What Josh Heupel Had to Say About Georgia Tech Quarterback Alberto Mendoza

Here's what Josh Heupel said about Georgia Tech's starting quarterback Alberto Mendoza ahead of Saturday's game.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) practices before the game at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tennessee is set to take on Georgia Tech on Saturday. The matchup will be Tennessee’s only non-conference game against a Power Four opponent.

Georgia Tech lost its week one game against Colorado, falling 14-13 after the Yellow Jackets' field goal attempt was blocked as time expired. Overall, the Yellow Jackets did not have their best game, but one bright spot for them was quarterback Alberto Medonza.

Alberto is the younger brother of last season’s Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. After backing up his brother last season, Alberto transferred to Georgia Tech ahead of this season, and in his first game in Atlanta, he threw for 237 yards. While he did not throw a touchdown, he impressed many with his ability to extend plays after the pocket broke down.

He seems to have a bright future, and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is making sure his team is prepared for Mendoza. He spoke very highly of the quarterback in his presser on Monday.

What Josh Heupel Said About Alberto Mendoza

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) takes the field before the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“He played extremely smart the other night. You can see him be able to progress through his reads. One through five, get all the way to the back side of the counter set and does it extremely quickly. He was accurate with the football. Athletic enough to extend and make plays as a passer, and has the feet to go gain yards afterwards, too. I thought he played extremely well the other night.”

How Can Tennessee Contain Mendoza

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mendoza is very talented, but he is also very inexperienced. This showed against Colorado, as it was noted by former NFL quarterback and current ESPN announcer Chase Daniel. In a post on X, Daniel pointed out that Georgia Tech’s offense, led by Mendoza, failed to burn off enough clock in the fourth quarter against Colorado while leading 13-7; he constantly snapped the ball with a lot of time left, instead of letting the clock run down more. This ultimately cost Georgia Tech, as Colorado used the added time to go down the field and win the game.

Tennessee can use some of the inexperience to confuse the young quarterback by using different schemes to mess with Mendoza. One way the Vols could do this is by putting pressure on Mendoza. They have to be careful, though, while Mendoza did struggle at various times when under pressure in Georgia Tech’s last game, he also made some magnificent plays by outrunning defenders. This was highlighted by a play from Mendoza in the second quarter against Colorado on a 3rd and 12, where he escaped from a potential sack, ran across the field, and delivered a pass to Jordan Allen inside the five-yard line.  

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