Way-Too-Early Georgia Tech Opponent Preview: Week Two vs Tennessee

Georgia Tech is not going to ease into the 2026 season with an easy schedule.

The Yellow Jackets are going to play 11 power four opponents during the 2022 season, including two from the SEC. First up is going to be a massive week two home game vs Tennessee. This is the first time that the two programs have met since 2017, an overtime thriller that went the Vols way.

While the Yellow Jackets are opening the year with Colorado, Tennessee is going to be opening the year with Furman and we might not know a lot about the Volunteers until they come to Atlanta for a primetime kickoff.

It might be early, but how do these teams matchup on paper heading into the season?

Georgia Tech’s offense vs Tennessee’s defense

Tennessee’s defense was one of the main reasons they made the College Football Playoff in 2024, but they took a step back in 2-25. That resulted in a coordinator change and one of the top defensive minds in the country is taking over in Knoxville.

Jim Knowles, who was with Penn State last season and was previously the defensive coordinator during Ohio State’s national championship run in 2024, will be the defensive playcaller next season. While Knowles has been an elite coordinator during his career, it has been pointed that at most stops, it takes his defenses until year two to really take a step forward.

Both of Georgia Tech’s first two opponents are going to have new defensive coordinators.

Without prized transfer acquisition Chaz Coleman, what will Tennessee’s defensive line look like?

Tyree Weathersby, Mariyon Dye, and Jordan Norman will be counted on to pressure the opposing quarterbacks and I think that Tennessee has a very nice defensive tackle duo of Daevin Hobbs and Penn State transfer Xavier Gilliam. With Georgia Tech having three new starters on the offensive line following the departures of Keylan Rutledge, Joe Fusile, Harrison Moore, and Tana Alo-Tupuola, this will be an advantage for the Vols.

I think that Tennessee’s linebacker group is going to be one of the best in the country and will be an interesting challenge for Georgia Tech. Transfer Amare Campbell, Arion Carter, Jeremiah Telander, and Edwin Spillman make up one of the best defensive units that Georgia Tech might see all season, and they might be the most important position on the field because of Georgia Tech’s running back duo of Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley.

What about the secondary for Tennessee?

Ty Redmond had a fantastic freshman season for the Vols and should be a starter at cornerback. There are a couple of transfers also in the mix, including former Miami DB Jadais Richard and former Auburn transfer Kayin Lee. Tre Poteat is another cornerback worth watching.

While there might be some youth at the cornerback spot, Tennessee has some experience to lean on when it comes to safety.

Seniors Qua Moss (Kansas State transfer) and TJ Metcalf (Michigan transfer) project as starters for the Volunteers this season and I think they are going to be instant impact players. Former Penn State safety Dejuan Lane is another name to know and obviously has familiarity with Knowles and Anthony Poindexter. App State transfer DJ Burks is a veteran name to know.

So how will Georgia Tech plan to attack this defense?

It is going to be a challenge. The Yellow Jackets will be in their second game with George Godsey as the OC and Alberto Mendoza as the quarterback. Having to face a defense as talented as this with an experienced playcaller like Knowles is going to present a big challenge for the Yellow Jackets’ offense.

How well can Georgia Tech run the ball in this game? Haynes and Hosley are among the nation’s best duos, but the Tennessee front seven is going to be an imposing one for a Georgia Tech offensive line that is going to have three new starters. I think how well Georgia Tech can run the ball and control the pace of the game is going to be key.

Tennessee has shown in recent years they can play different styles on offense and does not have to be boxed into the high-flying passing attacks that Josh Heupel is known for and if Georgia Tech wants to make this a ball control type of game, given Tennessee’s quarterback situation, I think the Volunteers will be fine with that.

Coming into the season, Georgia Tech’s wide receiver position is my biggest concern and in a game like this, will they be able to take enough pressure off Haynes and Hosley by hitting some explosives down the field? Jordan Allen is the only receiver or tight end from last year’s team who caught a pass for Georgia Tech and they are going to be relying on inexperienced players out wide and newcomers at tight end.

Godsey, Key, and the rest of the offensive stafff are going to have their work cut out for them on that side of the ball in this game.

Georgia Tech’s defense vs Tennessee’s offense

In case you have not heard by now, Tennessee is going to have a new starting quarterback this season after last year’s starter Joey Aguilar was denied another season of eligibility.

This is going to be an old school quarterback battle between two quarterbacks that Tennessee recruited out of high school. After not landing a transfer, it will be either redshirt freshman George MacIntyre or true freshman Faizon Brandon as the signal caller for the Vols this season.

It will be the first road start for either player and the first start against a power four team. Brandon has the recruiting pedigree and NFL talent, but is a true freshman going to be ready so soo? MacIntyre has a slight experience edge over Brandon, but he did not run away from the competition in the spring. This will be a storyline to watch closely as we get closer to week two.

There is going to be a good supporting cast around whoever is starting at quarterback.

DeSean Bishop is one of the best running backs in the country and was an All-SEC player last season. He is going to test a Georgia Tech run defense that is hoping to be much better than last season and because of the quarterback situation, I think Bishop is going to be leaned on heavily in this game.

Former five star wide receiver Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley have a case to make as one of the top duos in the SEC, but they are losing Chris Brazzell II to the NFL. Incoming five star wide receiver TK Keys is going to be an option, as is sophomore Radarious Jackson. Ethan Davis, DaSaahn Brame, and South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas are the names to know at tight end.

Tennessee is bringing back an experienced offensive line this season. Sophomore David Sanders Jr, Wendell Moe Jr, Shamurad Umarov, Sam Pendleton, and Jesse Perry are all back, and those four players logged at least 480 snaps last season,, with Umarov, Pendleton, Moe, and Perry all playing at least 689 snaps.

Jason Semore is going to be tasked with creating havoc and confusing Tennessee’s young quarterbacks.

Georgia Tech feels like they have the defensive line and personnel to do that and should be much improved on that side of the ball this season.

The Yellow Jackets added a lot of size up front and Brent Key was ecstatic this spring about the progress the group had made. Transfers Noah Carter, Taje McCoy, Jordan Walker, Tawfiq Thomas, Vincent Carroll-Jackson, and Tim Griffin are all hoping to make Georgia Tech a more physical team on the line of scrimmage, but they are going to need more than just that.

The linebackers for Georgia Tech are going to need to play much better this season and they will be on a tough assignment against Bishop and this run game.

With Tennessee’s unique offense, particularly the passing attack, this is going to be the most interesting test for Georgia Tech’s secondary this season.

Overall

Tennessee is going to enter this game as the more talented team, but they have certain questions that might make them vulnerable. None are bigger than quarterback.

Georgia Tech of course has its fair share of new faces and question marks, but given this will be only the second start for whoever is at QB for Tennessee, Georgia Tech plays well at home under Key, and the Yellow Jackets perform well as the underdog under Key, underestimate Georgia Tech at your own peril in this one.

Tennessee deserves to be favored in this game, but I think Georgia Tech might have a better shot than you think at pulling this upset off.