Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 2026 Season Preview

Replacing King, one of the most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, is the central question. King threw for 2,967 yards (69.8 percent, 14-6) and ran for another 953 last fall, and Godsey is expected to lean into a more run-heavy, ball-control identity to ease the transition. The first crack goes to sophomore transfer Alberto Mendoza, who arrives from Indiana wearing a national championship ring after spending 2025 as the limited-role backup to his brother, Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza. In spot duty he completed 18 of 24 passes for 286 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. Behind him are redshirt freshman Grady Adamson and highly regarded incoming freshman Cole Bergeron. The room has upside but almost no live snaps against Power Four defenses.

Attrition hit the pass catchers hard. Sophomore Jordan Allen returns as the top holdover after a solid true-freshman campaign, a speed threat who averaged better than 14 yards a catch. Elon transfer Isaiah Fuhrmann brings a bigger frame and real production, having gone for better than 900 yards and nearly 20 a grab at the FCS level, while Dalen Penson factors into the rotation. Tight end was rebuilt almost entirely through the portal, headlined by Ivy League standout Chris Corbo from Dartmouth and CUSA-caliber Gavin Harris, a hybrid tight end and H-back type. Godsey has a history of featuring the tight end in a variety of alignments, so this group should see the ball.

This is the strength of the offense and may be the deepest backfield Key has coached. The headline addition is Justice Haynes, who ran for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns in just seven games at Michigan before injury, following an earlier stint at Alabama. A physical, downhill runner with rare balance and vision, he profiles as a potential 2027 first-round pick if he stays healthy for a full season, and opposing coaches rave about the violence of his contact. He pairs with senior Malachi Hosley, the former Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year at Penn, who led Tech's backs with 697 yards at 7.1 a carry. With a young quarterback under center, expect the Jackets to ride this pair heavily.

The line has a new look, returning only two starters up front. Junior Ethan Mackenny anchors the left tackle spot, and senior Malachi Carney, an all-conference-caliber blocker regarded as an NFL prospect, slides inside to guard after starting at right tackle in 2025. The staff plugged the interior with Alabama transfer center Joseph Ionata, with Kevin Peay and sophomore Jameson Riggs among the young pieces competing at the other spots. There is talent here, but new starters plus a first-time quarterback against a demanding schedule is a lot of learning to do at once.

Semore is bringing a more aggressive, attacking front, and the priority was obvious after a 2025 unit that generated just nine takeaways and 13 sacks. The line was overhauled with veteran transfers at the edge spots and size added inside. Senior Jordan Walker and returning junior Amontrae Bradford give the group experienced ends, senior Tawfiq Thomas and junior Vincent Carroll-Jackson hold down the interior, and senior A.J. Hoffler, a starter a year ago, is in the mix for snaps. Edge transfer Noah Carter joins the rotation to help the pass rush, while true freshman Christian Speakman is expected to play a sizable role right away. Generating pressure is the make-or-break for this defense.

The most stable position on the roster. Seniors Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey return as the top two tacklers, back together for a third straight year as starters. Efford has led the team in stops in each of the last two seasons, and the pair anchors an underrated group. The one caveat is the scheme change, and both may have to prove themselves again in Semore's system, but there is no bigger source of continuity on this side of the ball.

The back end carries the most questions after the graduation of two starting corners and two starting safeties. The staff reloaded on the boundary through the portal with juniors Jaylen Mbakwe, a former blue-chip corner out of Alabama, and Jonas Duclona, both slated to step straight into the lineup alongside returning regulars Zachary Tobe and Daiquan White. Safety skews young, with sophomore Tae Harris and freshman Fenix Felton anchoring the deep spots and junior Kelvin Hill back at nickel after taking over late last year for an injured Jy Gilmore. A group that combined for just nine interceptions over the last two seasons badly needs the takeaways Semore's scheme is built to create.

The kicking game is a genuine edge. Senior Aidan Birr is among the best placekickers in the country, coming off a 25-of-29 season with a string of clutch late field goals. The punting job is unsettled, though Rice transfer Alex Bacchetta arrives with a strong leg after averaging 45 yards a boot. There are dynamic options in the return game, with Mbakwe among the candidates to handle punts and Shane Marshall a threat on kickoffs.