‘Sisu?’ Key wants Georgia Tech football focused on mindset this summer

Point is, Key has devoted much of his offseason to getting his team to take that next step as a team in the ACC title race come November and to avoid the pitfalls of inconsistencies through Key’s tenure. Whether it be sisu or some other motivational word or phrase, Key is on the hunt.

The depth and talent of Tech’s roster has continued to improve, slowly but surely, during Key’s short tenure — which began when Key was interim coach for the final eight games of the 2022 season. But the results have been 7-6 records in each season since Key was named head coach. There have been four wins against nationally ranked teams. There also have been too many confounding losses.

And Tech still hasn’t beaten the boys from Athens since 2016.

“It starts with self-evaluation and self-awareness, how I become consistent in the moment with things,” Key said about his program’s recent inconsistencies. “The mental part of it’s big. The mental part is not just what you say to ‘em, it’s how you go about your business. It’s how you attack your drills, your setup, everything.”

Steve Jobs’ “Here’s to the crazy ones” and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “street sweeper” quotes have entered Key’s Rolodex of muse-worthy words. He often is searching for inspirational texts such as those — and, now, the concept of sisu — to help mold the character of his 2025 team, which finished the spring with a program-record 3.03 GPA (something that really brings a smile to Key’s face).

It’s a squad that appears virtually set headed into preseason camp, with only a few departures after spring practice ended in April and the recent additions of several transfers — former Bowling Green wide receiver and return specialist Rahkeem Smith, offensive lineman William Reed (Princeton), offensive lineman Malachi Carney (South Alabama), defensive lineman Akelo Stone (Mississippi, though he began his career at Tech); and defensive backs Jyron Gilmore (Georgia State), Jon Mitchell (Penn State) and Savion Riley (Colorado).

While those players join Tech’s returnees for offseason workouts and conditioning this summer, Key and his staff will also keep the focus on building for the future with a handful of on-campus camps and official visits for recruits. All that combined makes for a hectic June schedule.

“It’s exciting. You’re gassed by the end of it if you do it right, but it’s fun,” Key said. “We’re not changing the way we evaluate players. We’re not changing the way we’ve put it together for three years. We wanna make sure we get a thorough evaluation of kids, not just as players but as the kid and as the fit.”

Tech has received only four commitments toward the 2026 class, which is ranked 62nd overall and 13th among the 17 ACC programs. But the 2025 signing class was one of the best in program history — 21st in the country, according to 247Sports — and Key and company likely will continue that momentum by securing the pledges of more high-profile prospects for 2026 as the summer progresses.

The immediate concern, though, is the 2025 season and whether these Jackets can reach heights not seen in recent years. There is a lot of confidence around Bobby Dodd Stadium that this fall could, indeed, be one to remember.

“I think it comes down to (Key) being an authentic leader,” Tech athletic director J Batt told SiriusXM. “At the end of the day, at our institution, to have an alum leading a program, coming off a period where we really needed authentic leadership, (Key’s) really stepped in, built a culture.

“Our team has followed him in a little bit of that personality, a little bit of the way we’ve built the coaching staff around him. He’s doing a great job. I’m obviously excited about the fall. We’ll see how we go, but certainly have a lot of confidence heading into the fall.”