Georgia Tech's Freshmen QB's Getting Rave Reviews This Spring: "They're wired the right way, they want to be great"

Jackson Caudell | Mar 29, 2024

Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo (Photo Credit- Benjamin Wolk, 247Sports) / Photo Credit- Benjamin Wolk, 247Sports)

Georgia Tech is getting ready to finish up their second week of spring practice tomorrow with a scrimmage and the Yellow Jackets are just a few weeks away from playing in their spring game. One of the most intriguing things to watch this spring and in the spring game is how the two freshman quarterbacks, Aaron Philo and Graham Knowles, perform. 

The reviews they are getting from their teammates and coaches are pretty high so far this spring. 

"They're still learning the information, and what I share with them is that I've been there. I know what it feels like. So what happens is, as they continue to try to understand what we're doing, the body physically slows down. So that's where they're at right now. They're great additions to the room. They're wired the right way. They want to be great." says quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke. "They want to be coached. I couldn't ask for two better guys in that room. I think that's where they're at right now. the bonus that they have sitting in this room is you've got two older guys, right? That have been there and done it. They kind of observe how they go about their business. And I think the sky's the limit for both of those young guys"

Starting quarterback Haynes King says they are picking things up fast and learning well through this spring. 

"The way they pick up on the offense pretty fast they're coachable they want to do stuff the right way they're falling in line they're doing everything the right way showing up on time they're competing every day I know at times they have to split some routes and they're doing a good job of running the offense and just operating you know and that's the big thing right now and I feel like they're they're doing a great job picking up on the offense and operating."

Both Philo and Knowles are stepping into a really good situation. King is one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC and it is a huge advantage to have an experienced and talented quarterback like Pyron as a backup. Both of these quarterbacks can learn from these two quarterbacks and not have to worry about competing for a starting job and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner  sees that as a huge advantage: 

"I think the biggest thing is it's great they got here in January right and you're seeing that across college football and now really at every position but it started with quarterbacks, with the kids enrolling early so they could learn the offense and compete for the job. The best thing for those two kids and their future is, is they don't have to play right now. So we can bring them along slowly, continue to develop them, get them as many reps as we can get them. And I think that gets lost a lot of times in college football. The older you get, the better you are, and those kids don't have to play right now and we're excited they're here. We look forward to seeing, forward to you know, developing them and it's good that they are here because these are going to be 15 practices that you normally wouldn't have if you aren't here till the summer and then obviously all summer they'll be here and have a chance to compete and they both got bright futures and we're excited they're here."

Pyron thinks the quarterback room is in good hands for the future when he and King are gone:

"I mean they're like sponges man, they soak up so much knowledge, they're always asking questions whether it's me or Haynes or even Brody Rhodes you know, Brody's been here just as long as I have, knowledge with Weinke, and you know we had a different office coordinator my freshman year but same terminology for everything kind of so um you know they just always asking questions always wanting to learn you know whenever we're doing an extra throw and they never miss, so it's just you know they're doing all the right things that they need to do and I love seeing that because you know the team only goes as a quarterback goes and you know we can't have just one you need multiple and I love it because you now they they're the future also outside of we know when me and Haynes are gone so I love seeing that and seeing how much they want to learn and how much they want to work and just you know how competitive they are we keep saying that but you know you got to be competitive in the quarterback room to grow."

Georgia Tech will have one of the best quarterback rooms in the ACC this season and that might be the case for a few years to come with Philo and Knowles in the fold.