EJ Manuel on Brent Key: "You can run through a brick wall for that kind of guy"

Georgia Tech was in the spotlight during the ACC Football Road Trip

The ACC Network is in the midst of its ACC Road Trip, where it goes to every campus and puts that program in the spotlight for an evening as we build towards the 2023 season Wednesday, it was Georgia Tech's turn to be front and center on ACC Network. 

Former Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel, former Virginia Tech wide receiver Eddie Royal, and host Wes Durham were discussing the program and what they were seeing from Key as he begins his first full season coaching his alma mater and starting the season off against Louisville in Mercedes Benz Stadium: 

"What a great opportunity for Coach Key to start his tenure as the full-time head coach in Atlanta and you are going to be playing a solid Louisville team that is also coached by a new head coach in coach (Jeff) Brohm, so I think that is a great opportunity to start their season with a win potentially and move forward throughout the year."

Durham pointed out that in the time that they had been there covering the team, you could tell that the "passion and the energy" under Key are "unmistakable" and Royal mentioned that you can see the passion that Key has in coaching at Georgia Tech:

"That passion is everywhere. You can tell he is everything about Georgia Tech, he loves it, he bleeds it and he has former players on this staff that he played with and that is awesome to have him here back at Georgia Tech."

Manuel made sure to point out the relationships that Key has already built with the players and how much he liked to see that as a former player himself:

"You talk to some of the players and the relationship that Coach Key has built with these guys, the trust that he has built with these guys now that he is the full-time head coach, that goes a long way because as a player myself, when I knew that I could call my coach when something was going wrong off the field or if I had been to dinner or had lunch with coach, I knew there was that type of relationship and you can run through a brick wall for that kind of guy so I think that is a great decision by Georgia Tech to keep as the head man"

.@EJManuel3 says @GeorgiaTechFB players are ready to run through a brick wall for a coach like Brent Key 😤 pic.twitter.com/wqXlgErAZF

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) August 10, 2023

Key went 4-4 last season after taking over the program in the wake of Geoff Collins being fired. He scored big wins over Duke, Pitt, and North Carolina, teams that each won nine games last season. 

Despite that, the Yellow Jackets are being counted out when it comes to being a factor in the ACC this season. In the preseason ACC Football Media Poll, Georgia Tech was picked to finish 12. Key was asked about that after one fall camp practice and here was his response: 

"I could care less, they could less, I could care less. Games are played on the field and I know it is that time of year when it is exciting to see the rankings and see those things and have a lot of good talking points for the next three or four weeks and that is what makes college football a passion and that is what it is, its the passion for the people that cover it, it is a passion for you guys, it's what yall do and helps you put information together but it means nothing to me. If I was not coaching I would be right there with you guys, reading them all and making the predictions, but not for us. Those external things have zero factor on how we come out and practice everyday."

Georgia Tech is beginning its first season under Brent Key / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Yellow Jackets are going to have a perfect chance to start the season off on the right foot when they take on Louisville on Sept. 1st in Mercedes Benz Stadium. Georgia Tech is only a 7.5-point underdog against the Cardinals, who are playing their first game under their head coach and have plenty of new faces to incorporate into that team. 

Georgia Tech has to prove it on the field, but they are fired up to do that under their new head coach and that is being noticed. 

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