Georgia Tech has broken the student tickets record for a second-straight year, despite HC Brent Key declaring, “I don’t think we are anywhere close to being ready to play a football game.” While fan enthusiasm reaches new heights, the head coach remains firmly anchored in reality, setting the stage for a season laden with anticipation. 

Georgia Tech’s final scrimmage should have been a tune-up from last week. But after planning for a 100-play session, the scrimmage had to stretch to 125 snaps due to what Key described as substandard execution. The practice was held in intense heat: 94 degrees ambient, roughly 115 on the turf, to test the team’s endurance. Instead, Key’s tone shifted dramatically as he offered the current assessment:
“Way too many penalties. Way too many turnovers. Way too many ball and assignments. Way too many guys that either didn’t play or tapped out for aches and pains and things you have to you know, we’re not even close from the standpoint from mental toughness the grit, and the fortitude that you have to have to play this play this game. We got a lot of young kids on the field…  (but) that isn’t, zero excuse, so we got a lot of damn work to do.”

Despite Key’s sharp critique, student demand is surging. According to Brett McMurphy’s tweet on X, “Georgia Tech has sold a record” with 6,164 student season tickets claimed as of Monday, surpassing last year’s mark of 5,939— itself a jump from 5,119 in 2023. And the number could go higher still.

Fewer than 900 tickets remain in the south student sections at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field, with the north sections already gone. Athletics officials expect the 7,000-ticket allotment to sell out soon and are evaluating ways to meet the growing demand, partly because of the on-field landscape that offers both optimism and concern. Or let’s just say the right amount of suspense to have people hooked.

Georgia Tech has posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in a decade and returns five all-ACC honorees, including All-America guard Keylan Rutledge, alongside stalwarts like DT Jordan van den Berg, LB Kyle Efford, RB Jamal Haynes, WR Malik Rutherford, and two of the conference’s top signal-callers: senior Haynes King and redshirt freshman Aaron Philo. Complementing that, Rutledge earned second-team preseason All-America honors from the AP and has garnered national attention and postseason watch-list recognition. Still, the roster is not without its vulnerabilities.

Depth remains a concern. Running back Chad Alexander, who previously missed spring practices, is sidelined for an extended period but is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery. His absence opens the door for Malachi Hosley to see more snaps. At tight end, Brett Seither, coming off a major knee injury that cost him all of 2024, has returned to practice and is on track to start the 2025 season healthy. But his health and ability to contribute immediately remain in flux, placing added pressure on less experienced contributors. The immediate horizon brings a critical evaluation period. Georgia Tech will hold two camp practices (Tuesday and Wednesday) intended to reveal who is ready to play and who needs more refinement. Key emphasized pragmatism and execution, stating:

“I don’t care if we go into the first game and run two offensive plays and two defensive calls. We’re going to play what we can execute with the best players on the field.” Following those sessions, the team transitions into full preparation mode for their season opener.

The 2025 Georgia Tech season opens Friday, August 29 at Colorado. The Yellow Jackets return home for a Sept. 6 showdown with Gardner-Webb, followed by a highly anticipated ACC opener on Sept. 13 against Clemson. With roughly 10 days left before kickoff, tickets sold, Georgia Tech faces the challenge of turning preseason excitement into execution.