James Franklin's first season at Virginia Tech is going to be one with a difficult schedule. The Hokies will open up with three non-conference games before things get going for real with a nine-game ACC slate.
Right in the middle of the ACC slate is a home game with Georgia Tech after road games at Boston College and California and a home game against Pittsburgh. The Hokies will be looking for some revenge after a loss in Atlanta last season. However, when coach Brent Key brings the Yellow Jackets to Blacksburg in mid-November, he will be doing so with hopefully some answers at quarterback.
Gone is Haynes King, and Georgia Tech is looking to turn the keys over to Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza, younger brother of Fernando, who led the Hoosiers to the National Championship last season. However, don't ask Key what Alberto does good and not so good.
Georgia Tech faces questions at quarterback entering 2026
When a quarterback transfers in and looks to win the starting job, it's always a feeling-out period between the player, coach, and teammates. However, there is no doubt that the talent is there for him to be good despite not starting a game yet. Don't ask Key about what his redshirt sophomore can and can't do.
"I don't know. He hasn't started a college football game yet,'' said Key. "I mean, he throws it. I mean, he hasn't started a college game. You think I'm going to sit here and tell you everything he does and does well and doesn't do well? He's smart, cerebral. Sees the whole field, can get us in and out of good plays, bad plays. He's accurate, has a good release.''
Georgia Tech has a daunting early-season schedule ahead of it, opening the season against Colorado and Tennessee. That's followed by a game against Mercer and ACC games with Stanford and Duke before they visit Virginia Tech. They will have a good idea of what Mendoza can and can't do. Getting after him is something the Hokies should do early and often.
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