Greg McElroy explains where he ranked Haynes King on Top 10 college football quarterback list

Haynes King has a fan in Greg McElroy. During the latest episode of Always College Football with Greg McElroy, the ESPN analyst revealed the Georgia Tech star was ranked No. 10 on his list of the top quarterbacks in all of college football heading into the 2025 season.

While King certainly believes he’s better than No. 10, it’s some serious love for the Yellow Jackets quarterback, who doesn’t usually see it from the national media. McElroy went into depth about why he’s a fan of the Longview, Texas native, citing his dual-threat ability and competitive spirit.

“At No. 10 in my college football quarterback rankings going into this year, it’s Haynes King, quarterback of Georgia Tech,” McElroy revealed. “Now, numbers wise, passing yards wise, he’s not going to blow you away. He threw for just 2,100 yards last year. But he did have an impressive 7-1 touchdown-interception ratio. It was actually 14-2. But do the math. Pretty efficient too, from a completion percentage standpoint. But his most dangerous attribute? That’s his legs. Had 600 yards rushing. 11 rushing touchdowns.

“What I love most when I watch Haynes King is just how competitive he is. I mean, he’s an elite runner, but he is so competitive. He’s tough as nails. He knows how to win. Every single one of his teammates will follow him through broken glass and fire en route to the end zone. I think he has done an amazing job in kind of revitalizing his career. He got chances at [Texas] A&M and it just never really materialized. Never really happened for him. But man, these last couple of years at Georgia Tech, he’s done an amazing job. He really has.

“In the last two years, he’s rushed for over 1,300 yards and 21 touchdowns. If you look at last year, he had to sit out in two games, he was limited and couldn’t do much in two others and still managed to eclipse over 2,000 yards passing. So, I think that’s pretty impressive. Now, he’s going to the year No. 6. How much better will he get? How much more improved can he get? Will his supporting cast be the same?

“He did lose Eric Singleton after all to Auburn, but he still has Malik Rutherford. He’s still got great speed at tailback. I think the offensive line is going to be rock solid. I think his offensive coordinator knows exactly what positions to put him in, so that Haynes King can feel comfortable and have success. I think Haynes King is a great college football player — a great college football player, and it’s been a real joy to watch, but it’s partly because of what he’s willing to do and put his body on the line on a week-to-week basis to put the Yellow Jackets in position to win the game.”

While King disappointed a bit during his time with Texas A&M, he’s been a revelation for Georgia Tech. He has the Yellow Jackets feeling like they could make a run in the ACC this coming season, as he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the entire conference.

It’ll likely hinge on whether Haynes King puts together his best season yet in 2025. It’ll all begin with a doozy of a game for Georgia Tech on Aug. 29, as they’ll travel to Boulder to face Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes to start their season.