Georgia Tech left Week 1 with more questions than answers, and the box score told a pretty rough story. The Yellow Jackets had chances against Colorado on Thursday night and still came up empty, which puts Brent Key’s team in danger of opening the season 0-2 when No. 20 Tennessee comes to town.
Still, not every performance was a total wash. A few players helped themselves, while others took a clear hit.
The biggest bright spot might have been Alberto Mendoza. In his first career start, he looked composed enough to give Georgia Tech something to build on.
Mendoza went 17-for-23 for 237 yards and avoided turnovers. He didn’t throw a touchdown or make an impact as a runner, but he handled the game well and hit several good throws.
There were plenty of unknowns around him entering Thursday night, and he answered enough of them to show he can be a starter. The next step gets tougher fast, though, because Tennessee’s defense is a different level from Colorado’s.
Another encouraging note came from second-year safety Tae Harris. Georgia Tech’s secondary had issues overall, but Harris stood out with eight tackles and graded well on Pro Football Focus. With Harris and Savion Riley as the only safeties to see snaps, the younger defensive back helped steady a thin group and gave the Jackets something to lean on moving forward.
Wide receiver Penson also made a case for more opportunities after switching over from cornerback. He caught three passes for 73 yards, and the big play was a 42-yard catch and run that put Georgia Tech in position to potentially win the game. It wasn’t a flawless debut, but it was the kind of showing that hints at real upside as the season goes on.
The other side of the ledger was much uglier.
Georgia Tech’s running game was one of the night’s biggest disappointments. The Jackets managed only 51 yards on 30 carries, and neither Justice Haynes nor Malachi Hosley could get traction.
For a unit that came in with real buzz and a heavy emphasis from Brent Key, that was a major letdown. Colorado deserves credit for the way it played, but Georgia Tech’s ground game has to improve quickly or the season could spiral.
The offensive line didn’t help matters. In fact, the pass protection may have been worse than the run blocking.
Mendoza was sacked three times, and left tackle Ethan Mackenny and center Jameson Riggs finished as the two lowest-graded offensive players on Pro Football Focus. It was a brutal showing for a group that has nowhere to hide heading into a far tougher matchup.
The defensive front also came away with a tough grade. Colorado was the more physical team and controlled the run game better, and Georgia Tech struggled to get stops when it mattered in the second half. The Jackets finished with a 0% run stuff rate and just one sack, which is not the kind of line anyone expected after all the offseason talk about improvement up front.
Week 1 is in the books, and the stock report is pretty clear: Mendoza, Harris and Penson moved up, while the running game, offensive line and defensive front all took a hit. Tennessee is next, and Georgia Tech has to clean up a lot before Saturday.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Opener Now Comes With An Unexpected Arion Carter Twist
Arion Carters season has taken on a different kind of spotlight, and it will arrive early for Georgia Tech. The Tennessee linebacker, who missed part of the 2026 college football season after accepting a flight from his agent, had his suspension cut from three games to one after an appeal, and he has since put a charitable twist on his return by pledging $427 to cancer research for every tackle he records this year.
For the Yellow Jackets, that means the Sept. 12 opener against Tennessee carries an unexpected layer beyond the usual nonconference intrigue. Carters donation drive begins that day, turning each stop he makes into something with a broader purpose, and giving Georgia Tech an early look at a defender whose season will be followed for reasons that extend well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
What Georgia Tech Just Learned From Colorados Defensive Breakout
Colorados front made a strong opening statement against Georgia Tech, and a lot of it came from a name the Yellow Jackets likely knew only in passing. Lamont Lester Jr., a transfer from Monmouth, was the anchor of the Buffaloes defensive line in Week 1, finishing with three sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and five total tackles while helping power a disruptive effort that set the tone for the game.
The recognition followed quickly, with Lester earning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors and Colorados defensive line being graded as the best in Week 1 by Pro Football Focus. The unit also picked up Big 12 Defensive Line of the Week honors, a reminder for Georgia Tech that the matchup offered an early look at a front capable of changing games before opponents can settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Already Looks Dangerous In One Area Yellow Jackets Will Notice
Georgia wasted no time looking sharp in its 2026 opener, and from a Tech perspective the most unsettling part may be how effortless it all appeared. At Sanford Stadium, Gunner Stockton settled in quickly, giving the Bulldogs clean quarterback play while Nate Frazier turned a handful of touches into three scores, the kind of early-season efficiency that can make a rival start looking ahead with a little more concern than expected.
Kirby Smart talked after the game about depth, but he also had to address a sloppier side of the performance, with penalties and a special teams mistake leaving room for correction even on a day that otherwise belonged to Georgia. For the Yellow Jackets, the takeaway is less about Tennessee State and more about the fact that the Bulldogs already look dangerous in the area that usually travels best as the season gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]