Alberto Mendoza is ready to be his own quarterback at Georgia Tech
Alberto Mendoza has spent years preparing for his turn.
He watched his brother, Fernando, lead Indiana to a national championship and win the Heisman Trophy. He’s heard plenty about Haynes King earning ACC Player of the Year honors at Georgia Tech.
Now it’s Alberto Mendoza’s time.
Georgia Tech has not officially named its starting quarterback, but the redshirt sophomore is expected to take the first snap Sept. 3 against Colorado at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
He has not started a game since high school. He has not even played much in college, having thrown just 25 career passes.
But Georgia Tech co-offensive coordinator Chris Weinke said Mendoza already stands out on his own.
“The types of conversations you have with this guy are like having a conversation with an NFL quarterback,” Weinke said.
Mendoza spent last season as his brother’s backup at Indiana. Fernando Mendoza led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and was selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Alberto Mendoza transferred to the Yellow Jackets, where he quickly became the favorite to inherit the job held by King, a dual-threat quarterback now competing for a job with the Carolina Panthers.
Comparisons are unavoidable. But Mendoza isn’t trying to be anybody else.
“I’m just ready to go show people what I can do and just be me at the end of the day,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got to be is Alberto Mendoza. Nothing more, nothing less.”
The Yellow Jackets offensively were expected to operate differently this season without King. They’re also under the direction of offensive coordinator George Godsey, who arrived this offseason after coaching the past 15 years in the NFL.
Weinke said the Yellow Jackets playbook likely has “more volume in our offense that I would say anybody in the country.”
According to Weinke, most college offenses have three to five personnel groups. Georgia Tech will have 12 to 15. Most offenses have six to eight formations. The Yellow Jackets have 20 to 25. Add in shifts and motions, and Georgia Tech has upward of 250 plays it can call.
“With all that being said, there’s a burden on the quarterback,” Weinke said. “There’s a ton of verbiage, there’s a ton of volume and there’s a lot of players coming in and out.”
Mendoza said he wants that level of responsibility. And he has his brother to help him get comfortable in a pro-style offense. The two often talk by phone.
“We talk about some of the same (offensive line) protections, some of the same concepts,” Mendoza said.
“I’ve just got another opinion on how to do something and how to see it.”
It helps that the Yellow Jackets have a talented and deep group of running backs, headlined by Michigan transfer Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley. Weinke is adamant the offense is committed to the ground game.
But Mendoza still must provide enough through the air to create a balanced operation.
At 6-foot-2, Mendoza is three inches shorter than his brother and likely isn’t the same kind of runner as King, who had 36 rushing touchdowns over the past three seasons. Georgia Tech isn’t asking him to be either one.
Weinke, the 2000 Heisman winner at Florida State, calls Mendoza one of the smartest quarterbacks he’s been around. While some of the concepts that helped King succeed will remain, Weinke said, the Yellow Jackets have worked to reshape the offense to take advantage of Mendoza’s strengths.
Weinke expects his quarterback to be ready.
“This guy will not go into a test without being prepared and having the answers before the test,” Weinke said.
Mendoza has approached the transition with an attention to detail. He has gained the trust of coaches like Weinke during his short time in the program. Now he’s working to see how much farther that preparation can take him.
“I’m a perfectionist,” Mendoza said. “I want to know everything like the back of my hand, so I want every single little detail detailed out. I think there’s always more, but I think that I have a fairly good grasp. I mean, I can always get better, I can always learn more.”