In the Brent Key era, tight ends have played a major role and been integral to the program's success. We have continued to see Georgia Tech rise, and whatever offensive scheme they run, tight ends have been key to it. Last year with Buster Faulkner, the Yellow Jackets had Brett Seither, Josh Beetham, Luke Harpring, and J.T. Byrne.

They played key roles in the rushing attack, as good as it was, and helped Haynes King win ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year. Without their help in the run game, King doesn’t rush for 933 yards, and Malachi Hosley doesn’t average seven yards per carry. 

This year looks a little different with the Yellow Jackets because of the implementation of a pro-style scheme by George Godsey that will rely on the tight ends as pass catchers. The Yellow Jackets have several players who can get the ball and make plays, like Gavin Harris, Chris Corbo, and Kevin Roche Jr. It fits what they want to do and how they want to torch defenses. With this new-look unit, head coach Brent Key made one thing clear: tight ends will always be a staple for Georgia Tech as long as he is the head coach.

It will be a carefully selected group that addresses all the Yellow Jackets' needs. That is a positive sign as we continue to see the position proliferate and be used more to create mismatches and easy opportunities for players.

"We used them pretty well the last few years, too. I laughed when somebody asked me the other day. As long as I’m the head coach here, we’re going to have tight ends, and we’re going to have running backs. You can bet your a** on that.

Obviously, you want to keep getting better and better ones. I think we’ve hit really well on some of the transfers, but I also think we’ve hit really well on some of the freshmen that we’ve signed out of high school. That’s the balance you’re always looking for in building your roster—high school versus college, college versus high school, and the development of guys within your program,” said Key. 

To go more in-depth, the Yellow Jackets have done a good job of recruiting out of the portal, with a large chunk of their players coming from the Ivy League in the tight end room. Their high football IQ and readiness to take on whatever is thrown at them have benefited Georgia Tech. 

“We’ve got a really good mix there. The Ivies (Ivy League) have been really good to us in that position. If you look at it, it’s not shocking why—to leave one of those schools, come here, be in the city of Atlanta, play the type of football we play and the way we use tight ends. We use multiple tight ends. That’s been the case since the day I stood up here and said, ‘Thanks for giving me the job.’ So I’ve been pleased with them.”

We know tight ends will be a major factor this year, but the big takeaway is that head coach Brent Key emphasized this team will always have an identity centered on running backs and tight ends. He wants to build his team around running the ball and surround the running backs with strong pieces so things flow the right way and benefit the program.