Ranking Georgia Tech’s Top Portal Acquisitions In The 2026 Cycle

Georgia Tech has been active in the portal and has brought in a number of elite players from the transfer portal to improve its roster in 2026. They have hit on a number of players who should be instant impact players next fall. Let’s take a deeper look and rank the top portal acquisitions so far this offseason.

1. Justice Haynes

If you want to be taken seriously as a program, you pull off moves like the Yellow Jackets did to land Justice Haynes in the portal. He is, without a doubt, one of the best options in the portal and makes the Yellow Jackets a much better team in 2026. His ability to make people miss consistently, get north and south quickly, and be a threat to score a touchdown makes him dangerous, especially in the ACC. To put it simply, Haynes is an NFL talent and the most elite running back that has been on the Flats with Jahmyr Gibbs, who started his career with the Yellow Jackets and is now excelling in the NFL. Haynes has the same potential and talent. He will make defenses stack the box in order to slow him down, which will open up the passing game for the Yellow Jackets to take advantage of. When he gets his chances, he will be exhilarating to watch with what he can do with the ball in his hands.

2. Noah Carter

Carter has game-wrecking potential written all over him. The key will be his development as he will be coached by Jess Simposon and Kyle Pope. Both should be able to get the most out of him, and he should be able to compete for a starting job. Georgia Tech has desperately needed a guy who can come in and get constant pressure on the quarterback. Their lack of pressure and run defense has cost them games, especially in ACC play. Carter should be able to put an end to that with his elite bend, quick first step, and relentless motor. He never gives up on plays and will be a key piece in helping Georgia Tech improve in 2026.

3. Jaylen Mbakwe

You can make the argument that Mbakwe should be number 1 on this list, especially with him being a former five-star prospect out of high school. He was dynamic and one of the best prospects in the country. Things didn’t work out in his favor at Alabama after a position change, but he could be a weapon for the Yellow Jackets on offense and in the return game. With so many players graduating and hitting the portal, they need someone of his caliber to come in and be a go-to guy in the offense and one of their best players. He is certainly more than capable and won’t be battling a plethora of guys to see the field next fall. Mbakwe could have a monster season for the Yellow Jackets.

4. Joseph Ionata

This pickup will fly under the radar, but Joseph Ionata will be a huge addition to the offensive line with so many guys leaving. Georgia Tech lost Keylan Rutledge, who was a consensus All-American and All-ACC player, to graduation. Tana Alo-Tupoloa entered the transfer portal and ended up with Arizona State, and Harrison Moore transferred to Florida. All three played significant minutes in 2025 and left a huge void for the Yellow Jackets to fill on the interior of their offensive line. However, Ionata has experience as a backup offensive lineman for Alabama, and should be able to compete for a starting role in 2026.

5. Tim Griffin

It is a homecoming for Tim Gryphon, who starred at Alcovy High School in Covington, Georgia. He comes in with some experience and is an excellent three-technique edge rusher. His versatility allows the Yellow Jackets to do some things defensively that they haven’t been able to in the past. With his 6’5 and 275-pound frame, he can rush at either edge position and also play on the inside. He is another who has a good bend and technique that allows him to punish opposing offensive linemen. His physicality instantly catches your eye and will be something Georgia Tech needs in defending the run next fall. He is equally good at rushing the passer and stopping the run. Here is the area where he performed the best in 2024.

“An area where he graded fairly well this season was tackling, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Griffin finished with a 73.2 tackling grade on 24 snaps. Most of his snaps came on run defense, with 19 of the 24 coming to stop the run. This is a good sign for Georgia Tech because they struggled mightily with stopping the run a year ago. Teams gashed them consistently on the run, and a lot of issues came from containing their gaps.”

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