Sources – Georgia Tech QB Haynes King playing time vs. Miami

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is considered a true game-changer Saturday against No. 4 Miami, sources told ESPN. King is expected to warm up and attempt to play as he battles an upper body injury.

King, a redshirt junior, will suit up and participate in pregame warmups for the first time in nearly a month. He missed Georgia Tech’s last two games, both Tech losses, and rested during last week’s bye.

According to sources, he has received a majority of first-team reps in training this week, although he took Thursday and Friday off to rest and prepare for his match trials. He is well on his way to becoming a captain, regardless of his status.

If King can’t go or can’t play an entire game, Georgia Tech will start or use true freshman quarterback Aaron Philo, according to sources. It would be Philo’s first career start, as he played key snaps in Tech’s 21-6 loss to Virginia Tech. He completed 11 of 26 passes for 184 yards and one interception against the Hokies. He has played in two games for Georgia Tech this season.

King’s status is so fluid that ESPN sources said Tech coaches have prepared multiple game plans: for King if he plays and for Philo.

Sources said a final decision on King may not come until closer to kickoff.

After leaving Georgia Tech, they should be close to healthy again at other positions.

Sources told ESPN that linebacker Kyle Efford will return and start on Saturday. He has missed the last two games and is still the team’s leading tackler.

Tailback Chad Alexander, the team’s second-leading rusher, will also return after missing the Virginia Tech game on Oct. 26.

King is one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football, as he is 12-8 in 20 starts for Georgia Tech. This also includes the fact that the Yellow Jackets caused a surprise in Miami last season.

In King’s career, which dates back to Texas A&M, he has thrown for 5,989 yards and rushed for 1,240 yards. Over the course of his career, he has thrown 45 touchdowns and rushed for 17.

Philo is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound freshman from Bogart, Georgia, who played at Prince Avenue Christian School. He is the all-time leader in passing yards in Georgia high school football with 13,922. From 2014 to 2017, he surpassed Trevor Lawrence’s record of 13,902 at Cartersville High School.