Three Things We Learned About The Georgia Tech Offense in Week One of Fall Camp

Fall Camp week one is in the books for Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets will return to the field next week as the season opener against Colorado continues to get closer and closer. With the first week in the books, what have we learned about Georgia Tech's offense so far?

1. Offensive line taking shape

Ethan Mackenny Georgia Tec — Sep 16, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offensive linemen Ethan Mackenny (78) lines up prior to the snap against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

While nothing is set yet, Georgia Tech's offensive line is starting to come together after this first week of fall camp.

When talking with the media earlier this week, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key talked about how they have seven players up front that they have been pleased with so far, and he mentioned Ethan Mackenny, Kevin Peay Jr, Joseph Ionata, Malachi Carney, Jameson Riggs, Markell Samuel, and Jordan Floyd have separated themselves so far.

Mackenny, Peay, and Ionata seem to have locked things down (no surprise) so far, while Carney and Samuel are battling for the right guard position. Will Jameson Riggs be the starter at right tackle or could the loser of the right guard position slide out and start? If Samuel ends up being the starter, Carney played all of last season at right tackle and graded out well there on Pro Football Focus.

The battle for the depth positions is going to be something to watch, but things are starting to iron out for the Yellow Jackets up front.

Alberto Mendoza taking charge

Alberto Mendoza Georgia Tech — Alberto Mendoza has been taking charge early on in fall camp for Georgia Tech | Georgia Tech Athletic

During the spring, Alberto Mendoza was battling for the starting position at Georgia Tech and trying to beat out Grady Adamson, Graham Knowles, and Cole Bergeron. Now, Mendoza is entering fall camp as the starter for Georgia Tech and he he has taken charge of the position, though Key reiterated this week that they are working on not putting too much on the young quarterbacks plate.

Key mentioned that when he spoke to Mendoza before fall camp, he felt that this was the first time that this felt like "Georgia Tech's" Alberto Mendoza:

"Yeah, I mean, he's developing every day. You know, I talked to him for a long time today. Yesterday and today. And honestly, it felt for the first time it was Georgia Tech's Alberto Mendoza. And we talked about it. I mean, shoot. Anytime you come from somewhere else, I mean, what are you always doing? You're always thinking about what happened this time last year. So there's always a natural comparison to whatever you did to your previous, whether you were a freshman, you were comparing it back to high school, right, transfer, or you were here comparing it back to last year at this time. That's human nature. I've been excited to see his progression. Leadership, I think that's one of the most overused words right now in all of football, all of sports, probably in life.

You try to force a square peg in a round hole a lot of times with this leadership thing, and you don't truly allow the guys that are leaders to rise up and lead in moments when they need to. If you had 100 leaders on the team, you'd probably go 100 different directions and have no success. So I want him to be him. I want him to understand that we've got a full offensive toolbox to be able to go use."

Georgia Tech is hoping that an elite running game, elite kicker, and an improved defense will make things easier for Mendoza in his first season as a starter and that he can be a leader in his effective way.

Running Backs Living Up To The Hype

Malachi Hosley Georgia Tec — Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Malachi Hosley (0) runs the ball against the BYU Cougars in the third quarter during the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Georgia Tech's running back room entered fall camp as a much hyped unit and they have lived up to that so far.

At ACC Media Days, it was Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley front and center representing the Yellow Jackets and they are going to be the top 1-2 punch on this team.

But this week has been about showcasing the depth of this unit.

Chad Alexander and Trelain Maddox have gotten a chance to speak to the media this week, and for the first time since the spring, running backs coach Jimmy Smith did as well.

Smith did not hold back when talking about the kind of player that Haynes is and how he wants to be great, which he imparts on the rest of the running back room as well:

"He doesn't relax. Like, he doesn't say, I got it already, so I don't need to work as hard right now. I don't need to do this right here. I don't need to study this hard. I don't need to have my iPad today because we already went over this one time. Nah. He comes in on day four, the same installation. If he's doing the same installation, he know everything ain't making a mistake. He won't have his iPad right now and everything like he never saw it before. So it makes them, they can't have an excuse. You can't say, Coach, I got it. Nah. You made a mistake on that. He write it down and he make a mistake on that at all.

So, he's... He's the type of kid where you're blessed to have him in your room, type of kid who don't take a playoff, don't want an opportunity to say, okay, I already got it. He's going to practice. He's going to do everything in the meetings, everything at a high level, as high level as he can every time. He wants to be great. Good ain't good enough for him, and he makes everybody do that. With Chad and Malachi and Tre and Shane and all the guys, that's something we see every day."

We still have to see this unit on the field, but it is hard to not be optimistic still about where this group is at this point in fall camp. ]

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