Five Things We Should Learn In the First Month of Georgia Tech's Season

Last night, the game time for the highly anticipated season opener between Georgia Tech Football and Colorado was finally announced. The Yellow Jackets and Buffaloes are going to meet in prime time once again to kick off the 2026 season and it will be the first chance that we will get to see both teams.

While the Yellow Jackets do play an FCS opponent in September (Mercer on Sept. 19th), Brent Key's team is going to face three Power Four opponents in September and two of them in the first two weeks of the season.

So what will be learn about Georgia Tech in the first month of the season?

1. Whether this new offense is ready early

Buster Faulkner and Haynes King helped Georgia Tech be one of the most effective offenses in the country over the past three seasons, and now, the Yellow Jackets are going to not only have a new OC and QB, but they will have a new running backs coach, offensive line coach, and receivers coach as well. QB's coach Chris Weinke and tight ends coach Nathan Brock, two of the best on the staff, are back, but this Georgia Tech offense will have a lot of new faces on it.

Will it be less or will the strong output on that side of the ball continue? Colorado is not likely to be a strong defense this season, but Tennessee and new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will sure be tough.

There are going to be some bumps along the way in George Godsey's first season back at Georgia Tech, but given that there are no tune-up games on the schedule to start the first couple of weeks, it would be better for Georgia Tech if it is clicking sooner rather than later.

2. How much has the defense turned around?

September is not going to be the barometer for the defense, as Colorado, Mercer, and Stanford are projected to be very good on offense, but if the defense is not better, it won't matter.

There was not one single reason as to why Georgia Tech lost four of its last five games to end the season, but the performance of the defense is arguably the main one. Aside from the game against Georgia, the Yellow Jackets defense could not get off the field.

Enter Jason Semore, the Yellow Jackets' new defensive coordinator. When Semore was at Marshall and Southern Miss, his defenses pressured the quarterback and forced turnovers. Colorado, Tennessee, and Stanford are going to have new starting quarterbacks and Georgia Tech is going to be looking to force them into mistakes early and often.

3. Will the RB room live up to the hype?

Again, one month is not going to determine how good or successful something is, but for the amount of hype that Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley are getting heading into the season and the fact that Georgia Tech has so many new faces at the other skill positions, Georgia Tech is going to be leaning on these two while the rest of the offense settles in.

Running the ball is nothing new to Georgia Tech under Brent Key, and I think they should be among the best in the country this season.

4. How does the wide receive room shake out?

Georgia Tech is losing Eric Rivers, Malik Rutherford, Dean Patterson, Bailey Stockton, and Isiah Canion, among others, from last year's receiver group, and the only receiver in this room that caught a pass last season that is returning is Jordan Allen.

Allen will be a surefire starter, but how will everything else shake out in this room? Will transfers Isaiah Fuhrman and Jaiven Plummer emerge as contributors? Will Georgia Tech begin to use more tight ends in the offense? Alberto Mendoza seemed to have a connection with redshirt freshman TE Kevin Roche Jr and WR Debron Gatling.

This group has lots of questions entering the season and we will know early how things are shaking out.

5. Is Alberto Mendoza ready to lead the offense?

The spring went well for Mendoza, and he looked comfortable in Godsey's offense, but he has not started a collegiate game yet, and while I don't think Colorado's defense is going to be anything special this season, playing a power four team right off the bat is not the easiest task.

Mendoza is going to be stepping into some big shoes, trying to replace Haynes King, but he has done a great job of settling in and stepping up as the leader. Now it will be about putting it into action on the field.

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