Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets built their 2026 title push around a spectacular transfer portal backfield pairing: quarterback Alberto Mendoza from Indiana (33.4 PPA) and running back Justice Haynes from Michigan (34.0 PPA). That duo anchors an offense that grades out 28th nationally at +3.7 points per game, a significant jump that has Georgia Tech ranked 35th overall with a +5.5 rating entering the season. New offensive coordinator George Godsey, retained from the Baltimore Ravens, inherits a unit that lost receiver Isiah Canion (21.3 PPA) to Georgia and tight end Luke Harpring (13.2 PPA) to Florida, but added New Mexico State transfer tight end Gavin Harris (19.4 PPA) to help replace that production. The defense remains a work in progress under new coordinator Jason Semore, ranking just 48th nationally at +1.5 points.

JP+ projects 6.5 wins for the Yellow Jackets, who face a challenging slate with road trips to Georgia and Virginia Tech plus a home date with Tennessee among their toughest tests. The gap between Georgia Tech's preseason rating and that modest win total reflects both the ACC's competitive depth and questions about whether the defense can support the explosive offensive potential. If Mendoza and Haynes click immediately and the defense improves under Semore's system, this team has the ceiling to challenge for the ACC championship. If the defensive struggles persist and the new pieces take time to mesh, Georgia Tech settles into the middle of the conference pack despite the offensive firepower.