As Brent Key holds news conference, transfer portal opens

Georgia Tech interim head coach Brent Key watches during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Florida State, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State won 41-16. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Georgia Tech interim head coach Brent Key watches during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Florida State, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State won 41-16. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)

New Georgia Tech coach Brent Key was scheduled to speak with media at 9 a.m. Monday at a news conference to introduce him as the program’s 21st full-time coach. Key will be joined by school President Ángel Cabrera and athletic director J Batt in answering questions about the hire of Key, who was officially named coach last Tuesday.

In the session, Key can lay out his vision and plans for the program as Tech enters its next chapter. During his eight-game term as interim coach, Key declined to entertain questions about the possibility of him becoming the full-time head coach, wanting to keep the focus on the season at hand.

Monday is also significant in that the transfer portal opens for football players, initiating what is expected to be an active 45-day period of players leaving teams and joining others. Six players have indicated their intention to go into the portal since the start of the season – wide receivers Nate McCollum, Kalani Norris and Ryan King, quarterback Jeff Sims, linebacker Demetrius Knight and kicker Jude Kelley.

Tech will undoubtedly be seeking to add players through the portal as well. Quarterback, wide receiver and linebacker are areas where the team could use more depth. Players do not have to commit to a new team during the window, which ends Jan. 18, but they do have to enter during that time. There is another window in the spring, May 1-15.

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