Haynes King could've been Jeff Brohm's QB. How he ended up starting at Georgia Tech instead
When Louisville co-defensive coordinator Ron English studied Georgia Tech’s offense, quarterback Haynes King stood out.
English liked King's fearlessness and the way he threw the ball, so he mentioned the signal caller to Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm as the team was preparing the Cardinals' upcoming season opener.
Brohm wasn't surprised by the scouting report. After all, at one point, Brohm had hoped to be King's coach.
“We recruited Haynes when I was at Purdue and had some initial conversations with him and then he committed to Texas A&M,” Brohm said Monday.
Both Brohm and King have switched schools since that 2020 recruitment, with Brohm taking over at Louisville over the offseason and King transferring to Georgia Tech from Texas A&M after last season. They'll be on opposite sidelines during Friday's season opener, set for 7:30 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
A native of Longview, Texas, King was announced as the Yellow Jackets’ starting quarterback last week. English, now leading the defense tasked with stopping him on Friday night, said King presents a number of challenges.
“You’re talking about a guy who can run a little bit. He’s got some toughness,” English said. “He’ll stand in there in the pocket, and I think he can throw. I think he can throw the football, so he’ll be a challenge for our defense.”
King was highly touted coming out of high school, as a four-star prospect ranked as the No. 5 pro-style quarterback nationally and No. 19 player in Texas, according to 247Sports' Composite Class of 2020 rankings. He chose the Aggies over Purdue and other high-level programs, including Arkansas and Tennessee, and played in 10 games over three seasons in College Station.
After Brohm lost out on King at Purdue, the Boliermakers signed four-star New Jersey quarterback Michael Alaimo and brought in former UCLA quarterback Austin Burton through the transfer portal. Alaimo would play in just three games for Purdue before entering the transfer portal in January (he's since moved on to Kent State) while Burton, who used the last of his eligibility in 2022, started two of 13 games played during his time as a Boilermaker.
While King never wore the black and gold at Purdue, Brohm remembers him. And his highlights have left an impression on English as well.
“We’ve got to find ways to get (King) off rhythm, make (the Yellow Jackets) do things they’re uncomfortable with, pressure as much as we can without giving up big plays,” Brohm said. “But without question, I do think he’s a very good quarterback. … Haynes has the background and skill to get it done.”
One last ride: Jack Plummer, Louisville's veteran QB, looks to improve in final college football season
Reach Louisville football, women's basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at acubit@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville football: Georgia Tech's Haynes King to challenge Cardinals
