Georgia Tech Snubbed From Way Too Early Top 25 Lists From Major Media Outlets

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The latest way-too-early top 25 lists dropped, and the Yellow Jackets were not included on any of them. The lists were ESPN, ON3, and CBS. Georgia Tech finished 9-4 this past season and has improved every year they have been under head coach Brent Key. It was the most wins under him during their tenure, and they went toe-to-toe with the BYU Cougars for a 10th win for the program.
Last year, it was the same thing for the Yellow Jackets, and they didn’t get ranked until nearly midway through the season. Georgia Tech started 8-0 before losing three of four, which derailed them from getting to the ACC Championship game.
I would say it is not a big surprise to see the Yellow Jackets unranked. They have endured so many losses this past offseason from a solid nine-win team a season ago. No more Haynes King, Jamal Haynes, Malik Rutherford, Keylan Rutledge, Eric Rivers, Dean Patterson, Jordan Van Den Berg, Akelo Stone, Matthew Alexander, J.T Byrne, or Josh Beetham. All were major contributors a year ago. The Yellow Jackets also lost their offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, defensive backs coach Cory Peoples, linebackers coach Darius Eubanks, and a plethora of offensive assistant coaches. It was a lot of changes for the Yellow Jackets. We didn’t even include the significant losses of players. The aforementioned were key contributors. The Ramblin Wreck lost Aaron Philo (Florida), Luke Harpring (Florida), Isiah Gibson (Georgia), Tah’j Butler (Ole Miss), Harrison Moore (Florida), Peyton Joseph (Oklahoma), and Bailey Stockton (Florida). These players were expected to be the next in line and major building blocks for the Yellow Jackets moving forward.
At the end of the day, they are just lists and don’t really hold a lot of relevance in the grand scheme of things. The ACC wasn’t heavily represented despite Miami being the lone ACC team that made it to the championship game. It will be a prove-it case for the Yellow Jackets and one that they will have to do on the field. There will be some unknowns for the Yellow Jackets heading into 2026, but they have done a good job of replenishing their roster with good players and some home runs. Justice Haynes, Noah Carter, Jaylen Mbakwe, Tim Griffin, Isaiah Fuhrmann, and Jonas Duclona were all big pickups for the Yellow Jackets, and they will make an impact. Georgia Tech has ample chance to prove they should be in the top 25 with notable opponents on the schedule like Tennessee, Georgia, Clemson, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Duke. Picking up wins against those opponents will help them prove they are a legit team.
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Najeh Wilkins is a sports journalist, broadcaster, and digital content creator covering Georgia Tech and the college football landscape. A graduate of Georgia State University with a degree in journalism, Wilkins has built his career covering college football, recruiting, and high school athletics throughout the Southeast. Wilkins covers Georgia Tech for Georgia Tech On SI, providing news, analysis, game coverage, press conference reporting, and recruiting coverage surrounding the Yellow Jackets. Wilkins has developed a growing digital sports media presence across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X, combining traditional reporting with modern sports content and on-camera analysis. His work includes interviews with coaches, players, recruits, analysts, and media personalities while covering some of the biggest storylines in college and high school football.
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