The Yellow Jackets are gearing up to enter Ireland with high intensity for their game against the Seminoles
Florida State will kick off its fall camp on Wednesday morning, carrying a significant chip on its shoulder after being left out of the College Football Playoff, which marred what was otherwise one of the best seasons in the program’s history. With just over a month before the Seminoles open their 2024 season against Georgia Tech in Ireland, they might find additional motivation within the locker room.
The ACC is hosting its annual multi-day kickoff event this week, and both the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets fulfilled their commitments on Monday. This led Georgia Tech’s starting quarterback, Haynes King, to make an interesting remark about the upcoming matchup against Florida State while addressing the importance of continuity on offense for their first game of the season.
“It’s a crucial step. Without continuity or a strong culture and good locker room, your team will struggle during tough times,” King said, as reported by Georgia Tech On SI’s Najeh Wilkins.
“But I think we’re in a solid place with a strong culture and a great locker room,” King added. “We’re definitely going into that first game ready to give it our all.”
Georgia Tech is coming off a 7-6 season under head coach Brent Key, during which they managed a 2-2 record against top-25 teams, pulling off upsets against Miami and North Carolina but losing to Georgia by just eight points in their regular season finale. In addition to quarterback Haynes King, the Yellow Jackets are set to return a 1,000-yard rusher, Jamal Haynes, and three of their top four wide receivers: Eric Singleton Jr., Malik Rutherford, and Christian Leary.
Despite this returning talent and positive momentum, the program is not viewed as a significant contender for the ACC title this year, leaving the Yellow Jackets motivated to prove themselves within the conference.
“I’d say both. To me, that’s still disrespect, especially considering our performance last year and the talent we have coming back,” King stated. “But it’s expected; we should be competing for the ACC championship every year with the coaches, players, and the culture we’ve built.”
King transferred to Georgia Tech last season after starting his college career at Texas A&M. He showed promise by completing 226 of 367 passes (61.6%) for 2,842 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. To reach his full potential, he will need to reduce his turnovers, as he was intercepted at least once in nine games and had double-digit interceptions in four games, including four picks in a loss to Clemson late last season.
Florida State head coach Mike Norvell acknowledges the progress King has made over the years and believes the Seminoles will face one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Week Zero.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Norvell said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Chad Bishop. “You’ve seen his growth throughout his career. I think he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
Florida State won their last matchup against Georgia Tech in 2022 when Key was serving as interim head coach. This time, the Seminoles will have a new starting quarterback and a revamped offense and defense.
FSU and Georgia Tech are set to kick off the college football season on Saturday, August 24, with kickoff scheduled for noon EST and the game to be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
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