Dabo Swinney’s hopes for relegation look dim in the season. With Clemson enduring one of its worst starts in recent memory, fans were dejected at the way the Tigers have been losing. The loss to Georgia Tech stands out among them, considering the significant disparity in manpower and hype between the two teams. But after Week 5, the main reason for Swinney’s loss in that game is now just one game away from overtaking a Super Bowl winner’s records.

Georgia Tech saved its face by coming back strong against Wake Forest. Haynes King put up a commendable fight, but the unsung hero of this wild night was kicker Aidan Birr. His 33-yard field goal tied the game, helping the Yellow Jackets remain in competition. Birr also set another program record after that important play for GT last Saturday. He now has 42 career field goals, the 5th-best total among kickers in program history. With that number, Birr is now just 1 field goal away from surpassing iconic kicker Harrison Butker.

Butker is a legend in the NFL, finishing with 43 field goals total. Aidan Birr will most definitely cross that number in the next Georgia Tech game. In his 3-year long career at Atlanta, he’s been brilliant. So far this season, Birr has a perfect 100% streak on field goals and extra points. His career-best field goal came against Clemson, tying the school FG record at 55 yards. That final kick sealed the deal for Georgia Tech, helping them claim a seminal win over the Tigers. “The next kick is the most important kick,” he said when he was asked about that intense moment.

He’s not the most accurate kicker, and at 82.4%, his accuracy still trails Butker’s 88.3%, but he remains the standout force on the Yellow Jackets’ special teams. Aidan Burr is also climbing up the ranks in extra points (103) and total points (229), now at 6th and 7th, respectively. The season is still underway, and the kicker will get more opportunities to shine. Maybe when he does cross Butker’s record, the legend will send him some due appreciation.

Aidan Birr is a Harrison Butker fanboy, despite himself growing into a star

Aidan Birr is no exception in being starry-eyed when it comes to Harrison Butker and his legacy at Atlanta. He’d said last year at a presser, “I mean, he’s just a beast. Like over the summer, you know, he comes back here and kicks, I mean it’s just like a, it’s like a sledgehammer hitting the ball. […] And, it’s nice to see like a guy like that, like, you know, he was in my position a couple years ago.” It hasn’t been long since Butker left. But Birr is already kicking up a storm and may leave the NFL star far behind by the end of this season.

He also said that he wants his field goals to “break the record,” last year. Though he wasn’t able to do it then, he’s done it now with that 55-yarder against Clemson. Maybe Aidan Birr will be breaking Georgia Tech records left and right by the time he declares for the draft. Maybe next year or the year after, he’ll even get to play with his Yellow Jacket predecessor in the NFL.

The Yellow Jackets have come back to national attention after their brilliant season last year. Haynes King is already on track for a good turnout at the end of the year. But players like Aidan Burr make GT a program worthy of being on the lookout for. He’s a serious weapon in the Yellow Jackets camp, with enough power to close in on the program’s own heroes.