Georgia Tech football season is just one week away from kickoff. Let’s take a look at 10 reasons why you should be optimistic about the Yellow Jackets.

1. The defense will be improved 

Most of the talk has been about the defense and whether it can improve as a unit. Georgia Tech struggled toward the end of the season, couldn’t get off the field on third down, and got carved up in the running game against Pittsburgh and NC State.

The Yellow Jackets addressed some of those issues in the portal, bringing in talented guys who could contribute and help the team. The main names that should make a difference are Noah Carter, Jordan Walker, Vincent Carroll-Jackson, and Jonas Duclona. All are expected to have roles and make a difference. Georgia Tech made a big investment, and it desperately wants to be a better defensive team. 

2. The talent is at a high level 

Georgia Tech has done a great job acquiring talent for the 2026 season, whether through the transfer portal or recruiting. You look at different key positions, and Georgia Tech has several players who could win awards this year and be key difference-makers. You look at Ethan MacKenny, who was on a couple of preseason watchlists and is beginning to come into his own at left tackle.

Malachi Carney will be another to watch as he begins his second season with the program and moves to the right guard spot. Carney fits more naturally there and has the attention of many people at the position. The running back room is deep, the secondary is uber talented, and the linebackers have a great blend of veterans and first-year students. While people may overlook it, the talent on this year’s team is at a high level. 

3. The coaching staff is improving 

You look at how head coach Brent Key put this staff together, and you can’t help but be impressed with who is leading at certain positions. They brought in Jason Semore, George Godsey, Vinnie Sunseri, and Allen Mogridge as key guys in this new era without Haynes King. Each has helped improve the team.

The Yellow Jackets also brought in former All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins to help with a young wide receiver room that is looking to take a step forward in 2026. The biggest growth for the coaching staff is developing young coaches like Jack Tyler and Nathan Brock. Both have been mentioned as key figures on the team, and their responsibilities are increasing. As coaches improve, it can lead to more adjustments and better on-field play from the players. 

4. This team is together and won’t lean on one star 

This group feels more cohesive than any other team for the Yellow Jackets. That could be because Georgia Tech doesn’t have the one central figure you look at and say he is the leader. Last year, the two main guys were Haynes King and Keylan Rutledge.

While permanent team captains have been named, you don’t look at Georgia Tech and say this one guy is the superstar. That bodes well for them because it will be a collection of guys coming together, and it will be difficult for teams to game plan to slow them down. They will be more balanced and have guys who emerge as the season goes on, which will only help the program moving forward. 

5. A potential star at quarterback 

Alberto Mendoza was a big acquisition for the Yellow Jackets in the transfer portal and a major target for the program. Georgia Tech has gotten a cerebral player and one who is a football junkie and wants to be the best. His accuracy and football acumen jump off the chart for you.

He wants to be a perfectionist and always put his team in a good spot. I think that obsession to be great only comes through to the team, and you get a natural leader who will play the position at a high level. 

“He’s got command. He knows where all 10 guys are supposed to be and where all 11 guys on defense are supposed to be. But at the end of the day, you say these things, and he still has not started a college football game. He’s a sophomore, right? He’s going to take his lumps and his bumps. That’s on us as coaches not to have to put the whole thing into the arsenal to start. “But what you don’t want to do is get to Game 2, Game 3, Game 4 or Game 5—or worse than that, get to the second quarter—and say, ‘Hey, I want to run this play. This is a complement to this. This is an adjustment we need to make,’ and you can’t put it in, or you’re trying to put it in on Tuesday night,” said Key 

6. The offensive line is coming together at the right time 

Georgia Tech lost four players from last season who were main contributors to the team's offensive line success. The Yellow Jackets had to bring in some guys from the portal and really hit on its 2026 recruiting class at the position. For the Yellow Jackets, the offensive line saw new guys like Kevin Peay Jr, Jameson Riggs, Carney, and Joseph Ionata all embrace new roles. Competition at the position has been determining who will step up and be the guy. Although nothing definitive has been stated, this unit has improved and is now establishing itself. 

“I think they’ve really established themselves from a maturity standpoint, from a play standpoint and from a confidence standpoint. They have a lot of confidence about them. The first two weeks, when you combine the installation, the multiples of what they’re seeing across from them and then the ability level of the defensive line, it was a tough first couple of weeks,” said Key. 

7. The perception of the program is changing 

You can say what you want, but the Yellow Jackets are being viewed in a different light in the Key era. They are featured more on TV, have the respect of other programs, and last year were the second-most-watched team in the ACC, only behind Miami. For the second year in a row, ESPN has featured Georgia Tech as a season opener, and they will start on a weeknight.

They will also be on primetime in Week 2 against Tennessee when they welcome freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon to the Flats. That game will kick off at 7:00 PM on ESPN. They are generating more buzz, and the fan base is taking notice, helping sell out tickets for the season opener against Colorado, a 3-9 team a season ago. Georgia Tech has had three consecutive seasons, and it feels like it is a team that will take off 

8. Georgia Tech has two of the most explosive running backs in the country 

This running back room is talented and deep. It will be a lot of fun to watch to see how they do in 2026. However, the most entertaining Bad Boys will be Malachi Hosley and Justice Haynes. Both are very efficient with the ball in their hands and can carve out defenses for big plays. Hosley and Haynes averaged seven yards per carry last season and are one of the only duos to do so. That duo will be like dynamite because of their elite football IQ and their ability to make something out of nothing. Georgia Tech hasn’t had a duo like this at running back in a long time, and it should account for major plays on the Flats this season. 

9. This might be the best tight end room assembled

Georgia Tech changed the type of tight ends they brought in this offseason, opting for more pass-catchers than the usual blocking tight end. Bringing in Gavin Harris and Chris Corbo illustrated that, and both will be tough covers this season. Then you have a walking mismatch in Kevin Roche Jr who is 6’9 and has great ball skills that will be a problem in the red area. You throw in bringing in physically violent tight end Spencer Mermans, who just wants to hit you in the mouth whenever he comes off the ball, and you have a deep unit with phenomenal talent. Also can’t forget about freshman Nathan Agyemang, who could have a role this season for the Yellow Jackets. It is one of the most talented rooms on the team and should pay dividends. 

“We’ve got a really good mix there. The Ivies (Ivy League) have been really good to us in that position. If you look at it, it’s not shocking why—to leave one of those schools, come here, be in the city of Atlanta, play the type of football we play and the way we use tight ends. We use multiple tight ends. That’s been the case since the day I stood up here and said, ‘Thanks for giving me the job.’ So I’ve been pleased with them,” said Key. 

10. Georgia Tech could have an All-ACC and potential All-American at safety 

Tae Harris is finally about to show the world what he can do on the gridiron. Yes, he played as a freshman and had 20 tackles, two passes defensed, and a forced fumble. But it was in a limited role. Harris will be the starter this season and on the field way more. His versatility will be something to watch with his ability to play any of the three defensive back positions and at a high level. He cross-trained in the spring at nickel and learned it at a high level; that will only elevate his game.

Then you look at his attention to detail, his learning from Coach Sunseri, and his desire to implement his teachings into his game, and you have a player who will be playing free and with no questions.

The last reason he could be a marquee player is that this new scheme fits his type of play: fast, physical, and violent. You can go back to the Cedartown days and see how Harris used to play and put his body on the line for his team. Now, he will get a chance to do more of it in this aggressive style of defense. That should make for a breakout year for the sophomore. 

“I’ve been very pleased with him. Very pleased with Tae. Love that kid. He’s an unbelievable kid. Going on three years now—last year and the year prior recruiting him. He’s one who should have played more last year. He should have played a lot more last year. Look, that’s on me. But that won’t happen this year. Tae will be out there. He’s explosive. He’s fast. He’s a great communicator. He’s really improved from that standpoint of communication.I think, also, he’s been playing next to Savion really every day now for, what, 30-something practices? That continuity they’re starting to have—and then the other guys in the back end,” said Key.