Grading Every Georgia Tech Position Group in Week 4 loss vs Stanford

It was a rough night for the Georgia Tech defense against Stanford, while the offense could not keep up with the Cardinal

Sep 26, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Nico Brown (23) scores a touchdown against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive back Zachary Tobe (5) during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things have gone from bad to worse for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets fell to 1-3 with their loss to Stanford last night, and there were a lot of things that went wrong, especially in the second half, when Georgia Tech was outscored 24-7.

So how did each position grade out in this loss?

Quarterback: C+

Sep 26, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) looks to pass during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This was tracking to be a higher grade, but Mendoza made some crucial mistakes that hurt Georgia Tech at the end of the game.

Mendoza finished 26-for-39 and 268 yards, with two touchdowns, but a late interception trailing by seven and then an intentional grounding that put Georgia Tech in a 4th-and-45 situation sealed the loss for the Yellow Jackets. Mendoza also added 16 yards on the ground.

He was under pressure and not getting much help from his offensive line, but Mendoza made some crucial mistakes at the end of the game that put his team in bad position.

Running Backs: B

Sep 26, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Justice Haynes (22) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Justice Haynes and Trelain Maddox made some plays in the first half, with Haynes reversing field to gain 46 and Maddox scoring two touchdowns, but they were invisible in the second half.

Haynes had another 100-yard game, racking up 106 yards and averaging 5.9 yards per carry, and Maddox finished the night with 40 yards on six carries. It was a solid night for this group, who was missing Malachi Hosley.

Wide Receivers: C-

There were some plays here and there for the Yellow Jackets wide receivers, but nothing spectacular.

Jordan Allen caught four passes for 64 yards, Dalen Penson caught four passes for 52 yards, and Jaiven Plummer had a 23-yard touchdown in the second half. If its not Penson or Allen, this positiion is not getting a lot of production and that continued tonight.

Tight Ends: C

Kevin Roche Jr had another really strong night, leading Georgia Tech with six catches and coming in second with 59 yards, but they did not get much else from the other tight ends.

Chris Corbo caught two passes for 15 yards and Gavin Harris caught one pass for 14 yards. Aside from Roche Jr, Georgia Tech is not getting an impact from any of the three transfer portal additions.

Offensive line: D+

Ethan Mackenny and Jameson Riggs were out again for the Yellow Jackets last night and while it was not a disastrous night that they have had earlier in the year, it was not a good effort.

Yes, Justice Haynes was able to get over 100 yards, but a lot of that was done on his own ability to create plays, not the offensive line paving the way. Mendoza was flushed out of the pocket several times and had a lot of defenders harassing him all night long. This continues to be the biggest disappointment of the season for Georgia Tech.

Defensive Line: C+

The defensive line could not get consistent pressure on Stanford, but they did a solid job of stopping the run, holding Stanford to 2.4 yards per carry.

Taje McCoy, Tawfiq Thomas, and Noah Carter all finished with a TFL and they kept the Cardinal from getting going on the ground, but given the night that Warren had through the air, it is tough to give them too much praise.

Linebackers: C

Kyle Efford was out for this game and Georgia Tech relied on E.J. Lightsey, Melvin Jordan IV, and Cayman Spaulding for much of the night and they had their ups and downs.

When it comes to stopping the run, Georgia Tech's linebackers did a better job than they had so far this season, but it was rough when it came to coverage. There were no big plays made from this group, but they get some credit for helping hold Stanford to 55 yards rushing.

Secondary: F

If you are someone who just reads the stats, you might be surprised to know that Georgia Tech had the 9th-best passing defense entering the game. The reason for that was because teams were just focused on trying to run the ball on the Yellow Jackets and had no reason to throw the ball.

Stanford quarterback Davis Warren had arguably the best game of is career, going 22-for-36 for nearly 400 yards of offense and three touchdowns. There were busts on a number of 4th down plays and the third quarter coverage was embarrassing. Stanford is not going to be the best passing attack that Georgia Tech is going to see this season and this should be a concern going forward.