Haynes King has endured through a lengthy collegiate journey to arrive at his current pinnacle, as the veteran signal-caller has done it all while guiding Georgia Tech to an undefeated 8-0 record this season.
The Longview, Texas native began his career at Texas A&M before transferring to join Brent Key and the Yellow Jackets’ program prior to the 2023 campaign, and he’s been the starting quarterback ever since.
And while leading GT to multiple gutsy wins this fall, King has virtually carried the offense on his back. The 6-foot-3 quarterback has thrown for 1,480 yards while completing 72.3% of his passes, ran for another 651 and accounted for 19 total touchdowns, all of which lead the team.
The current Heisman Trophy conversation has largely revolved around the likes of Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, but Key made a point to explain why he believes King belongs in that discussion following Saturday’s win over Syracuse.
After challenging the reporters present to define what the Heisman Trophy stands for, Key launched into an impassioned speech about what his veteran signal-caller brings to the table each week.
“Find me somebody that brings more value to the team, that is truly the epitome of what a team is rooted in,” Key said. “He can run, he can throw…I’m glad he’s on my team. I don’t have a vote, but it’ll be a shame if he’s not in New York. I think he will be.”
The latest Heisman Trophy odds at most sports betting apps like DraftKings have King priced at +2500 to win the award.
King will have plenty more opportunities to strengthen his Heisman résumé, beginning with a tricky road date against NC State this weekend.
The season finale against Georgia in Atlanta looms large as well, and a strong showing against the Bulldogs could be exactly what King needs to punch his ticket to New York.
Parker is currently the sports editor with the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
