Brent Key On Difficulties Navigating The Transfer Portal: "It's Challenging, But This Is What College Football Is"

Georgia Tech has lost a number of impact players from its roster to the transfer portal

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key on the sideline against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

While Georgia Tech has not been the hardest hit school in the country when it comes to players entering the transfer portal, they have lost some impact players. Wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr and defensive end Romello Height were two difference makers for the Yellow Jackets this past season and both have entered the portal. It is a new age in college football where you are not only recruiting players to come be a part of your program, but where you are also putting in just as much effort into retaining your own roster and keeping things together.

After bowl practice today, Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key spoke with the media and talked about the challenges of the transfer portal:

"It's challenging, but this is this is what college football is. I mean, it's not, it's not a, we're not the only people doing it, it's not like, it's just gonna happen one time. It's gonna happen. This is what college football is, I know you guys have heard me say that if you're complaining about something that takes place, you're wasting time to be able to get better and we, we don't look at it as, you know, this black cloud, you know, rather this is an unbelievable opportunity for us to improve as a football team from a personnel standpoint, to develop our players and get better for next season and build the roster for next year."

Key was also asked about how the team will handle not having Height for the bowl game:

"Yeah, I mean we play a lot of guys on defense. We play a lot of guys in general on that side of the ball. So we've got guys on the team. I mean, you know, one person is not going to make a difference as far as the rotational depth and having bodies to play. I mean, you know, you see some of these teams out there. They're in dire straits right now as far as being able to play a game. That's not the case at all. We're going to continue to coach the guys that are here and prepare them not only for this game, but continue to prepare them for their career here at Georgia Tech."

Two impact players that made it clear they were not going anywhere were quarterbacks Haynes King and Aaron Philo, who announced over the weekend that they were going to remain at Georgia Tech. Key was very positive today when asked about both of those players:

"Yeah, if you look around the room here, I mean the four things you see around around the discipline, toughness, execution, and commitment. And commitment's one that I think people, a lot of times, glance over. They talk And commitment's one that I think people, a lot of times, glance over. They talk about the execution and the toughness and the discipline. But the commitment is the single most important thing when it comes to a team, when it comes to a player here at Georgia Tech. You've got to be committed to yourself, number one. You've got to be then committed to doing what's the best to make yourself better and improve yourself. But then you're committed to your position in your side of the ball and in the team and to show their commitment to being here their commitment for development their commitment for improvement their commitment to this football team and Their belief within their commitment of how this team is going to continue to grow and be in the future I think that's what it shows and you can have two better examples But then those two along with a lot of others and other guys continue to do that, moving forward. But it was a cool idea by those guys and let them run with it."

While Georgia Tech has lost some players, they have made three impactful additions through the portal as well.

Georgia Tech has three commitments from the transfer portal so far this cycle, two in the secondary and one at wide receiver. UAB cornerback Kelvin Hill and Eastern Michigan DB Daiquan White both committed to the Yellow Jackets last week and South Carolina wide receiver transfer Debron Gatling committed yesterday.

Hill (5'10 175 LBS) started for the Blazers as a true freshman last season at cornerback and has three years of eligibility remaining. Last season at UAB, Hill totaled 42 tackles and five pass deflections. At Pro Football Focus, Hill finished with a 68.9 overall grade on defense, but what is most notable is his grade in run defense. Hill earned an 87.1 run defense grade and a 90.1 tackling grade. Georgia Tech is losing LaMiles Brooks, Taye Seymore, and Warren Burrell, but have added some intriguing talent to the secondary to help replace them. Like White, Hill played his high school football in Georgia, playing at Carrolton High School. According to 247Sports, Hill is a three-star transfer with an 86.00 overall grade. Coming out of High School, Hill was a three-star transfer and was ranked as the No. 1894 player in the country, the No. 171 cornerback in the country, and the No. 187 player in the state of Georgia.

White (5'10 170 LBS) played for the Eagles for two seasons, totaling 50 tackles and 18 pass deflections. Per Pro Football Focus, White played 660 snaps this season and finished with a 66.2 overall grade, including a 79.2 grade in run defense. In 2023, PFF gave him a 69.5 overall grade in 558 total defensive snaps. He is originally from Georgia and played at Creekside High School. He also held offers from Liberty and East Carolina.

Additional Links:

Georgia Tech Basketball: 2026 Priority Target Jalan Wingfield Talks His Recruitment and the Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech Lands Former South Carolina WR Debron Gatling From The Transfer Portal

Georgia Tech Football: Auburn Lands Former Yellow Jackets Safety Taye Seymore