Fall camp opens today at Georgia Tech, and with it comes a roster that looks a whole lot different than it did a year ago. Brent Key remains in charge, but the Yellow Jackets are rolling into this stretch with two new coordinators and fresh faces all over the depth chart. A long list of familiar names is gone - Haynes King, Jamal Haynes, Malik Rutherford, Keylan Rutledge, Omar Daniels, Clayton Powell-Lee, Ahmari Harvey, Rodney Shelley and others - and now the next wave has to keep the momentum moving.
The biggest change starts at quarterback. King was one of the most productive passers in Georgia Tech history, but he’s now with the Carolina Panthers.
The presumed next man up, Aaron Philo, also left, entering the transfer portal to follow offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Florida. That leaves Georgia Tech leaning on Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza to carry the offense, with Grady Adamson and Graham Knowles also back in the room.
Freshman Cole Bergeron, a four-star signee, will be in the mix as well, competing for the backup job behind Mendoza. It’s a very different quarterback room as the Yellow Jackets head toward the 2026 season.
Receiver might be even more dramatically turned over. Eric Rivers, Malik Rutherford, Dean Patterson, Isiah Canion, Bailey Stockton and Zion Taylor are all gone, and Jordan Allen is the only returning wideout from last season who caught a pass.
Georgia Tech added Elon transfer Isiah Fuhrmann and California transfer Jaiven Plummer through the portal, but the rest of the picture depends on internal growth. Debron Gatling, Evan Haynes, Rahkeem Smith, Dalen Penson and the four true freshmen all have a chance to push for roles, and Jafar Williams and DeAndre Hopkins will spend the next three weeks trying to sort out what this group can really become.
Safety is another spot that looks almost entirely reworked. Daniels and Powell-Lee handled most of the snaps there last season, but both are gone.
Tae Harris is back after playing more than 200 snaps, and Fenix Felton returns after logging more than 80 snaps over the final two games. Beyond that, Georgia Tech is looking at Savion Riley, who missed most of last season with an injury, plus a group of true freshmen.
That doesn’t automatically mean the Jackets will struggle there. It does mean this unit has to grow up fast. With Colorado waiting in Week 1, Georgia Tech needs some of those younger defensive backs to prove they can earn a spot in the rotation over the next three weeks.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Fans Just Got A New Way To Wear Team Pride
Georgia Tech fans looking for a new way to show their colors now have another option on the shelf. Nike has rolled out a limited-edition version of its Vomero 18 running shoe as part of a college football-inspired collection, blending the shoes performance build with school-specific designs and logos.
The release, which went on sale Aug. 1 for $165, spans a wide range of programs and is built to appeal to fans who want something usable rather than just decorative. For Yellow Jackets supporters, it adds a fresh piece of gear to the game-day rotation, with the school branding woven into a model that still carries the Vomero 18s running-shoe features. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Has Several Offensive Spots Fans Will Be Watching Closely
Fall camp is underway in Atlanta, and Georgia Tech is already sorting through the offensive questions that will shape the buildup to the 2026 season opener against Colorado. The most obvious spotlight falls on Mendoza, who enters the offseason with the quarterback job carrying the biggest weight, but he is far from the only name drawing attention. J.P. Powell has flashed enough at running back to make him one of the more intriguing pieces in the backfield, while receiver Penson and tight end Roche Jr. both look like players whose roles could grow quickly if camp goes the way the staff hopes.
Up front, Ionata is another player worth tracking as Georgia Tech works through roster turnover on the offensive line, where transfers in and departures out have created a new look. Those changes tend to reveal themselves slowly in August, and for the Yellow Jackets the coming weeks should offer a clearer read on which newcomers settle in and which returning pieces can handle bigger jobs. The good news for Georgia Tech is that there are multiple spots on offense where the depth chart still feels open enough for someone to seize it. [Read more 🡒]