Deion Sanders walked into 2025 like it’s personal again—but somebody forgot to tell Vegas. While Colorado’s finally back in the Big 12 and fresh off a 9-4 glow-up, they’re opening as underdogs in their own crib. Why? Because the team on the other side is no cupcake. A program that nearly KO’d the SEC kings in eight overtimes is walking into Boulder, and they got a QB who’s already dumped 6,535 yards on college football. If Coach Prime needs to be very careful, this opener might be the trap of the year.

Let’s put a name to the madness: Haynes King – Georgia Tech’s dual-threat demon who cooked 2,701 yards last season and already got 51 career TDs under his belt. But what makes him a real nightmare? That 8OT showdown against Georgia. Tech wasn’t just hanging around—they were one busted play from flipping Athens upside down. King dropped over 300 total yards and 3 rushing TDs. Georgia barely survived, 44–42. It took two-point magic in the eighth OT to stop Tech from doing the unthinkable.

On May 24, Garrett Chapman hopped onto Bud Elliot’s Cover 3 Podcast and gave big flowers to Georgia Tech: “I mean a lot of that has to do with the fact that you got Haynes King coming back. You have Jamal Haynes coming back. You got Malik Rutherford coming back on offense, and then you retain Buster Faulkner and everybody else on offense. And the defense looks like it’s hopefully going to take that step forward, like you saw last year.”

Chapman doubles down on his QB1 and broke it down like he was drawing up the plays himself: “Haynes King coming back really is—he’s the straw that stirs the drink for this Georgia Tech offense…[Haynes King] is, and he’s back 100%, so that’s very important. He’s been looking to put on some weight because he’s a very physical type of quarterback. He likes to get around and run the ball. But no, he’s somebody who Georgia Tech fans can really get behind, and he is the guy for this team. And they’ll go as he goes.” Georgia Tech insiders say King got full command of the offense, and he’s been surgical all spring. In simple terms, the Yellow Jackets are ready to die for Haynes King.

Now, Coach Prime’s squad? They got questions. Shedeur Sanders‘ gone. Travis Hunter‘s gone. The soul of last year’s team? In the draft. In steps Kaidon Salter, the Liberty flamethrower who ran for 12 TDs and threw 32 more—or maybe it’s Julian Lewis, the five-star teen phenom who reclassified to ball early. Either way, Colorado is yet to settle. And this opener? Make no mistake, this isn’t a warm-up. They’re stepping into a Georgia Tech buzzsaw.

That’s why oddsmakers aren’t playing around. Colorado opens as a 3.5-point home underdog. That’s cold. Folsom Field is supposed to be Prime’s temple, but the Jackets are getting more love in the books. And why not? Tech beat Mario Cristobal’s Miami, nearly clipped Georgia, and brought back nearly all their top weapons. Malik Rutherford, Jamal Haynes, Christian Leary. Brent Key didn’t rebuild—he just hit resume.

Haynes King: The dual-threat Deion Sanders should be losing sleep over

Haynes King is a certified baller. Period. His 6,535 career yards come with 62 total TDs and a 63.8% completion rate. And he does it with smoke in his step—he took 28 sacks and still got up swinging. ESPN’s Greg McElroy slid King in at No. 10 in his college QB rankings for 2025. He put it plain: “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.”

But his most dangerous attribute? That’s his legs. Had 587 yards rushing, 11 rushing touchdowns. That dual-threat danger is exactly what has Colorado sweating. Last season, they couldn’t stop a nosebleed at times—but that was before Robert Livingston took the reins on defense. Now? Different beast. They added Alabama’s 320-pound space-eater Jehiem Oatis to the D-line, and that’s just one of many new toys. Word out of spring camp is Livingston’s scheme looks a lot more SEC than it does old Pac-12. But then again, the front-seven is not battle-tested.

But even with the upgrades, containing a QB like King is never easy. He’s smart, fast, physical, and fearless. He reads blitzes like novels and makes busted plays look like design. Georgia Tech’s offense under Buster Faulkner is built to stretch defenses thin—and if Colorado slips up even once, King’ll hit ’em with a 40-yard bomb or turn a broken play into a first-down scramble.

Look, if Haynes King rolls into Boulder and outguns Prime’s new QB carousel? It’s curtains. That man is going to be on every NFL scout’s radar by sunrise. Georgia Tech gets to crash the wildcard convo, and Colorado’s fighting uphill the rest of the fall.

Colorado vs. Georgia Tech is one of the best season openers of 2025. It’s a legit ‘who’s for real’ barometer. Deion built a brand. Brent Key built a team. Haynes King? He might just break the Buffaloes before they even find their stride. August 29 is the date. Boulder got some work to do.