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NittanyCentral

NittanyCentral delivers expert analysis from veteran reporters and timely updates on Penn State sports, with in-depth coverage of Nittany Lions Football, Wrestling, Basketball, and more.

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key on the sideline during the 2025 season

4 Georgia Tech Stars Brent Key Could Bring With Him to Penn State if He’s Hired as Head Coach

Robert ShieldsPenn State Coaching Search, Penn State Football

Penn State is now entering a month since James Franklin was fired as the head coach of the Nittany Lions football team. Over the past month, there have been plenty of candidates rising and falling on Pat Kraft’s hot board to replace James Franklin.

In this series of posts, we will take a look at some of the top candidates on the board and break down some key players that each head coach could bring with them if they are hired as Penn State’s next head coach.

Here, I’ll break down Georgia Tech’s Brent Key.

Penn State Football, Brent Key
Brent Key is an emerging candidate in Penn State’s coaching search after he rebuilt Georgia Tech. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

Key has Georgia Tech playing well in 2025, sitting at 8-1 on the season.

While many of Georgia Tech’s playmakers are upperclassmen with little eligibility remaining, there are a few key playmakers who could make the jump to Penn State with Key, should he take the Nittany Lions’ head coaching job.

Here are four players that would be intriguing for Penn State to follow Key to Happy Valley.

Top Players Brent Key Could Bring to Penn State, if He’s Hired

Wide Receiver Isiah Canion could be a fit in Penn State’s offense

Penn State Football, Isiah Canion
Georgia Tech WR Isiah Canion could be a top player Brent Key could bring with him to Penn State, if he’s hired as the Nittany Lions’ next head coach. (Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images)

Georgia Tech’s top two receivers in 2025 carry redshirt senior status and will be out of eligibility after this season.

However, Georgia Tech has seen production out of sophomore Isiah Canion behind the top two. Canion is a 6-foot-4-inch, 215 pound receiver that has broken onto the scene for the Yellow Jackets this season.

Canion has caught 22 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns, and is averaging 15 yards per reception in 2025. With Penn State’s receiver position still being in question this season, it could be helpful to have a familiar receiver for Key to bring with him to Happy Valley.

Linebacker Tah’j Butler could fill pressing need for Nittany Lions

Penn State’s linebacker depth has been nonexistent this season, with the Penn State defense struggling mightily after Tony Rojas went down with an injury. While Rojas and Amare Campbell could return next season, behind those two, Penn State is still looking to build depth and figure out what they have in the room.

With the transfer portal potentially wreaking havoc on Penn State’s roster, a young, proven linebacker could be a great addition to the roster with Key.

Tah’j Butler has recorded 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss playing in all nine of Georgia Tech’s games this season. Only a sophomore, Butler would have two more years of eligibility to play in Happy Valley if he were to follow Key.

Edge Amontrae Bradford could anchor Penn State’s pass rush

Penn State Football
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Amontrae Bradford could be a top transfer portal target for Penn State this offseason. (Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

One of the Nittany Lions’ biggest issues on defense so far in 2025 has been the inability to sack the quarterback in the backfield.

After recent years losing star edge rushers Chop Robinson and Abdul Carter to the NFL (and rising sophomore Max Granville to injury), the Nittany Lions have struggled to produce at the defensive end position as they have in years past. Sophomore Amontrae Bradford could certainly help with that if he were to follow Key to Happy Valley.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 255 pound edge rusher has recorded 18 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks this season for the Yellow Jackets.

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Offensive Tackle Josh Petty could be a big fix up front

True freshman offensive tackle Josh Petty was Georgia Tech’s prize recruit in the 2025 class, a five-star offensive tackle out of Roswell, Georgia.

Penn State could find it hard to pull Petty out of Georgia in the transfer portal, as there would undoubtedly be a lot of suitors for the rising sophomore’s services.

However, with Penn State losing potentially four starting offensive linemen (or more) this offseason, Petty would be a must-get at a position of critical need this offseason for Penn State.

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Robert Shields
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  • Robert Shields

    Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.

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