NFL Draft 2026

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
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"They’ve earned the right to not be second guessed."
And here I thought that CFB chat rooms were, by definition, the place to "second guess", expressing one's opinion as we watch coach's decisions unfold.
My opinion is that Brent has made a mistake. Little bro is not $3mil better than Tech men Grady and/or Graham.
But my opinion is not "second guessing".... It is April ....so I am "First Guessing"
LOL!
Hope Mendoza is All-ACC and leads us to 10 wins....
Hence my final comment that discussion is good. Seems you’re more interested in proving a point that our coaches are making a mistake than exploring the thought process going into the decision-making. I’ll still go with the coaches knowing much more than we do.

You also don’t know what Mendoza was offered. That information is not public. Nor is your future tied to a decision about who is best suited to lead GT moving forward.

We are ignorant novices compared to those making the decisions. Key’s not making this decision in a vacuum. Weinke is one of the best QB coaches in the nation.

I take umbrage with the hubris of thinking we know more than they do. But, you’re right, that’s what discussion boards are for. Here we are discussing it.
 

GT1977!

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
33
Hence my final comment that discussion is good. Seems you’re more interested in proving a point that our coaches are making a mistake than exploring the thought process going into the decision-making. I’ll still go with the coaches knowing much more than we do.

You also don’t know what Mendoza was offered. That information is not public. Nor is your future tied to a decision about who is best suited to lead GT moving forward.

We are ignorant novices compared to those making the decisions. Key’s not making this decision in a vacuum. Weinke is one of the best QB coaches in the nation.

I take umbrage with the hubris of thinking we know more than they do. But, you’re right, that’s what discussion boards are for. Here we are discussing it.
Not right-fighting, here... I like your posts...
Taking "umbrage" is certainly OK with me...
Cignatti is a "coach"....who watched Mendoza II for a couple of years....he did not think little bro was next IU QB....
I hope Cignatti was wrong and Brent is right...
But, you gotta admit, if Indiana didn't think he was capable of starting for them, then Brent/Weinke sees something "Coach" Cignatti did not.
I hope Berto is Haynes King II and we win 10-11 games... I WANT to be wrong!!!!
 

GTBandit22

Helluva Engineer
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2,065
Not right-fighting, here... I like your posts...
Taking "umbrage" is certainly OK with me...
Cignatti is a "coach"....who watched Mendoza II for a couple of years....he did not think little bro was next IU QB....
I hope Cignatti was wrong and Brent is right...
But, you gotta admit, if Indiana didn't think he was capable of starting for them, then Brent/Weinke sees something "Coach" Cignatti did not.
I hope Berto is Haynes King II and we win 10-11 games... I WANT to be wrong!!!!
Cig has consistently said he values production over potential. Berto, by virtue of only being the backup, does not have production. I don’t think getting the best portal QB is the indictment on him that you do.
If you hold Cig in high regard, then maybe him recruiting him to JMU, then asking him to follow to IU, should be a positive sign. He could have left him at JMU if he didn’t believe in him.

This is all moot anyway, because we will get to see in September.
 

Root4GT

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6,025
Not right-fighting, here... I like your posts...
Taking "umbrage" is certainly OK with me...
Cignatti is a "coach"....who watched Mendoza II for a couple of years....he did not think little bro was next IU QB....
I hope Cignatti was wrong and Brent is right...
But, you gotta admit, if Indiana didn't think he was capable of starting for them, then Brent/Weinke sees something "Coach" Cignatti did not.
I hope Berto is Haynes King II and we win 10-11 games... I WANT to be wrong!!!!
Maybe it says Key & CCW didn't see what they wanted from Knowles, Adamson or Bergeron. None of us know how they are truly viewed by the coaches. Who actually plays the most this season will be the only way to say. there are 4 months left before the first game.
 

stinger78

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10,612
To me the bottom line is the guy who performs best plays and the others watch. That is premise 1. It’s (almost) always been that way. Premise 2 is coaches are always looking for better players. We should have no problem when these two premises are in action, and I don’t.

The potential issue is the corollary to premise 1, which is we love to see guys in the program develop into superior players - the George Godseys of the world. Therefore, we feel (at least I do) that short circuiting that development process is less satisfying, though it may be the best thing.

Two examples come to mind: John Dewberry and Tommy Luginbill. Stu Rogers was the heir apparent in 1983, but JD transferred over from UGAg, won the job, and played very well. OTOH, in 1994, Donnie Davis had waited his turn behind Shawn Jones and started in 1993 with mixed results. B*** L**** recruited TL as a transfer, and the team flat out quit. GOL finished the season as interim HC.

It can happen both ways, and I trust our coaches to make the right decision.
 
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g0lftime

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7,329
Good article. Sorry if it requires a subscription. Key specially mentions the need for bigger players.
There were a lot of fans that knew we were undersized on defensive line. We had one or two big guys but not enough. Key finally got around to trying to shore up that side of the line. He seemed to be focused more on the OL. Maybe it was his coaches that weren't recruiting well enough.
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
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10,623
Location
North Shore, Chicago
Not right-fighting, here... I like your posts...
Taking "umbrage" is certainly OK with me...
Cignatti is a "coach"....who watched Mendoza II for a couple of years....he did not think little bro was next IU QB....
I hope Cignatti was wrong and Brent is right...
But, you gotta admit, if Indiana didn't think he was capable of starting for them, then Brent/Weinke sees something "Coach" Cignatti did not.
I hope Berto is Haynes King II and we win 10-11 games... I WANT to be wrong!!!!
Cignatti went out and brought in a RS Senior with established bona fides for continuity sake. This has been his modus operendi from the jump. We don’t know how he felt about Mendoza other than he wasn’t willing to hitch his NC caliber program to him as a RS Sophomore. He brought in one of the top Portal QBs available.

Mendoza wanted his own opportunity and to be closer to home (Miami). I think he was offered an opportunity to come in and compete at GT and that the coaches thought he had a fair shot at being highly competitive for the starting roll.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Mendoza performed akin to King his first year here. He was obviously the best QB in the room, but needed a lot of polish in the system.

The biggest question is what is the ceiling with Mendoza and will he stick around. We don’t know the answers to those questions because it’s a year-to-year thing now. How he stays. Hope he’s super-successful.

I’m a huge Knowles fan, but I definitely have more faith in the coaches than I do in my fan judgement.
 

GT1977!

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
33
Cignatti went out and brought in a RS Senior with established bona fides for continuity sake. This has been his modus operendi from the jump. We don’t know how he felt about Mendoza other than he wasn’t willing to hitch his NC caliber program to him as a RS Sophomore. He brought in one of the top Portal QBs available.

Mendoza wanted his own opportunity and to be closer to home (Miami). I think he was offered an opportunity to come in and compete at GT and that the coaches thought he had a fair shot at being highly competitive for the starting roll.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Mendoza performed akin to King his first year here. He was obviously the best QB in the room, but needed a lot of polish in the system.

The biggest question is what is the ceiling with Mendoza and will he stick around. We don’t know the answers to those questions because it’s a year-to-year thing now. How he stays. Hope he’s super-successful.

I’m a huge Knowles fan, but I definitely have more faith in the coaches than I do in my fan judgement.
"Hope he’s super-successful."
Me too.
I am Grady fan but also like GK upside.... Oh well....we'll see how each does after they portal in "27 to Okie State and UTEP, respectively...
Hopefully, the freshman from LA hangs around..... but Tulane is already calling....
I hate the new college football....where nobody ever goes to class, there is no loyalty coach-to-players, and Haynes King is 25 yr old (soon to be 26) rookie in Carolina.....
Hope Mendoza turns out to be better than his brother because I love the Yellow Jackets......
 

Augusta_Jacket

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Staff member
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"Carolina Panthers: Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech
A six-year college player, King started his last three seasons at Georgia Tech — and turned into one of college football’s most productive dual-threat players in the process. He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash (with a 4.17 short shuttle and a 6.89 three cone) at the combine. He’s almost the same size (and nearly as old) as Taysom Hill was when he entered the league."
 

takethepoints

Helluva Engineer
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Cignatti went out and brought in a RS Senior with established bona fides the best QB in the country for continuity sake.
FIFY. With Hoover at QB I wouldn't be at all surprised to see IU win the National again.

Btw, those who don't believe me can look at any TCU film they want.
 

GTBandit22

Helluva Engineer
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2,065
FIFY. With Hoover at QB I wouldn't be at all surprised to see IU win the National again.

Btw, those who don't believe me can look at any TCU film they want.
He’s talented, but I thought he made some bad decisions in a lot of games- I watched a good bit of them last season. Their OL was in shambles and their running game was spotty because of it, so he had to sling it 40 times a game. He started strong but once they got into big 12 play, he struggled

I think they will have a step back. Mendoza was ice cold, and losing surrat and cooper as well as hemby and black will be tough to overcome. I know they got Turbo and other transfers- but it’s tough to replace all that talent and the number 1 draft pick
 

yeti92

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He’s talented, but I thought he made some bad decisions in a lot of games- I watched a good bit of them last season. Their OL was in shambles and their running game was spotty because of it, so he had to sling it 40 times a game. He started strong but once they got into big 12 play, he struggled

I think they will have a step back. Mendoza was ice cold, and losing surrat and cooper as well as hemby and black will be tough to overcome. I know they got Turbo and other transfers- but it’s tough to replace all that talent and the number 1 draft pick
I don't disagree, but was Mendoza even expected to be drafted prior to going to Indiana?
 
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