Name: Haynes King
Age: 25
Birthday: January 9, 2001
Born: Longview, Texas, USA
Net Worth: Approximately $1.5 million
Fun Fact: As a junior in high school, King led the Longview Lobos to their first state championship in 81 years, cementing his legacy as a hometown hero before ever stepping on a college field.
Haynes King has emerged as one of the most compelling stories in recent college football history — a dual-threat quarterback who went from Texas high school legend to ACC Player of the Year to an NFL roster spot with the Carolina Panthers. After a decorated college career that saw him rewrite record books at Georgia Tech and earn national recognition, King is now building his professional career and financial portfolio at football's highest level.
Born on January 9, 2001, in Longview, Texas, King grew up immersed in football culture. His father, John King, has served as the head coach at Longview High School since 2004, giving Haynes a front-row seat to the game from his earliest years. That upbringing paid off in spectacular fashion: as a junior in 2018, King quarterbacked the Lobos to their first Texas state championship in 81 years, a feat that made him a local legend before his 18th birthday.
King's high school statistics were staggering. Over his career at Longview, he amassed 7,537 passing yards with 82 touchdowns against just 17 interceptions, while adding 1,392 rushing yards and 20 scores on the ground. His senior season earned him a coveted spot in the 2020 Under Armour All-American Game, and recruiting services ranked him among the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation. He committed to Texas A&M, staying in his home state to begin his college journey.
From Texas A&M to Georgia Tech: The College Journey
King's college career was a tale of two programs. At Texas A&M (2020-2022), he began as a backup to Kellen Mond in 2020, appearing in two games during the pandemic-shortened season. Heading into 2021, head coach Jimbo Fisher named King the starting quarterback — but his tenure at the helm lasted just two games. In a September 11 matchup against Colorado, King suffered a fractured lower right leg on a scramble in the first quarter, ending his season and effectively derailing his Aggies career. He was replaced by Zach Calzada, and the path forward in College Station became uncertain.
After appearing in six games during the 2022 season — starting five and going 1-4 — King entered the transfer portal on December 2, 2022. Within weeks, he found his new home: Georgia Tech. The move proved transformative for both player and program.
In his first season with the Yellow Jackets in 2023, King threw for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 737 yards and 10 scores, leading Georgia Tech to a 7-6 record and a Gasparilla Bowl victory over UCF. The 2024 season saw continued growth: King completed a career-best 72.9% of his passes for 2,114 yards and 14 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions, adding 587 rushing yards and 11 scores. The season ended memorably — and controversially — with a 44-42 eight-overtime loss to rival Georgia, a game in which King passed for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The 2025 season was King's magnum opus. He led Georgia Tech to a 9-3 regular season with signature wins over Clemson and eventual ACC champion Duke. He threw for 2,951 yards, rushed for 953 yards and 15 touchdowns, and captured both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors. He also won the prestigious Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, given to the top college football player from the state of Texas. King finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting, capping his college career with 9,486 passing yards, 65 passing touchdowns, 2,427 rushing yards, and 37 rushing scores across 46 games.
The NFL Path: Undrafted to the Panthers
Despite his collegiate accolades, King faced an uphill battle entering the 2026 NFL Draft. At the NFL Combine, he showcased his elite athleticism — running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, posting a 33.5-inch vertical jump, and recording a 6.89-second three-cone drill — but questions about his mechanics and consistency in a pro-style system lingered. When the draft concluded, King's name had not been called.
The Carolina Panthers moved quickly, signing King as an undrafted free agent on April 25, 2026, immediately after the draft concluded. The opportunity proved golden: King played in the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, and led the Panthers to a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals — a performance that validated the Panthers' decision to take a chance on the Texas native.
Haynes King's Net Worth: How Much Is He Worth?
Haynes King's estimated net worth sits at approximately $1.5 million as of 2026. This figure reflects the early stage of his professional career combined with the earnings he accumulated during his standout college years through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
As an undrafted free agent signing with the Carolina Panthers, King's rookie contract is structured as a standard three-year UDFA deal. These contracts typically carry a minimum base salary that scales each season — approximately $850,000 for his rookie year in 2026, with modest increases in subsequent years. The total value of a typical UDFA contract falls in the range of $2.7 million to $2.85 million over three years. UDFA signing bonuses are relatively small, generally ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, though standout players can occasionally negotiate larger guarantees.
The bulk of King's current net worth, however, likely comes from his NIL earnings during his time at Georgia Tech. As the starting quarterback of a Power Four program — and especially after his ACC Player of the Year campaign in 2025 — King would have been an attractive partner for regional and national brands. While Georgia Tech does not have the NIL infrastructure of programs like Texas or Alabama, ACC starting quarterbacks of King's caliber have been known to command NIL valuations in the $500,000 to $1 million range annually. Over his three seasons in Atlanta (2023-2025), King's cumulative NIL earnings could reasonably total between $800,000 and $1.5 million.
King also benefited from the NCAA's transfer portal era. Moving from Texas A&M — where he had limited playing time and minimal NIL exposure — to Georgia Tech, where he immediately became the face of the program, likely multiplied his earning potential significantly.
Looking ahead, King's financial trajectory depends heavily on his ability to stick on the Panthers' roster and eventually earn a more lucrative contract. Quarterbacks who prove themselves as reliable backups or spot starters in the NFL can command annual salaries in the $3 million to $8 million range on their second contracts. If King continues to develop and sees meaningful playing time, his net worth could grow exponentially over the next several years.
The bottom line: Haynes King's journey from Longview High School legend to ACC Player of the Year to Carolina Panthers quarterback reflects both athletic excellence and financial savvy. His estimated $1.5 million net worth represents the foundation of what could become a substantial fortune — provided he continues to seize every opportunity the NFL puts in front of him.
