Georgia Tech’s quarterback depth chart has one thing settled and one major spot still up for grabs.
Alberto Mendoza already locked down the starting job back in the spring and has kept building during fall camp, but the Yellow Jackets are still sorting out who sits behind him. That battle comes down to Graham Knowles and Grady Adamson, with neither player having separated enough to claim the role just yet.
Quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Chris Weinke isn’t ready to name a winner, but he likes what he’s seeing from both passers.
“Yeah, the unique thing about our room is everybody's different. They're all a little bit different ages.
You can talk about guys that have been here for a year or two, okay, that were in another offense. Now they've got to.
Start all over again, right? So very proud of the way those guys are working, right?
They are different styles, right? I think when you look at those guys, you look at Graham and Cole, okay, and Grady, like.
They all bring a little bit different something to the table.
So that's our job as coaches that, hey, if one of those guys are playing, okay, it's our job to make sure that the game plan fits what they do best. And they've all done a great job.
Listen, they've all had days where they've done really well, and they've all had days where they struggled. That's like any quarterback at any level.
But they come in with the right mindset, the right attitude. They make the corrections.
We've had a very productive camp.”
The competition is complicated by the fact that Georgia Tech’s quarterback room is still very green. Knowles is the only one who saw any action last season, and the rest of the group is learning on the fly in a new system.
Adamson brings an underrated arm, the ability to hit tough throws, and enough mobility to matter when plays break down. Knowles, meanwhile, has been in the program the longest. This is his third year working with Weinke, and he offers the kind of size and arm strength coaches love to see.
Both are also trying to master George Godsey’s offense, and Weinke said the biggest progress has come recently as the pace and operation have started to click.
“I think what is really different for us is for them to be able to operate at a high level, you've got to be able to absorb the information, right? And then you have to be a functional thinker.
So as you're learning a new language, right, we don't speak it fluently after day two, or after day three or after week two, right. So they've become more comfortable speaking that language.
Last week I've really seen the biggest jump of them being able to call the play in the huddle get out operate okay and all the little nuances that come with it. They've been on an upward trajectory, especially within the last week.
Going back to what you said, I've been there, right? Try to learn a new offense, man, and you're just struggling.
Physically, you're slower, right? You can't operate as fast as you want to.
I'm seeing the light come on. I'm very proud of those two.”
That leaves Mendoza as the clear No. 1, but the backup job still matters. Injuries happen, and the next quarterback in line will be one snap away from being thrust into the spotlight. For now, Georgia Tech is still watching Adamson and Knowles try to finish the job.
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