Georgia Tech · ACCGeorgia Tech’s Opener Has a Set Quarterback and Unsettled Spots Around Him
Alberto Mendoza is projected to start against Colorado, giving the Yellow Jackets one settled piece at the most visible position. The less certain parts of the lineup sit behind him, on the right side of the offensive line and throughout a young receiver rotation.
AUG 24, 2026
Date of Georgia Tech’s season opener against Colorado.
Tight ends projected to share playing time.
True freshmen competing for receiver snaps.
01 · The NewsThe Opening Group
Alberto Mendoza is projected to take Georgia Tech’s first snap against Colorado on Sept. 3 after establishing himself as the Yellow Jackets’ starting quarterback during fall camp. Justice Haynes is projected to lead the backfield, with Malachi Hosley behind him. Isaiah Fuhrmann, Jordan Allen and Dalen Penson are the projected starting receivers. Georgia Tech is expected to use Kevin Roche Jr., Chris Corbo, Spencer Mermans and Gavin Harris at tight end rather than settle on one starter. Ethan Mackenny, Kevin Peay Jr., Joseph Ionata, Malachi Carney and Jameson Riggs make up the projected offensive line. Noah Carter, Tawfiq Thomas, Christian Garrett and Jordan Walker are projected to start along the defensive line, with Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey at linebacker.
02 · The StakesWhy the Rotation Matters
Mendoza’s emergence gives Georgia Tech a clear starting point, but the projection still contains several spots that could change how quickly the Yellow Jackets settle into their preferred style. The team wants to play physically and control the tempo. That requires more than five named starters. It requires the next receiver, tight end, lineman and quarterback to be trusted when the game forces a substitution. The receiver group is especially young behind the projected starters. Four true freshmen are competing for room, while Debron Gatling and Jaiven Plummer bring different forms of experience. Plummer arrived from Cal, and Gatling is entering his second year with the program.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineThe Detail Beneath the Headline
The right guard decision may affect two positions instead of one. Malachi Carney is projected to battle Markell Samuel for the job, and the player who loses could move to right tackle rather than simply become a reserve. That gives Georgia Tech a possible reshuffle on the edge of a line already carrying depth questions. Ethan Mackenny, Kevin Peay Jr. and Joseph Ionata are projected to hold their spots, but the right side still has to settle around them. A single decision could determine whether the Yellow Jackets preserve one five-man combination or adjust two positions before Colorado arrives.
“The receiver order behind Fuhrmann, Allen and Penson is still unsettled.”
The Wire Desk04 · The PersonnelThe Players Pressing Up
Georgia Tech’s running back group appears to have the clearest order. Haynes and Hosley are projected to lead it, but J.P. Powell and Trelain Maddox remain in the picture. Maddox has had an excellent camp and brings a running style and physicality that the other backs do not provide. That gives the staff a reason to use him even if he starts behind the top two. At receiver, Coi Jean-Noel has played the best among the four true freshmen in the projection. Darnell Collins and Kentrell Davis are also names to track. The tight end room may be the most active rotation on the offense. Roche Jr. has had a strong spring and fall, Corbo has flashed during camp, Mermans is viewed as a strong blocker, and Gavin Harris is part of the projected group. Freshman Nathan Agyeman could push for playing time later in the season.
05 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
Georgia Tech does not enter the opener searching for an identity. The projected lineup points to a physical team with Mendoza at quarterback, Haynes and Hosley leading the backfield, and several tight ends sharing the field. The uncertainty sits in the parts of the lineup that keep that identity intact when the starters leave. That makes the reserve patterns more useful than the opening names alone. Adamson and Knowles are both inexperienced. The receiver order behind Fuhrmann, Allen and Penson is still unsettled. Carney and Samuel could affect two line spots with one decision. Georgia Tech has enough established pieces to start with a plan, but Colorado will test how much of that plan survives the second wave. The most revealing early sign will be which reserve players receive meaningful work without forcing the offense to change its pace.
06 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Who gets the first reserve quarterback snaps?
The opening lineup may be settled, but the backup competition remains unresolved. The first reserve appearance against Colorado will show which inexperienced quarterback has moved ahead.
Does the right side stay together?
Carney and Samuel are competing at right guard, with the loser able to move to right tackle. The first reserve rotation will reveal whether Georgia Tech keeps one player in place or shifts both spots.
Does a freshman crack the receiver rotation?
Jean-Noel has played the best among Georgia Tech’s four true freshmen in camp. His early snaps, along with the work for Collins and Davis, will show how quickly the young group enters the plan.