Georgia Tech Snap Count Analysis: Biggest Winners and What to Expect in Week 2

What did the snap counts for Georgia Tech's week one loss to Colorado tell us about week two's game against Tennessee?

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key reacts in the first half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Georgia Tech is gearing up for a matchup with No. 20 Tennessee this Saturday in Atlanta, and the Yellow Jackets are hoping that the old saying that a team improving the most between weeks one and two is true.

There was not a lot of good that can be said about the week one loss to the Buffaloes, but one good thing is that it is just one game and there are 11 more opportunities for this team to improve and show that last Thursday was just one bad data point in a long season.

When looking at the snap counts against Colorado, what are the biggest takeaways and what could they mean for week two against the Volunteers?

1. Tight wide receiver rotation

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Jordan Allen (4) makes a catch against the Colorado Buffaloes during the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Given the inexperience of their receiver room, I wondered if Georgia Tech might play a decent amount of receivers against Colorado, but that was not the case.

Jordan Allen and Dalen Penson both played 45 snaps and Isaiah Fuhrman played 29. The only other two wide receivers that saw playing time included Chris Elko (8 snaps) and Debron Gatling (5 snaps).

The top three players are clearly the winners if this is going to be the rotation going forward, but could we see anything different in week two?

Roche Jr and Corbo are the top two tight ends

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tight end Kevin Roche Jr. (86) attempts to make a catch against Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Immanuel Ezeogu (52) at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Georgia Tech's tight end group is a potential strength of this team, but instead of a big four, it was more of a big two on Thursday.

There is plenty of reason to be excited about the play of Roche Jr and he was a bright spot for the Yellow Jackets. Corbo did not make an impact in the game, but played 29 snaps, while Spencer Mermans played 11. Gavin Harris, who had been banged up during fall camp, was cleared to play accordint to Brent Key, but he did not see any playing time on Thursday.

Roche has been one of the most talked about players during camp and he showed his promise on Thursday, making him a big winner.

Secondary had a tight rotation

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. (3) is tackled by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets safety Savion Riley (13) at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I had concerns about Georgia Tech's safety depth coming into the season and those questions are still there after Thursday.

The Yellow Jackets only played two safeties on Thursday night, with Tae Harris and Savion Riley both playing 78 snaps. There was no sign of Fenix Felton, Chris Hewitt Jr, or Kealan Jones, who were expected to be the top backups.

At cornerback, Jaylen Mbakwe, Daiquan White, and Kelvin Hill played the majority of the snaps, with Zachary Tobe, Trae Stevenson Jr, and Jonas Duclona combined for just 22. The secondary and coverage were not the biggest problem on Thursday night, but it will be interesting to see if the depth is used more against a high-powered Tennessee offense.

Looking ahead to week two

Tennessee is a much better team than Colorado and have high-level talent on both sides of the ball. Is that going to cause Georgia Tech to shake things up?

Given their week one performance, it would not be a surprise to see Georgia Tech dip into its depth more along the defensive line and in the secondary to try and give the Volunteers a little more of a look.