Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta will host the season opener between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. It gives the Buffaloes the perfect avenue to begin their revenge mission in the 2026 season. Beyond the need to bounce back from the woeful performance of last season, they also owe a debt of revenge to Georgia Tech, after suffering a 27-20 home defeat in Boulder last year. However, the Yellow Jackets are not slacking, as a Colorado insider has now warned Deion Sanders of their plans in 2026.

“When I talk to people in the city,” Philip Dukes said on DNVR Buffs. “They feel as if they’re gonna kick Colorado’s a–. That’s how they feel. That’s the consensus in the city, and there are a lot of people that feel as if it’s gonna be the same offense, but it’s not.  George Godsey is gonna run more of a pro-style deal. It is him and Chris Weinke who was there last year.

“But their core concept if you want to look at what Georgia Tech is going to run. Look more so to what they did when Aaron Philo was the quarterback a couple of years ago, after Haynes King got hurt, when they started throwing around a little bit and ran more play action. That’s kind of where you’ll see Georgia Tech.”

Dukes’ analysis of the Yellow Jackets was as detailed as though he were the program’s offensive coordinator. However, he did not hesitate to cuss the Yellow Jackets out for believing they could defeat the Buffaloes. Rather than a good analysis for Georgia Tech, it turned out his statement was more of an exposure of the offensive strategy of the Yellow Jackets. Perhaps, coach Sanders might find it before the two programs clash on September 3rd.

When the programs played against each other last season, it was barely a month after Sanders became cancer-free. And there was no way the situations around the program would not affect them on the field, as it ended in a sad loss. But beyond the loss to Georgia, the Buffs lost eight more games to close their season with a 3-9 record. On the other hand, Georgia Tech finished with a 9-4 record. If the Yellow Jackets were good last year, Duke’s analysis points out the appointment of George Godsey as a reason why they would be better in 2026.

George Godsey was hired by the program — his alma mater — early this year after four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens as the tight ends coach. He worked in the same role at the Miami Dolphins and has been OC, TE, or QB coach at the Houston Texans, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions. With such impressive experience and a reputation for his offensive style of runs and play actions, Georgia Tech’s offense has the potential to be even more dangerous next season.

Godsey’s demands will not be so strange to the Yellow Jackets, whose 2025 starting quarterback scored more rushing touchdowns than passing touchdowns. And even when Haynes King was absent, Aaron Philo blended in well with notable play actions that led to him throwing for a school record 373 yards in his first career start against Gardner-Webb. If anything, it is a proof that Godsey’s style has been ingrained into the Yellow Jackets long before his arrival. And with him, the extra spice is the pro-style.

The Colorado Buffaloes are not hopeless in all of these. Deion Sanders and his players are clearly on a revenge mission, and it is not a secret within the program. Director of Player Personnel Darius Darden-Box, in a video with Deion Sanders Jr., has promised a Colorado team that looks more like the 2024 team that featured Heisman Trophy Winner Travis Hunter and Sheduer Sanders.

Georgia Tech’s QB room

Philip Dukes also highlighted the most important piece of the puzzle: the quarterback room of the Yellow Jackets. The program just saw its 2025 QB1 transition to the NFL, where he joined the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent. Haynes finished 10th in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting, and won the ACC Player of the Year, with a record of 3,920 total yards (2,967 passing and 953 rushing), 29 touchdowns (14 passing, 15 rushing) and a 69.8% percent pass completion percentage. However, Dukes claimed the current crop of QBs and RBs is believed to be one of the nation’s best.

“They feel like they have one of the best backs in the country in Justice Haynes and Alberto Mendoza,” Dukes added. “They feel like he’s going to have a meteoric rise similar to his brother, like nobody is watching for him. He was named the starter already at their quarterback battle. They feel like he’s the guy. He’s the real guy.”

Dual-threat QB Alberto Mendoza joined Georgia Tech from Indiana in January, after Josh Hoover transferred to Indiana. Even with limited action, he passed for 286 yards, five touchdowns, and 75% pass completion rate. Running back Justice Haynes also joined via the transfer portal after rushing for 857 yards and 10 touchdowns at Michigan in 2025.