Another big ACC battle is on the horizon when Georgia Tech travels to Blacksburg, Virginia to face the Hokies. There are several players and key position groups to watch in the game that could have a significant impact on who comes out on top. Let’s start with the location group.

Who will be the starting quarterback against Virginia Tech??

Zach Pyron looks likely to be Georgia Tech’s starting quarterback this week, but Haynes King hasn’t been ruled out just yet. During Thursday’s media release, head coach Brent Key had this to say about Haynes King’s situation:

“Haynes, if we were playing right now that would be enough. I’ll still keep him on a day-to-day basis, but as a capital H I would say I’m hopeful he can go. But these are different schedules. He’s improving day by day but he’s getting closer to being hopeful. But if there was something that would definitely come out right now , but I still maintain hope in other men as well.”

Key was also a complement to freshman quarterback Aaron Philo when asked about him this week:

“He’s a freshman. It was a luxury to be here in the spring, so he’s a little bit ahead of some of the guys. But he’s a great kid, great. He loves playing football, guys rally around him and guys rally around him.” I think he broke a few records in high school. He broke the records of some players who played in the state of Georgia. He will be a really good player and I am happy with his development. ” said Key.

Zeek Biggers… Biggers posted one of his best games of the season as he earned his keep in the backfield, finishing with five tackles, including two for loss. He lived in Notre Dame’s backfield and was one of the best defenders. He earned the highest PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade on defense on Saturday with a 72.7. Georgia Tech will have their hands full with another running back who has found his rhythm lately in Bhaysul Tuten. He’s approaching 1,000 yards for the season. The bigger players and defensive line will have to make sure they don’t allow Tuten to get to the second level and gain yards after contact. Expect Biggers to make a big impact on Saturday.

Kyle Efford… Can Georgia Tech get its signal caller and best player on defense back? Time will tell, but they really missed his presence on Saturday against Notre Dame. Missed tackles in the first half of the game against the Fighting Irish were a big problem for the Yellow Jackets. Quarterbacks were making Georgia Tech misses in open field, easily turning a two-yard gain into eight or nine. One of Efford’s strengths is his tackling ability. Efford is a great defender and flies to the football. He is the Yellow Jackets’ leading steals player with 52 steals, which ranks 13th in the ACC. If he maintains his tackling ability, he will lead Georgia Tech for the second year in a row.

Key said of Efford yesterday:

“Kyle has been training, you know his training is still limited, we’ll see where he is on Saturday, it’ll probably be a preliminary game really to see what he can go out and see what he can do and what he can’t do but you know the other one.” Guys are taking reps and preparing if he doesn’t make it.”

The injury bug has hit Georgia Tech hard lately. If they want to beat Virginia Tech, they will need their best players on the court. Hopefully one of their main players can step up against the Hokies on Saturday and give the Yellow Jackets a better chance of winning.

Additional Links:

Georgia Tech Football: Latest Score Predictions for Saturday’s Game vs. Virginia Tech

Bleav Georgia Tech: Preview and Prediction for Matchup against Virginia Tech

Georgia Tech Football: Yellow Jackets Announce Jersey Combination for Game Against Virginia Tech