Dabo Swinney: Clemson preparing for possibility Georgia Tech uses two QBs

Clemson is set to travel to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech on the road during Week 3. The Tigers are preparing for a potential two-quarterback look from the Yellow Jackets on Saturday, according to head coach Dabo Swinney.

“Their backup is a good player and threw for a ton of yards last week,” Swinney told media on Tuesday. “You have to be prepared for that. Any time you see something like that on tape, it puts your antenna up a little bit. We just have to have our eyes in the right place and we have to communicate well.”

Georgia Tech QB Aaron Philo completed 21 of his 28 passing attempts for 373 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Philo was in the game for the Yellow Jacket’s main starter, Haynes King.

King sat out during Week 2 during Georgia Tech’s blowout victory over Gardner-Webb 59-12. King was considered a game-time decision following the Yellow Jackets’ Week 1 win at Colorado, where he was banged up.

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key revealed a positive update on King to start game week. However, he was non-committal on his status for this weekend.

“He looks good, feels good,” Swinney said. “We’ll make determinations this weekend.”

Whether it’s Philo, King, or a little bit of both, Clemson appears to have their bases covered on the practice field in preparation for this matchup. However, only time will tell if they’ll actually have to face dual quarterback looks on Saturday.

If King is able to suit up, he’ll be the more familiar option for Georgia Tech under center. King is in his sixth season of college football, and third overall with the Yellow Jackets after spending three seasons at Texas A&M.

During that span, King has thrown for 6,678 yards and rushed for 1,630 more. He’s scored 76 total touchdowns during his career. Meanwhile, Philo is in his second year with the program as a redshirt freshman after playing in four games in 2024.

He showed flashes of what he was capable as a true freshman, and even completed 19-33 of his passes for 265 yards during a late November matchup against NC State. Georgia Tech would end up winning that gmae 30-29.

Kickoff between Clemson and Georgia Tech is set for Saturday at Noon ET and will air live on ESPN. The Tigers are three-point betting favorites on the road, per BetMGM.