Georgia Tech football’s tight ends are built differently. That’s the point.

Chris Corbo has taken football along an unusual path.

The 6-foot-5 tight end has an Ivy League degree from Dartmouth, where he was twice named an FCS All-American. He transferred to Georgia Tech earlier this year and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration.

Earlier this week, Pro Football Network named Corbo the No. 2 tight end prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.

“You know, you never really realize what this game can do for you,” he said.

So, yes, Corbo is an interesting guy.

But he is hardly the only interesting tight end at Tech.

The Yellow Jackets have assembled a diverse group at the position, with Corbo joined by transfers Gavin Harris from New Mexico State and Spencer Mermans from Yale, along with redshirt freshman Kevin Roche Jr., a 6-foot-9 pass-catching target with considerable potential.

They don’t have the same backgrounds. They don’t have the same strengths. And they don’t do the same things on a football field.

That’s the point.

The Yellow Jackets are preparing to operate a new offense under coordinator George Godsey, a former NFL assistant who has brought a prostyle system with him to Atlanta.

Redshirt sophomore Alberto Mendoza is expected to take over at quarterback, and co-coordinator Chris Weinke said the offense could have more volume in its formations and plays than just about any offense in the country.

That puts particular responsibility on the tight ends.

The job, Tech’s tight ends coach Nathan Brock said, is to be ready for all of it.

“There’s guys that have different skill sets,” Brock said. “It’s our job to kind of put those puzzle pieces together and make sure that they’ve all got buy-in in their role and are ready to go.”

Roche may be the most obvious example of a player still figuring out exactly how he fits into it all.

At 6-foot-9, he has an advantage that can’t be taught. Tech is expected to use the Darien, Connecticut native as a target, particularly in the red zone. To become a more complete player, he has spent this year improving his blocking and adjusting to the expansive playbook.

“We can get on the field, line up, and have four different things that could happen or we might have to do,” Roche said.

Georgia Tech tight end Chris Corbo is seen with teammate Kevin Roche Jr., also a tight end, before a drill during a football practice on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Georgia Tech's practice facility. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Mermans provides a different skill set.

The Yale transfer is 6-foot-6, 260 pounds and isn’t shy about what he enjoys most about the position.

“Sometimes they’ve got me lined up in the backfield,” he said, “and I have a lot of fun getting back there and getting downhill on a d-end.”

Corbo is the most accomplished pass catcher in the group.

The past three seasons at Dartmouth, he had 86 receptions for 912 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Brock said Corbo has emerged as a leader in the room, a role that has developed despite Corbo missing time this spring because of injury.

“He’s played a lot of football,” Brock said. “He’s an older guy. He’s smart. He knows what to do. He knows where to be.”

Harris, meanwhile, may be the most versatile of the group at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds.

He totaled 857 yards and four touchdowns on 58 receptions over the past three seasons at New Mexico State, Central Michigan and Howard, averaging more than 15 yards per catch.

“I’m really excited for the year that we hope Gavin has,“ Brock said. ” ... He can do a little bit of everything. Can catch balls, can run, can block.”

The diversity of the group also means the tight ends won’t necessarily have the same role from week to week, or even from play to play.

Brock said some games a tight end might get 10 targets. Another game, he might not catch a pass at all. He might spend much of the action blocking at the line of scrimmage and protecting the quarterback.

The challenge is being ready for whichever role the offense demands.

“It goes back to that old word of ‘opportunity,’” Brock said. “It’s giving guys opportunities to find their role, right? Making sure the right guys are in for the right plays and those guys are finding that role.”

The Yellow Jackets kick off the season Sept. 3 against Colorado in Bobby Dodd Stadium. All of the tight ends from last season who caught passes are gone.