Georgia Tech opens the season under the lights in Atlanta with a sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium waiting for a rare matchup that carries a familiar twist. The Yellow Jackets and Colorado meet for the second year in a row, and just the second time overall, after Georgia Tech pulled out a thriller last season and started 1-0.
The Jackets’ offense looks different this time around. The last three seasons were built around quarterback Haynes King, but King is gone, along with plenty of other familiar pieces. George Godsey, a former Georgia Tech quarterback who spent the last decade-plus in the NFL, now takes over the offense and has to sort through a roster with plenty of inexperience.
That makes the focus against Colorado pretty clear: the ground game, and specifically Justice Haynes.
Haynes arrives after stops at Alabama and Michigan and is expected to be a major factor for Georgia Tech right away. Last season, before a foot injury ended his year with the Wolverines, he was tracking toward one of the top rushing seasons in the country.
In seven games, he ran for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Georgia Tech should lean on him heavily tomorrow night, and a big night from Haynes could be the clearest sign that the Jackets are headed for another win.
The other major name to watch is Alberto Mendoza, who is set to make his first career start. He transferred to Georgia Tech in February after serving as the backup to his brother last season for the eventual national champions. Mendoza showed well in garbage-time snaps a year ago, but this will be a much tougher assignment against a Colorado defense with completely different personnel and a new coordinator.
Colorado struggled on that side of the ball last season, though that does not mean the group won’t be better in 2026. Mendoza has earned praise since spring for his intelligence and command of the offense, and he brings mobility that Georgia Tech can use. The job for him is straightforward: steer the offense, make the right reads, and get the ball to the players around him.
One of those players is Fuhrmann, one of Georgia Tech’s two receiver additions this offseason and a projected key piece in the passing game. At Elon last season, the 6'4 192 LBS target caught 46 passes for 907 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging more than 19 yards per reception. Pro Football Focus gave him a 78.5 overall offensive grade across 611 snaps.
He still has to prove he can do it against Power Four competition, and Colorado will be the first real test of that for him. Georgia Tech will be counting on Fuhrmann to give Mendoza a dependable option as the Jackets try to start the year the same way they finished last season: with a win.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Is Suddenly In Play For A Coveted Stanford Commit
Marquis Fennell has become one of the more intriguing names on Georgia Techs radar, and not just because the Yellow Jackets would love to keep an elite Georgia talent closer to home. The Valdosta High standout, recognized as the states 6A offensive player of the year, is already committed to Stanford, but he has continued to explore his options by taking visits and staying in touch with other programs, including Georgia Tech and Florida State.
For Georgia Tech, the appeal is obvious: landing a player of Fennells caliber would be a major win on the recruiting trail and a statement about the programs pull inside the state. Stanford is still very much in the mix, though, and Fennell is watching closely to see how the Cardinal develops under new coach Tavita Pritchard before making anything final. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Could Make Colorados New QB Uncomfortable Right Away
Colorado is heading into Week 1 with a redshirt freshman quarterback expected to steer the offense, and that alone makes the opener a revealing one. Julian Lewis arrives with the kind of recruiting pedigree that brings attention, but the real story now is how he handles a road debut against a Georgia Tech team that should be eager to make every early snap feel bigger than it is.
Lewis has drawn encouraging comments from quarterbacks coach Hajj-Malik Williams about his progress and readiness, but the first real test is still ahead. The Yellow Jackets will have every reason to pressure him into uncomfortable decisions in a hostile environment, and Lewis ability to use his legs could be a major factor in whether Colorado settles in or spends the afternoon on edge. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Has A Huge Chance To Build Thursday Night Momentum
Georgia Tech gets a valuable recruiting spotlight Thursday night when Colorado comes to campus, and the Yellow Jackets will have several high-profile visitors watching closely. Among the names expected on hand are Prince Che, Myles Tate, Chandler Dyson, Elijah Reeves and Terrence Brandon Jr., giving the program a chance to showcase the atmosphere, the staff and the direction of the roster in front of some of its top targets.
For Georgia Tech, the appeal goes beyond a single game. Elijah Reeves is already committed, while Terrence Brandon Jr. has come away with positive impressions of the program and its coaching staff, so the visit list also serves as a way to deepen relationships and keep momentum moving into future classes. Nights like this can matter in ways that do not show up immediately, but they can shape how recruits view the Yellow Jackets when decisions start to get serious. [Read more 🡒]