What I'm Watching Closely During Georgia Tech Fall Camp (And Why You Should Too)

Fall Camp begins next week for Georgia Tech and the Yellow Jackets, picked to finish 5th in the ACC, will begin their preparations for the 2026 season, and there is plenty for this team to figure out over the next four weeks before they welcome Colorado to Atlanta for the first game of the season.

After having a roster full of veteran players who had been with the program, the Yellow Jackets had a lot of change this offseason and there are going to be some new faces at different positions.

With practice beginning next week, here is what I am watching closely as the Yellow Jackets hit the field.

Alberto Mendoza time

Alberto Mendoza Indian — Jan 17, 2026; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Alberto Mendoza (16) participates in a practice for the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the Miami Hurricanes. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a quarterback competition in the spring, Mendoza pulled away from the rest of the pack and is going to be the starter for this team.

This is going to be the first time that Mendoza is going to be the starter for a program, but his snaps last season for the Hoosiers showed the kind of talent that he has and why he might be the breakout quarterback in the ACC.

Mendoza is going to use the next four weeks to show his understanding of the playbook and develop chemistry with his pass catchers. All eyes will be on the brother of last year's Heisman trophy winner and No. 1 overall draft pick.

Backup quarterback competition

Georgia Tech quarterback Grady Adamson — Grady Adamson is going to be competing for the backup quarterback spot this fall | Georgia Tech Athletic

While Mendoza is going to have the headlines, whoever backs him up is going to be very important as well. Georgia Tech has one of the most inexperienced quarterback rooms in the nation, and the next month is going to be a competition to see who is next in line after Mendoza.

Grady Adamson, Graham Knowles, and Cole Bergeron will be competing for the backup job, and none of the three quarterbacks have started a game, with Knowles only seeing brief playing time a year ago. Adamson has been with the Yellow Jackets for a season, while Knowles is entering his third year with the program. Bergeron is a true freshman, rated as a four-star prospect coming out of high school.

The backup quarterback competition is going to be one to watch over the next month.

Wide Receiver Competition

Jordan Allen Georgia Tec — Nov 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Jordan Allen (85) is tackled by Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Daylen Everette (6) in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jordan Allen and Elon transfer Isaiah Fuhrmann are entering Fall Camp as the top two receivers, but what about everyone else?

There is a lot of uncertainty over who else is going to be catching passes for Georgia Tech. Converted cornerback Dalen Penson has loads of athleticism and speed; Debron Gatling, Evan Haynes, and Rahkeem Smith might be ready to take a step forward, or it could be true freshmen such as Darnell Collins, J.J. Winston, Kentrell Davis, or Jeffar Jean-Noel.

The fact of the matter is that Allen is the only receiver on this team who caught a pass for the Yellow Jackets last season. Fuhrmann was a productive receiver at the FCS level and Smith was solid at Delaware State and Bowling, but not much power four production is at this position.

Left guard and right tackle

Georgia Tech will enter camp with two returning starters (Ethan Mackenny and Malachi Carney) at left tackle and right guard, and Alabama transfer Joseph Ionata is going to be taking over at center.

The other two spots are up for grabs, though, and both positions are going to be very important. There is going to be a lot of competition at both spots, and the Yellow Jackets will be looking to round out their offensive line while looking for viable depth as well.

Defensive Line

Georgia Tech needs improvement at all three levels of their defense, but it starts up front, where Brent Key aimed to get bigger this offseason.

They did just that by adding transfers Tawfiq Thomas, Vincent Carroll-Jackson, and Tim Griffin, while adding more athleticism off the edge with Noah Carter, Jordan Walker, and Taje McCoy.

It is not just the transfers though, Georgia Tech needs internal growth from its returning players. Amontrae Bradford, Jordan Boyd, Christian Garrett, and others need to show development and provide reliable depth for this defense to take a step up.

Safety depth

Georgia Tech has a very inexperienced safety group entering the 2026 season, though they have talent, it is just very young.

Tae Harris is set for a breakout season, while Fenix Felton showed promise in games against Georgia and BYU last season. Savion Riley has the most experience of the group, but was injured for most of last season. Freshmen Kealan Jones, Kymani Morales, Isaac Obrokta, and Chris Hewitt Jr make up the rest of the room, but none of those four players have played in a collegiate game.

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