Five Matchups To Watch On Thursday When Georgia Tech Faces Colorado

Georgia Tech will begin its season this Thursday against Colorado. It will be a big game to open their season. Today, we look at five matchups to watch this week.

1. Julian Lewis vs Alberto Mendoza

This is an intriguing matchup to follow on Thursday, with both quarterbacks having limited starting experience. Lewis showed some promise last season with Colorado towards the end of the year and proved he was the future signal-caller for the Buffaloes. The potential is immense, and he will have full control of the team and offense. Lewis was elite in high school at Carrollton High School, where he made two state championship appearances and threw for 11,000 yards. He will be making a kind of homecoming, returning to where he became a star.

Mendoza has only 25 career passing attempts but won the starting job early in the spring and has taken the starting reps ever since. Mendoza has made quite an impression with his intellect, elite processing, and how he carries himself. He has never been a starter, but certainly carries himself like it. This matchup will be intriguing to watch on Thursday night.

2. Georgia Tech Defensive Line vs Colorado OL

The Yellow Jackets revamped their defensive line with new portal additions and young players brought in to bolster the roster for the upcoming season. The additions include Tawfiq Thomas, Noah Carter, and Jordan Walker. All are expected to have major roles this season and take this defensive line to a new level. The defensive line has also been the talk of fall camp, and they have been performing well so far.

The Buffaloes' offensive line will look different with no Jordan Seaton, Carde Smith, or Tyler Brown. Colorado added Leon Bell and Taj White as players this offseason. It is unclear how the offensive line will look after the revamp, or whether it will be any good. This will be an intriguing matchup to watch this week.

3. Colorado WRs vs Georgia Tech Secondary

Colorado went into the portal and got two really good wide receivers: Danny Scudero and Kam Perry. Both have been extremely productive in camp and have been go-to players on offense. The Yellow Jackets will have a new-looking secondary with the addition of Jaylen Mbakwe and Jonas Duclona. They will also have new starters in Tae Harris and likely Daiquan White at cornerback, who should be a starter.

The Yellow Jackets lost several veterans and core players, including Clayton Powell-Lee, Omar Daniels, and Ahmari Harvey. With new players, it will be interesting to see whether the secondary has improved. Last year’s iteration gave up a lot of explosive plays deep downfield and cost them some games in 2025. Now, we get a chance to see whether it has improved and can slow down Colorado's passing attack.

4. Georgia Tech OL vs Colorado Defensive Line

Georgia Tech will have three brand new starters on the offensive line after losing four from last year’s team. Joseph Ionata, Kevin Peay Jr, and Jameson Riggs will be the new starters. The offensive line has been a defining part of the Brent Key era for the Yellow Jackets. In camp, the offensive line had to adjust but finally came into their own at the end and became more mature.

The depth is interesting for the Yellow Jackets, who are still working through things and trying to find their best linemen for the backup spots. Colorado will have new additions in Santana Hopper and Dylan Samuel, and both will play a key role on Thursday. This will be defined by how much time Mendoza has to throw and how effective the run game is.

5. Georgia Tech tight ends vs Colorado Secondary

I think this could be the secret weapon for the Yellow Jackets all season, and it will be intriguing to watch it in week 1. The Yellow Jackets have never had this level of talent in the tight end room in the Brent Key era, especially as pass catchers. When you look at Chris Corbo, Spencer Mermans, Gavin Harris, and Kevin Roche Jr, each plays a distinct role in the offense.

While the Buffaloes will likely gear up to stop the run, they'd better pay attention to the Yellow Jackets' tight ends, who surely will be factors in the game against Colorado. The Buffaloes added Gideon Lampron and Tyler Martinez as key pieces from the portal. They also added Boo Carter, who is one of the more versatile defensive backs in the game. Thursday will tell us a lot about this matchup.

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