The Atlantic Coast Conference has recognized Haynes King as the 2025 Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year. The Georgia Tech quarterback leads a group of four Yellow Jackets who received All-ACC honors, marking a significant achievement for the program.
King’s Record-Breaking Season
King, who hails from Longview, Texas, was also named ACC Player of the Year last week. He leads the conference in total offense, averaging an impressive 329.0 yards per game, which places him third nationally. Throughout the season, King was honored as the ACC Quarterback of the Week five times over 11 games.
Notably, King is the only player from a power conference this season to average at least 240 passing yards and 80 rushing yards per game. This achievement has been reached by only four players since 1956, including notable names like LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, both of whom went on to win the Heisman Trophy.
With this recognition, King joins an elite group as the fourth recipient of the AP ACC Offensive Player of the Year from Georgia Tech, following in the footsteps of Joe Hamilton (1999), Calvin Johnson (2006), and Jonathan Dwyer (2008).
Key Contributors to Georgia Tech’s Success
Alongside King, two other Yellow Jackets received first-team All-ACC honors: Keylan Rutledge, an offensive guard from Royston, Georgia, and place kicker Aidan Birr, from Kennedale, Texas. Rutledge has been instrumental in protecting King, helping the team lead the ACC with only nine sacks allowed over 12 games. Additionally, the offensive line has contributed to Georgia Tech’s second-place ranking in rushing yards, averaging 203.0 yards per game.
Rutledge’s contributions were further recognized when he was awarded the ACC’s Piccolo Award, an honor for the conference’s most courageous player. Meanwhile, Birr has emerged as a standout kicker, leading the nation with 25 field goals made this season. His performance includes two game-winning kicks against Clemson and Boston College, plus a pivotal field goal that sent the game into overtime against Wake Forest.
Defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, who earned second-team honors, also had a significant impact on the Yellow Jackets’ season. He leads the ACC and all power-conference defensive tackles with 11 tackles for loss, showcasing his dominance on the field.
The impressive performances of King, Rutledge, Birr, and van den Berg have played a crucial role in leading Georgia Tech to a successful season, finishing with a record of 9-3 and 6-2 in the ACC. This marks only the 16th nine-win regular season in the program’s 133-year history.
As the 22nd-ranked Yellow Jackets prepare for the upcoming 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl against No. 12 BYU, they aim for the program’s 10th 10-win season. The game is scheduled for December 27, 2025, with kickoff set for 15:30 in Orlando.
