Georgia Tech’s 2026 schedule comes with plenty of unfamiliar faces under center, and that’s especially true across the ACC and beyond. A lot of the quarterbacks the Yellow Jackets will see are new to their jobs, which is part of life in the transfer portal era. In fact, Georgia is the only power four opponent on the schedule bringing back its starter from last season.
Even with all that turnover, Georgia Tech is still staring at some dangerous quarterbacks. Here are the five best the Yellow Jackets are set to face in 2026.
No. 5 on the list is Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz, and this ranking is tied directly to Jeff Brohm’s track record with quarterbacks. Brohm has brought in a transfer quarterback in every season since taking over, and now he’s turning to the former Ohio State passer to try to get the Cardinals back to the ACC Championship game for the first time since 2023.
Kienholz spent his Ohio State days behind other talented quarterbacks, but he brings a strong arm and mobility to the table. Louisville also loaded up at receiver this offseason, which gives him a solid supporting cast if Brohm gets the most out of him the way he usually does.
Clemson’s Cade Klubnik replacement, Christopher Vizzina, checks in next. He’s stepping into the starting role in Death Valley for the first time, and his first real taste of it last year came against SMU, when he was sharp in a 29-42, 317-yard, three-touchdown performance.
The challenge around him is real. Vizzina will be working with a new offensive coordinator, new running backs, and multiple new starters up front.
Even so, Clemson still has a talented receiving corps, and by the time Georgia Tech visits in November, he should be at his best. The former four-star could be headed for a breakout year.
At No. 3 is Virginia Tech’s Kyron Grunkemeyer, the presumed starter in James Franklin’s first season in Blacksburg. He arrives with some experience after filling in for an injured Drew Allar at Penn State last season.
Grunkemeyer made seven starts for the Nittany Lions and completed 1,339 passing yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He doesn’t bring much as a runner, but he is still one of the more gifted quarterbacks Georgia Tech will see.
The next name is Pittsburgh’s Mason Heintschel, and unlike some of the other quarterbacks on this list, he has already shown he can handle a full-time role. After the first four games last season, he took over for the Panthers and made the most of it.
In nine games, Heintschel threw for 2,354 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, and he helped keep Pittsburgh in the ACC race late in the season. With his offensive coordinator back for another year, there’s reason to expect the Panthers’ offense to stay dangerous in 2026.
At the top sits Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, and Yellow Jackets fans probably won’t love seeing that in print. Stockton is the best quarterback Georgia Tech will face next season, and it isn’t especially close.
Last year, he took over as Georgia’s starter and guided the Bulldogs to a 12-2 record, another SEC Championship, and a playoff appearance. He also threw for 2,894 yards, 24 touchdowns, and five interceptions, while adding 462 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Georgia Tech did find a small bright spot in last year’s matchup. Even with the Yellow Jackets’ defense struggling, they held Stockton to his worst game of the season. He finished 11-21 for 70 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and he ran for just 42 yards.
If Georgia Tech is going to end its long losing streak against Georgia, it will need another night like that from its defense against the best quarterback on its 2026 schedule.
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