Comparing Georgia Tech's Portal Haul To The Rest Of The ACC

Georgia Tech has been one of the most active teams in the transfer portal, especially in the ACC. They have a number of elite prospects they have grabbed out of the portal to bolster the team in 2026, despite losing so many players to other programs. You can tell that head coach Brent Key was active and came up with a plan to attack the portal to make the Yellow Jackets better. When it comes to the ACC, the Yellow Jackets rank as one of the top teams in the portal rankings in the conference with a top-five billing. They sit behind Virginia Tech, California, Louisville, and Florida State, according to the 247Sports transfer portal rankings. Let’s take a closer look at some players on both sides of the ball who have helped that ranking.

The defensive side may be even more important to Tech’s ACC climbing ambitions. Noah Carter (edge) is a potential “game-wrecking” presence — precisely the sort of pressure player Georgia Tech has needed in recent seasons to finish drives and avoid getting big plays from happening on third down in conference play. Add in Tim Griffin’s versatility up front, and you see a clear theme: Tech is trying to win more snaps at the line of scrimmage. They want to be a physical, hard-nose team that can get after the quarterback, defend the run, and make negative plays in the backfield. The additions of Carter and Griffin should aid in that.

Then there’s the “ceiling swing” that portal contenders take when they’re serious: Jaylen Mbakwe, a former five-star-type talent who brings dynamic potential as a weapon and return threat, fits that notion. The portal is where you buy upside, and Mbakwe is exactly that kind of bet. He could also be a player who plays both ways for the Yellow Jackets in 2026. They haven’t had a player like that in the Brent Key era, which bodes well for the acquisition of talent. He has shown he can be a dynamic player and one who is privy to big plays.

The biggest acquisition of them all is former Michigan RB Justice Haynes, who is a home run threat and a dynamic running back. He is the best you will find in the portal and one of the most elusive running backs in the country. The stats prove this, but more than that, look at all the explosive runs he had with the Wolverines in 2025. He was hard to bring down and was a player who made you consistently miss in the phone booth, especially one-on-one. The acquisition alone showed Georgia Tech is serious and wants to be a team that sticks to its identity of running the football. His presence alone will make opponents respect the running game next fall and load the box.

Their No.5 ranking is significant because it shows that the Yellow Jackets are recruiting like one of the top programs in the country, not just a middle-tier program. Similar to how we saw with Texas Tech last year, the portal can pay off and turn around your program. The Yellow Jackets don’t need to be turned around, but rather pointed in the right direction and retooled after a nine-win season in 2025. They have aspirations of being a top team in the ACC and recruited like it in 2026 with the portal.

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