THE FLATS – Georgia Tech senior quarterback Haynes King (Longview, Texas/Longview H.S.) is earning national and conference accolades after a record-setting performance in the Yellow Jackets’ season-opening victory at Colorado.
On Tuesday, King was named both the Manning Award Star of the Week, honoring the nation’s top quarterbacks, and the ACC Quarterback of the Week.
King powered Tech’s 27-20 comeback win with 143 passing yards, a career-best 156 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns (4, 17, and 45 yards). After the Jackets opened the game with turnovers on each of their first three possessions, King directed scoring drives on five of their final seven, including the game-winning 45-yard touchdown run with just 1:07 remaining.
His performance put him in rare company. Since 2000, he is only the second FBS player to record at least 140 passing yards, 140 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns in a season opener—the other being Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, who did so at Oklahoma in 2019. Within the ACC, King joins fellow Yellow Jacket TaQuon Marshall (2017 vs. Tennessee) as the only players in that span with 100+ passing yards, 100+ rushing yards, and three or more touchdowns in a season-opening game.
This marks the second Manning Award Star of the Week selection of King’s career (he also won following Georgia Tech’s 2023 upset of No. 18 North Carolina). Fans can vote for him as the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week until Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
The ACC honor is the fourth weekly recognition of King’s career, adding to his awards for standout performances against No. 18 UNC (2023), No. 10 Florida State (2024), and No. 6 Georgia (2024).
King and the Yellow Jackets (1-0) return to action Saturday in their home opener against Gardner-Webb (1-0) at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Ticket options remain available, including a three-game mini-plan, Gardner-Webb + Temple two-pack, single-game tickets, and full season packages starting at $225.
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