Georgia Tech’s 2026 non-conference slate comes with plenty of heavyweight names, and each one brings a different kind of problem.
The Yellow Jackets are set to face 11 Power Four opponents that season, even though they were not among the teams chosen to play nine ACC conference games. Instead, Georgia Tech will take on two SEC opponents and open the year against a Big 12 team.
Colorado is first on the list, and the story there is all about how much the vibe has changed in Boulder over the last couple of offseasons. Deion Sanders arrived with plenty of buzz, but outside of a 9-4 season in 2024 - when Travis Hunter won the Heisman and Colorado was in the mix for the Big 12 title game - the results have been rough.
The Buffaloes have gone 4-8, 9-4, and 3-9 in Sanders’ three seasons, and they’re projected to be one of the worst teams in the Big 12 this year. They’re also staring at major turnover, with two coordinators, a quarterback, two standout receivers, a future first-round offensive lineman, and more than 40 transfers all coming in.
Colorado can still flip the script, but the direction right now is clearly downward.
Tennessee, meanwhile, looks loaded in a lot of places. The Volunteers have an elite SEC running back, a strong receiver room, an experienced offensive line, and an elite linebacker group, plus what they hope is a major upgrade at defensive coordinator.
The big question is under center. Tennessee will have a first-time starting quarterback, most likely either second-year player George MacIntyre or true freshman Faizon Brandon.
Both bring upside and both fit a quarterback-friendly system, but this will be the first road start and the first start against a Power Four opponent for either one. Tennessee may be the more talented team, but that quarterback situation makes this one worth watching.
Then there’s Mercer, and while the Bears are not a national title threat at the FCS level, they’ve been one of the better programs there. Mercer has reached the FCS playoffs in three straight seasons and should still be a playoff team even with new leadership this year. Add in the fact that they’re an in-state opponent, and there’s no doubt they’ll be motivated.
And of course, Georgia closes the non-conference picture, which means the rivalry question is unavoidable. Georgia Tech has not beaten the Bulldogs since 2016, a fact every Yellow Jackets fan knows well.
Still, the gap has been shrinking on the scoreboard over the last three seasons. Georgia is expected to be one of the top teams in the country and likely a preseason top-five squad, but Brent Key has not shied away from the challenge.
The feeling is that he’s getting closer to finally ending the streak.
In Other News...
Brent Key's Biggest Georgia Tech Fix Is Suddenly Under The Microscope
Brent Key has made no secret of where Georgia Tech needs the most help heading into the 2026 season, and the defensive line is where the staff has poured much of its attention. Between the 2026 recruiting class and a steady run through the transfer portal, the Yellow Jackets have been trying to add more size, depth and flexibility up front, with Jess Simpson and Kyle Pope leading the effort to reshape a group that has been a clear offseason priority.
The changes are not just about bodies, either. New defensive coordinator Jason Semore is expected to alter how the front attacks opponents, which puts the spotlight on how quickly the newcomers can settle in and how often the staff can rotate them once spring practices are done. For a team looking for a noticeable leap on defense, the next few months will say plenty about whether this overhaul can become the kind of upgrade Key has been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
November Will Show If Brent Key's Georgia Tech Has Really Changed
Georgia Techs 2026 schedule begins with a home date against Colorado, but the real measuring stick for Brent Keys program is waiting much later on the calendar. November is where the Yellow Jackets will have to prove they can carry early-season momentum into the stretch run, with a run of games that will likely say more about the teams staying power than anything that comes before it.
Louisville, Clemson, Wake Forest and Georgia all sit in that final month, and several of those opponents could be playing for major postseason stakes by then. Louisville has already been a thorn for Key, Clemson remains a familiar benchmark in the ACC race, Wake Forest has the look of a tricky in-between game, and Georgia closes things out with the kind of rivalry pressure that tends to expose any lingering flaws. [Read more 🡒]