Coming out of someone else’s shadow is one of the toughest challenges for anyone trying to build something for themselves. No one knows that better than Alberto Mendoza, who feels the pressure of his last name every single day. His brother, Fernando Mendoza, won the Heisman, led his team to a championship, and is now a projected No. 1 QB in the NFL Draft. Despite all that, Alberto is clear that his new journey has nothing to do with Fernando, and he is ready to make a name for himself.

“I mean, he’s Fernando Mendoza, I’m Alberto Mendoza; we’re two different people,” Georgia Tech’s QB Alberto Mendoza said to the media. “What he’s done is totally separate from what I’m going to do and what is expected of me. I mean, at the end of the day, I mean, I’m coming in here as Alberto Mendoza; no one really cares about my brother. That’s a whole other person; they don’t know him, and they don’t think about him.

“So I wasn’t recruited here because of Fernando; I was recruited here because of me. I’m excited to show what I can do; that’s the biggest reason why I’m at Georgia Tech now, to be able to get on the field and show what I can do this fall, and I’m really excited.”

Alberto Mendoza made one thing very clear: Georgia Tech took him because of his skills. It’s his dual-threat ability and accuracy that stood out for them. In 2025, he backed his brother and recorded 286 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception with a 99.8 QBR.

His rushing ability, which aligns with Haynes King’s, is also a significant part of his game. Last year, the 19-year-old rushed for 190 yards and one touchdown, making a 53-yard run against Maryland and a 58-yard run against Purdue. Now, this can help Georgia Tech as opponents will focus on their main running backs like Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley. In the meantime, he can run past defenders and make big plays.

On top of that, one thing Alberto Mendoza did to step out of his brother’s shadow was move out of Indiana, because the comparisons would never have stopped if he had stayed. Fernando Mendoza set a new standard there, becoming Indiana’s first Heisman winner and playing a key role in the team’s first title. So, creating his own space without comparisons was very important, even though Alberto had arrived at Indiana first.

But that doesn’t mean he didn’t learn anything from his brother. One thing that attracted Georgia Tech the most was his learning arc. Alberto Mendoza developed and learned from the No. 1 QB in the nation, Fernando Mendoza. Along with his skills, he also developed a selfless nature, putting his team first rather than seeking the limelight for himself. That’s precisely the kind of playmaker Georgia Tech needed.

And with Curt Cignetti bringing in transfer quarterback Josh Hoover from TCU, it became clear that Alberto Mendoza was not his first choice for QB1. As a result, he moved to Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football and might even start in the 2026 season, as he is already putting in immense effort toward that goal.

Alberto Mendoza’s spring practice

Georgia Tech is entering the season with hopes of a playoff run after losing to BYU last season. Now, after Haynes King moves to the NFL, things might fall directly on Alberto Mendoza’s shoulders. There are other QBs in contention, too, like Graham Knowles, Cole Bergeron, and Grady Adamson, but Mendoza brings the experience.

That’s exactly why making him comfortable in the offense is important for Georgia Tech. And the team is working towards it this spring, as Mendoza explains the entire process.

“As spring has gone on, I think we still have a lot of—I have a lot of places to improve,” Alberto Mendoza said. “The offense has a lot of room to improve, and I think it should just take that next step every day to be more comfortable in its center, which is really the biggest thing for me this spring, and I think we’re making strides, especially in the last couple of practices, just getting used to the offense, getting used to the guys, and the timing.”

This is a new transition for the entire team as they got George Godsey as their new offensive coordinator this season. So, building chemistry and learning offense are major tasks for them. The hype around Alberto Mendoza is pretty strong, but it remains to be seen whether he can outperform his brother, Fernando Mendoza, or whether the comparisons will always trouble him.