Analyst Says To Expect Growing Pains For Alberto Mendoza, But There is "Real Upside" For Georgia Tech's New QB

Spring practice began yesterday for Georgia Tech and the Yellow Jackets hit the field for the first time with this new look team. Georgia Tech has two new coordinators, a new quarterback, and a host of other new faces on the team as they try to build on the sucess of last season when they finished with a 9-4 record.

Top newcomer?

The newcomers that get the most attention on this Georgia Tech team are Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza and Michigan running back Justice Haynes. Mendoza is going to be competing for the Yellow Jackets starting job and ESPN's Billy Tucker named him as the top newcomer on the team:

"Expect some early growing pains, but also real upside. Mendoza flashed in relief of his brother, Fernando, at Indiana in 2025, completing 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards and five touchdowns while adding 180 rushing yards and a score in six games. He'll be the best runner in Tech's quarterbacks room, and it's reasonable to think the Yellow Jackets still want the quarterback to be a serious threat on the ground even in a new system. If Mendoza wins the job, Tech needs him to mirror what Julian Sayin did at Ohio State last fall: Limit mistakes, use his legs as a weapon and steadily grow into the role with reps. In a wide-open competition, his combination of experience and mobility makes him critical to keeping the offense on schedule."

Favorable reviews

After practice yesterday, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key detailed the process of how Mendoza ended up with Georgia Tech:

“Fast. National championship game was on a Monday, and you go into that thing, and he gets in the portal after the game, and they contact, and we were first off, and we closed it up there

I think if you look at the play he did have on the field and what he was able to do, it really fit where I want to take the offense, where I want to take the team, the way he throws, what he's good at throwing, ability to evade a rush, make plays with his feet. We're not going to sit here and be a designed quarterback run team. Haynes King, like I just said, is an alpha dude now. He's different. Midway through the third quarter, you're playing Clemson, he walks up and says, put the ball in my hand so we can go win the game. A lot more colorful than that. You believe in that guy. And, again, all schemes are personnel-driven.”

Whoever starts at quarterback is going to have big shoes to fill with Haynes King off to the NFL, but Mendoza has talent and was brought here for a reason. This is going to be the most talked-about position all spring.