a ‘flat 7’, but here we are. No play for now.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
The INTREPID Phil Steele reminds us that HC Brent Key is a very sharp 9-5 ATS (64%) vs ranked opponents and 6-0 (!) as a conference dog of less than 10 points. DEGENERATE NATION, be advised.
Georgia Tech is famous for their 222-0 win over something referred to as Cumberland way back in 1916. No word on if ancestors of current Penn St HC James Franklin were on the Georgia Tech coaching staff demanding players to cover the -195.5 point spread, or else be subjected to a hazing ritual involving angry jellyfish.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
The Yellow Jackets hadn’t booked a winning season prior to Brent Key’s arrival since the 2018 season, and that’s thanks in large part to the BLACK HOLE of the Geoff Collins administration. Georgia Tech has banked back-to-back winning seasons under Key’s guidance and this squad appears poised to be a darkhorse contender in the ACC. We love QB Haynes King and the overall scrappy demeanor of the team and they’ve got a favorable conference schedule to lend a helping hand. Can the defense hold up? That’s a tall order, so we’ll call for seven or eight wins and expect them to be just outside the top tier of the ACC heading into November. And then, who knows?