Following a historic victory against Florida State University in Dublin, Ireland, Tech has many reasons to celebrate. The Jackets knocked off a top-10 team for the first time since the Miracle on Techwood in 2015, and they won against the preseason favorites to win the ACC. However, one of the most critical yet underappreciated causes of this victory was what head coach Brent Key, the coaching staff and the athletic department have been quietly building behind the scenes.
With name, image and likeness opportunities (NIL) being introduced to NCAA sports just a few years ago and the transfer portal becoming increasingly popular, it has been harder for programs to establish themselves in the new recruiting environment. Key, along with the help of athletic director J. Batt has brought enormous amounts of buzz to Tech athletics and turned that interest into dollars. Last year, Tech raised $78.2 million through the Alexander-Tharpe Fund, a 43% increase over the previous school record. These record-breaking numbers allowed Tech to make a run at the highest-ranked recruits in the nation.
On Monday, Aug. 12, Tech made national headlines when the No. 14 recruit in the nation, offensive lineman Josh Petty, committed to spend his next four years on the Flats. Petty chose Tech over five other schools, most notably FSU, as he became the first five-star to commit to Tech since Calvin Johnson in 2004. Petty came from Fellowship Christian School in Roswell, GA and was a AA state champion in wrestling as well as a dominant force on the field.
Many reasons led Petty to choose Tech. Academics, proximity to home, the coaching staff and a competitive NIL package, but one of the most unique reasons was how much the Tech fanbase individually valued him. Popular Tech twitter accounts started a #PettyToGT trend that went viral among Jacket supporters and spread throughout the online fanbase. This represented the external culture shift surounding the Tech football program. While many national outlets and football fans were initially confused by the decision, Tech’s upset victory against FSU solidified Petty’s decision to stay home. Even though Tech had the top ACC rushing offense last year, all the talk before the game was how FSU would dominate Tech in the trenches. The result couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Tech ran for 198 yards on 36 carries while FSU could not eclipse 100 on 31 carries, and the Jackets defensive line wreaked havoc on FSU quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. While this may have come as a shock to many national outlets, those close to the program believed in the process.
Tech's Offensive Line: A Key to Success
Offensive line coach Geep Wade and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner have recruited, developed and polished an incredible line up front to compete and win against the most talented teams in the nation.
Recruiting Momentum
The momentum from this historic victory will transfer not only to the team for weeks to come, but also to recruits searching for a permanent home. Other than Petty, Tech secured a commitment from Damola Ajidahun, the number 53 ranked offensive tackle in the nation according to 247 Sports, further bolstering the offensive line depth. Then, Tech completed the flip for four-star commit Christian Garrett from UGA, marking a shift in the dynamics of Georgia recruiting. Garrett comes from Prince Avenue Christian School, the same Athens high school as Tech freshman quarterback Aaron Philo and redshirt freshman wide receiver Bailey Stockton. With these two new additions, Tech jumped to 19th in the 247 2025 team recruiting rankings.
After arriving back in Atlanta, Tech’s focus returns to the job at hand, beating Georgia State University, but the coaching staff and recruiters are tremendously busy.
A New Era for Georgia Tech?
The buzz for Tech football has not been this high in a while. The Jackets need to seize this surging momentum and run with it to reach a level the program has not seen since the historic days of Bobby Ross.
