Week one did not go the way that Georgia Tech had envisioned. The Yellow Jackets did not play their best (to put it nicely) against Colorado on Thursday night, but they still had multiple chances to get the win and could not. Now Brent Key is hoping to avoid a 0-2 start to the season when Georgia Tech welcomes No. 20 Tennessee.
With the game now in their rearview mirror, which players stock saw a climb and which saw a hit taken?
Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Alberto Mendoza (15) drops back to pass against the Colorado Buffaloes in the first half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It was far from perfect, but I would make the case that the play of Alberto Mendoza was one of the few positive things to come out of this game.
Mendoza finished the night 17-for-23 for 237 yards and no turnovers. He did not have a touchdown or contribute to the run game, but Mendoza made some nice throws and processed the game well for his first career start.
There were a lot of unknowns coming into Thursday night when it came to Mendoza and how he would play, but he showed he is capable of being a starter and he has plenty of room to grow as well. Tennessee is a more talented defense than Colorado, so Mendoza will have to play his best.
Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets running back Justice Haynes (22) rushes the ball against Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Boo Carter (6) at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After the hype that this unit had coming into the season and the emphasis that Brent Key places on it, this was a disastrous showing in week one.
Due credit should be given to Colorado and how their defense was able to play, but the running game needs to be better or Georgia Tech is going to have a very long season. The Yellow Jackets finished with just 51 yards on 30 carries and neither Justice Haynes or Malachi Hosley could get anything going.
It would be foolish to count them out completely and to say they won't improve, but Thursday night has their stock trending down.
The defense had its fair share of problems on Thursday, but the secondary was a bit better than expected, and second-year safety Tae Harris was a part of that.
Harris finished the game with eight tackles and was one of the higher-graded players on Pro Football Focus. Harris and Savion Riley were the only safeties who saw snaps, and they led the way for the inexperienced group, and Harris had a pretty encouraging performance to build on.
It would not be out of line to say this was the worst offensive line performance of the Brent Key era.
The running game was abysmal, but somehow the pass protection was probably worse. Mendoza was sacked three times, and left tackle Ethan Mackenny and center Jameson Riggs were the two lowest-graded players on the offense, according to PFF.
There was not a lot of good to say about this group aside from the fact that there is nowhere to go but up. A very challenging opponent awaits them on Saturday.
After converting from being a cornerback, Penson had a solid debut as a wide receiver for the Yellow Jackets.
Penson finished the game with 73 yards receiving on three catches and the bulk of his yards did come on a 42-yard catch and run to put Georgia Tech into position to potentially win the game.
Was it an outstanding game? No, but Penson showed he has ability and could get better as the year goes on.
After all the talk from the coaching staff about the improvement of the defensive line and front seven, this was not a good way to debut.
Colorado was the more physical team and ran the ball better than Georgia Tech did and in the second half, the Yellow Jackets could not get a stop in critical situations. They finished with a 0% run stuff rate and only one sack.
The Colorado run game is improved year-over-year, but Tennessee is a far greater challenge and if no improvements are made, it could be a long night in Atlanta.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/georgiatech as Georgia Tech Stock Report: Who is Rising and Falling After Week 1 .
