Grading Every Georgia Tech Position Group After Week 6 Win vs. Duke

Georgia Tech came into Saturday's game vs. Duke with a 1-3 record, but they left with a win and extended their winning streak against Duke to six games, head coach Brent Key is now 4-0 against the Blue Devils and 3-0 against Manny Diaz.

While far from perfect, it was the best performance of the season for the Yellow Jackets and perhaps one that can create some momentum going forward. Their next test is on the road this weekend against Virginia Tech, which is coming off a pair of losses to Pitt and Cal.

Looking back at Saturday's win, how did Georgia Tech's position groups grade out based on their performance?

Quarterback: B+

Alberto Mendoza Georgia Tech — Oct 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) throws a pass against the Duke Blue Devils in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Alberto Mendoza has a good ground game behind and he is not running for his life on every play, he is a pretty good quarterback. Mendoza finished the day 23-for-30 for 230 yards and one touchdown. His biggest moment came on the game-winning drive, where he was surgical in leading the Yellow Jackets down the field to get them in front of Duke.

He also added in a 16-yard gain on the ground. This was a very sharp game for Mendoza against one of the ACC's best defenses.

Running Back: B+

This was the best day for the Georgia Tech running game and the best game of Trelain Maddox's career at Georgia Tech. Overall, the Yellow Jackets rushed for 165 yards on 27 carries (6.1 yards per carry), with Maddox supplying 81 of those and three rushing touchdowns, including a 60-yard TD run in the second half.

Justice Haynes was solid as well, going for 69 yards on 14 carries. Neither back was a factor in the passing game.

Wide Receiver: C+

This might seem a little harsh, but aside from Jordan Allen, the receivers were not able to make a lot of big plays.

But Allen was terrific in this game. He caught 10 passes (on 10 targers) for 99 yards and one touchdown. He consistently made plays when needed and it was great to see.

Isaiah Fuhrmann had two catches for 27 yards, Debron Gatling had a 21-yard reception, and Dalen Penson snagged one catch for 13 yards.

Tight End: C

In terms of receiving, Georgia Tech did not get a lot of production out of their tight ends and the blocking was not very good.

Chris Corbo, Kevin Roche Jr, and Gavin Harris had a pair of receptions each, but no player had more than 18 yards receiving. Here are the run-blocking grades for each player:

Gavin Harris- 47.8
Chris Corbo- 47.4
Kevin Roche Jr- 54.5

Offensive Line: B

While not a dominant performance, this was the best of the season from the Georgia Tech offensive line, which is still dealing with injuries.

Duke is an aggressive defense that relies on getting to the quarterback and forcing havoc plays, but they did not sack Alberto Mendoza and only had four TFLs. Virginia Tech can get after the quarterback as well and the offensive line will face another tough task.

Defensive Line: C

The defensive line was key in holding Duke to just 4.5 yards per carry, but there were not standouts. The Yellow Jackets had five TFLs, but they could not sack Duke quarterback Walker Eget. They were missing Jordan Walker and Noah Carter and they are hoping to get both players back against Virginia Tech, who has one of the ACC's most talented quarterbacks.

Linebackers: B-

I thought there were some nice performances from E.J. Lightsey and Melvin Jordan IV, who finished as the two highest-graded players on the Yellow Jackets defense per Pro Football Focus. Georgia Tech's run defense is still not very good and there was some poor tackling on the final drive, but it was one of the better performances of the year from this group.

Secondary: C

Georgia Tech got Jaylen Mbakwe and Savion Riley back in the secondary, but were still missing Daiquan White. It was an ok day for the secondary, as they did not allow many big completions down the field, but also did not force any turnovers. Riley finished with a solid 64.5 overall PFF grade, but just a 26.3 tackling grade, while fellow safety Tae Harris finished with a 59.8 overall grade. In his return, Mbakwe finished with a 60.7 overall grade.

The secondary is going to be challenged this week against Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and the weapons that the Hokies have on offense.

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