Brent Key reveals ‘biggest difference’ that’s helped Georgia Tech’s recruiting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Georgia Tech football’s recruiting is bursting with momentum. It ranks among the top 25 classes in the country for 2027.

Coach Brent Key gave significant credit to director of player personnel Liam Klein and his staff, along with Key’s new coordinators and assistant coaches when asked about the Yellow Jackets recruiting success at the ACC Kickoff event Thursday.

Key lauded how his staff has executed his vision for what he wants his program to be. And he shared one more notable development that’s led to the surge: His players enjoy and embrace their roles in recruiting.

“I think that’s been the biggest difference I’ve seen — our players want to host guys, they want to bring in better players,” Key said. “They want to bring in players who have the same aspirations and mindset as them. If they don’t, they don’t want them to come. So, your best recruiters are your own players.”

The Yellow Jackets’ recruiting class is ranked No. 25 by 247Sports. That includes three 4-star trench players in tackles Joshua Sam-Epelle and Kal-El Johnson, along with edge rusher Success Nwabude. Key has long emphasized a need for his team to be bigger and stronger up front, and he’s beginning to see that come to fruition.

“It’s extremely (important for current players to be involved in recruiting),” senior linebacker Kyle Efford said. “I think back to when I was coming in, just having guys speak with me, let me know, take time with me and show me the love — it’s a bunch of little things. At Georgia Tech, you have to be a certain kind of character to survive at Tech. It’s great for guys to be involved, for sure.”

The Yellow Jackets are coming off a nine-win campaign that fizzled out with four losses in the final five games. That, along with the departures of key players including quarterback Haynes King, has led some to assume there will be regression on The Flats.