King, Pyron, or Gibson - the case for each

Breaking down what each of these quarterbacks could offer as GT's starter in 2023.

Rohan Raman | Aug 13, 2023

King, Pyron, or Gibson - the case for each /

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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

There shouldn't be any debate - the three-way battle between Haynes King, Zach Pyron, and Zach Gibson for Georgia Tech's QB1 is the most consequential one on the roster.

What is debatable is who that starter should be.

It's important to acknowledge this decision won't be one that is made in early August. None of the candidates have separated themselves through one week of practice. However, as the pads come on and the quarterbacks were assessed again during the mock game on Saturday, it is a good time to take stock of why each of the candidates could end up the starter.

Coach Brent Key, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and QBs coach Chris Weinke have emphasized toughness and leadership as vital qualities they are looking for in a starter. So far, all three have demonstrated the requisite experience to gain some of that toughness. Key and Faulkner have both made that clear in their comments about the battle.

In his first appearance following the start of camp, Key said this about the starting QB battle:

"With the quarterback situation, we have a great battle between three guys that have college experience, college game experience, big-time game experience. We are as fortunate as any team in the country in terms of the depth we have at that position and right now it is a lot of installation and a lot of routes on air, those kinds of things, getting timing down.

While the offense will likely be tailored to whoever the starter ends up being, the general responsibilities of it will require someone who is accurate, smart, tough, and can make plays.

Haynes King

Year: RS Sophomore

Measurables: 6'3, 205 lbs

2022 Season: 1220 yards, 55.6% completion percentage, 7 TDs, 6 INTs (4 games)

Strengths: arm strength, playmaking upside, leadership

Questions: injuries, decision-making, accuracy

Between the three candidates, Haynes King is the one that has the most intrigue, due to him transferring from Texas A&M to GT this off-season. Fortunately, there's reason to believe he should be the starter beyond just being a new face.

King's deep ball is tantalizing. In his first career game against Sam Houston State, he dropped 320 yards and three touchdowns largely from being aggressive and pushing the ball downfield. Furthermore, A&M is not the most QB-friendly offense and a change of scenery to an offense geared around his deep ball could help him. In 2022, Tech sorely lacked any element of an aggressive vertical offense. Someone like Malik Rutherford could really thrive with King feeding him deep balls. He also deserves credit for stepping in against Alabama last season and giving the Aggies a chance to win a tight contest against a superior opponent. By all accounts, he's been a great teammate during his time at A&M and his leadership shouldn't be in question.

His time at A&M was largely marred by injuries, which certainly played a factor in his inconsistency. Still, in his starts, he showed struggles with down-to-down consistency and hitting open receivers. The gambles he took down the field also resulted in throwing into tight coverage. Those struggles caused him to get benched at A&M last season and won't just disappear at Tech. It's possible that better health and an offense geared around him could result in more stable performances, but that's a projection. He needs to be able to keep the offense on schedule and hasn't shown the ability to do so consistently thus far.

King could provide the perseverance the team is looking for, has the physical arm talent to generative explosive passing, and certainly has the experience playing games in a tough conference. His case as a starter is hurt by his current tendency to repeatedly throw into coverage and turn the ball over. However, if he shows that he is comfortable with the offense and staying on schedule, there's a very clear path to him as the starter.

Zach Pyron

Year: RS Freshman

Measurables: 6'3, 208 lbs

2022 Season: 565 yards, 59.8% completion percentage, 3 TDs, 3 INTs (3 games)

Strengths: Running threat, arm strength, youth

Questions: accuracy, turnovers, health

Both Pyron and Zach Gibson have played games for the Jackets, so it is easier to evaluate them within the context of this offense. They also have had more of a chance to establish themselves within the locker room. However, between the two, Pyron's intriguing combination of youth and ability is a strong argument for his case as a starter.

Pyron was recruited by Key out of high school, so he's not an outside arrival to the program like King or Gibson (Gibson transferred from Akron to Tech at the start of last season). It's an important factor to consider because it shows this staff has a key understanding of how Pyron conducts himself and has grown in that area since high school.

Last season, he made three appearances in relief of former starter Jeff Sims and Gibson, who was given the first shot at the starter role following Sims' injury. After he was inserted into the game in the third series of the FSU game, he helped the Jackets capitalize on a Seminoles fumble with a field goal, but was largely contained otherwise outside of a TD throw early in the third quarter to get the Jackets within 14.

He then battled throughout the Virginia Tech game and played a major role in helping the team escape with the comeback victory. He was responsible for two TDs, including the game-winning touchdown run through two tacklers.

Against Miami, he mostly struggled prior to his injury. Even though he led a methodical, 99-yard touchdown drive against the Hurricanes right before halftime, his decision-making did not look sharp and he threw two costly interceptions.

The case for Pyron as the starter comes down to the staff's belief in what they can coach out of him. In his starts, he showed the prototypical decision-making of a young starter. He loves to push the ball downfield and has the arm strength to do so, but can be careless when he does so. He also missed numerous on-schedule throws in his starts.

One unique element that he brings is the demonstrated capacity for threatening the defense as a runner. He needs to be accounted for on QB runs and scrambles outside of the pocket in a way that neither Gibson or King has really shown. It should also be noted that Pyron suffered a broken clavicle last year that prematurely ended his season, but it likely won't impact his performance this season.

The risk is that he needs game reps in order to fix his turnover problems. If he can show growth in this area throughout practice and game scenarios, then it wouldn't be surprising to see the staff install him as the starter in hopes of continuing the development curve he showed last year. A lot of the flaws in his game can still be ascribed to being a true freshman and he still has plenty of room to grow. It's merely a question of whether the staff feels that his growing pains are worth experiencing because of his upside.

Zach Gibson

Year: RS Junior

Measurables: 6'3, 197 lbs

2022 Season: 589 yards, 54.8% completion percentage, 1 TD, 2 INTs (4 games)

Strengths: Avoiding turnovers, experience, accuracy

Questions: Arm strength, playmaking

When examining Gibson's case as a starter, it should be noted that he's likely a tier below Pyron and King in terms of his chances to win the starting spot.

Gibson himself is aware of this:

"It is definitely the driving force. I mean, I hear the narrative, it is hard not to hear it because my dad sends me something every two days. But it has driven me to work this offseason.

I am just trying to put last year in the past. It is what it is and I am just trying to focus on what is next and what is ahead and obviously I had some bad moments, some really bad moments and some really good moments but that's just with anything. The season is a long season, it's 12 games and all three quarterbacks are going to have an opportunity to play this year at some point"

Both Key and Faulkner have given Gibson praise for his accuracy and touch. Nowhere was that more evident than the road win against #13 UNC. In arguably the best victory of the year, Gibson threw for an efficient 178 yards on 13/18 passing (72% completion percentage).

If the emphasis for this offense is on getting the ball to the playmakers consistently and quickly, he offers the strongest baseline for that. Furthermore, he is the oldest of the three and has seen the most football. Diagnosing coverages should not be an issue for him. Consequently, he does not put the ball in harm's way. Both of his two interceptions came in one game.

As a result, his floor as the offense's leader is arguably higher than both King and Pyron. Even against an undefeated Georgia squad, he came out strong and was the only quarterback in the country to lead a scoring drive against Georgia in the first quarter. He finished the game 19 of 35 with no turnovers, which is notable considering how talented the Georgia defense was last year. If he is selected as the starter, it's indicative that King and Pyron are simply too erratic to be trusted.

The problem with Gibson's game is that its upside seems to be capped. He does not drive the ball deep and lacks the arm strength of Pyron or King. Outside of the pocket, defenses do not have to consider him as a scramble threat and he hasn't shown much in the way of extending plays. In many ways, he goes as the offense does. If the running game stalls out and defenses can focus on defending the short-to-intermediate areas without respecting his deep ball, there's very little he can do to force them to adjust.

Overall Thoughts

The choice made at QB1 will tell a different story for what this staff thinks of each quarterback and the offense as a whole.

If King is selected, Key, Weinke, and Faulkner believe he was miscast at Texas A&M and can unlock a more consistent baseline at Tech. His talent as a four-star recruit can be harnessed as a three-level thrower of the football who can make plays outside the structure of an offense that will likely suffer growing pains due to an untested receiver group.

If Pyron is selected, it's indicative of this staff believing he can be groomed into the program solution at the quarterback position and his flashes as a freshman are worth building on. It also indicates they are comfortable with Pyron rising and falling along with this offense as he goes through - ideally - a full season as a starter.

If Gibson is selected, it speaks to the confidence Key has in Faulkner's new offensive system and their ability to compete in 2023. Gibson's stability as a starter makes him a more likely candidate than King and Pyron to consistently operate an offense with playmakers who can create yards after the catch. He won't lose the Jackets games by turning the ball over.

It's not hyperbole to say that the choice Brent Key, Buster Faulkner, and Chris Weinke make at quarterback could define the offensive success of the 2023 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. This is not a decision that can be rushed and the assessment of these three players needs to be thorough.

Whoever the choice ends up being, they will have the staff's full confidence in the regular season opener against Louisville.

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