Who Is This Guy, HaynesMan?
Georgia Tech's Senior Quarterback Embodies The Best Elements Of College Football
"That's a moment right there. There is no greater example ...that I've seen, of putting the team over me".
So said Georgia Tech's head coach when asked if he had ever seen a player seeking coaching instruction in the middle of a play, as QB Haynes King did vs Duke on 10 /18.
For all who saw the play,.live or via television or later video, the savvy and presence of mind displayed by King was indeed a special moment. No one, including Brent Key, had ever seen a similar play .
Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is in his sixth and final year of college football. On the weekend of the semifinals in the projected college football playoff schedule, King will turn 25 years old.
That age is not as uncommon as you might think for a college football player in this era. Between the "normal" redshirt process, plus medical redshirt, and then Covid- related extensions of eligibility, there are numerous players ages 23 and 24 scattered through the ranks. And to the extreme, TE Cam Mccormick had a notorious 9th year in 2024 with Miami.
Yet somehow, despite his longevity and proven talent, Haynes King remains "under the radar" in the Heisman conversation.
He was not mentioned in any of the preseason watch lists for college football's most glamorous award. That's understandable. King was the signal- caller for a team that had posted consecutive 7-6 seasons, and had just gotten back into the lower- tier bowl picture after years of playing outside the attention that a top 25 program receives. And of course, the top three names on those lists back in August (Manning, Klubnik, Nussmeyer) are no longer serious contenders.
But here in late October, King certainly is in the conversation.
To the extent that the award goes to the leader of a stat-fest, King will not be a serious contender. He does not issue lightning bolts from his right arm, and he only occasionally throws deep, with sporadic success. But he wins. And wins. And gives no care about who gets the credit. He wins.
So if voters look at the grand scheme, and consider what the award should mean, then Haynes King should be the frontrunner. The winner should be a talented and productive player, who also amplifies the success of his winning team.
There are six undefeated teams left in Division 1. Of those teams, popular current favorites include QB Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, along with QB Marcel Reed of Texas A&M and QB Fernando Mendoza of Indiana. They are all accomplished players on winning teams.
But I do not see among them a player whose presence speaks more loudly, and whose teammates laud more proudly, than as does Haynes King.
Week after week, King has found a way to propel his team to victory. Call it grit, or determination,, or sheer will.
It's a quality that inspires teammates to dig deep and persevere. And so far, that quality has produced a 7-0 record for Georgia Tech.
Certainly Heisman -worthy.
John Heisman himself would likely agree.
Georgia Tech has had two second place Heisman finishers in the storied football - past. Billy Lothridge placed behind Roger Staubach in 1963 and Joe Hamilton finished behind Ron Dayne in 1999.
This year looks like a good time to bring the trophy to Atlanta.--The HaynesMan trophy.
Patrick Conarro
RamblinSports