Georgia Tech Will Face A Lot of New Quarterbacks in 2026

The offseason is quickly approaching for college football with players hitting the transfer portal. One of the positions seeing players constantly hit the portal is quarterback. Let's take a quick look at some potential quarterbacks the Yellow Jackets could face in 2026 based on their schedule.

Colorado

latest — Sep 6, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) before the game against the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

For the second season in a row, the Yellow Jackets will face Colorado in the season opener. They will also face a new signal caller after going against Kaidon Salter in 2025. In 2026, it will likely be Julian Lewis who got the starting role towards the end of the season. He took full advantage of his chances and finished with 589 passing yards and four touchdowns. Lewis looks primed for a breakout next season and will be a player the Yellow Jackets have to watch for.

Tennessee

Joey Aguliar is currently suing the NCAA and is challenging rules that count Junior College against an athlete’s Division 1 eligibility. It is unknown when that case will come to a decision and if Aguilar will play another year for the Volunteers. Tennessee also lost Jake Merklinger to the transfer portal. Tennessee did get five-star Faizon Brandon and have former five-star George MacIntyre still on the roster. It will be interesting to see if they bring in more quarterbacks to the roster to fill it out. In all likelihood, Tennessee will have a new starting quarterback.

Georgia

In all likelihood, Gunner Stockton will make his return to the Bulldogs in 2026, barring anything unforeseen. He’s had a productive season as the starter and has led Georgia to a 12-1 record. The Bulldogs missed on five-star Jared Curits, who flipped from the Bulldogs to Vanderbilt. This opens the door for Stockton to come back for another year and be the Bulldogs signal caller for the 2026 campaign. There shouldn’t be much change here.

Clemson

The Tigers graduated Cade Klubnik, who played his final season with the program this past season. He threw for 2,750 yards and 16 touchdowns. The Tigers finished the regular season 7-5. As they move on from Klubnik, the Tigers will have four quarterbacks on the team from this past year. Clemson also signed three-star Tait Reynolds in the 2026 class. It will be interesting to see who head coach Dabo Swinney lists as his starter for next year.

Boston College

The Eagles didn’t win a lot of games, but got a productive season from Dylan Lonergan, who should make his return to Boston College for another season. The sophomore quarterback threw for 2,025 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had one of his best games against Georgia Tech, throwing for 362 yards and two touchdowns. The former Brookwood star should be back for another season under head coach Bill O’Brien.

Duke

It was reported this past week that Darian Mensah would be making a return to the Duke Blue Devils, which will make the Yellow Jackets job harder. Mensah was the leading passer in the ACC, finishing with 3.646 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. He also led the Blue Devils to their first ACC title since 1989 with a win over Virginia in the ACC Championship game. He will be one of the best quarterbacks in college football returning in 2026.

Louisville

The Cardinals went and got former USC quarterback Miller Moss. Moss played his senior year and finished with 2,526 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. It was a solid season for Moss, but they will look in a different direction after he completed his final collegiate season. Louisville was competitive once again in the ACC, but will need more production from the position in 2026.

Wake Forest

A big question at quarterback awaits the Demon Deacons after a surprisingly good season in 2025 under Robbie Ashford, who played his final season with Wake Forest. He often split time with Deshawn Purdie, the sophomore quarterback. He has continued to improve every season he has played. Will Purdie get the reins in 2026, or will Wake Forest bring in a quarterback?

Pittsburgh

larest — Nov 29, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) warms up before the game against the Miami Hurricanes at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Barring anything unforeseen, Pittsburgh should have its former true freshman Mason Heintschel back under center for the 2026 season. Heintschel finished his freshman season with 2,098 yards and 15 touchdowns. He was productive and showed that he has a future as the main signal caller for the Panthers.

Stanford

The Cardinals will deploy a new starter after Ben Gulbranson played his final season with Stanford this past season. He finished with 1,813 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Stanford also hired a new head coach after an interim season from Frank Reich. The Cardinals hired Tavita Pritchard and will have a new starter at the helm in 2026. Among those in the likely competition should be Michael Mitchell Jr, who will be a true freshman for Stanford.

Virginia Tech

The Hokies will lose their long-tenured quarterback Kyron Drones, who played three seasons with the program. During his tenure with the Hokies, he finished with a 14-15 record. With Drones graduating and a new regime starting for Virginia Tech under James Franklin, it will be a new signal caller at the helm. The Hokies got four-star Troy Huhn in the 2026 class as a key pickup, but they will likely get a quarterback in the portal to pair with some veterans on the roster.

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