Let’s move to the defense!
Season Review
Last season, Georgia Tech’s defense really struggle against the run. They allowed a 44.7% success rate on rush attempts. Additionally, the defensive line only accounted for 13.5 sacks, and over half of those are gone. It’s definitely a group with a lot of room for growth.
Who’s Gone?
The two most notable guys who left this offseason were Edge Kyle Kennard who led the Yellow Jackets with 6 sacks last year and DT D’Quan Douse who has been a mainstay in the Tech defensive line for a few years now. DL Eddie Kelly and Edge Noah Collins also left through the transfer portal. Kennard (South Carolina) and Kelly (Missouri) both find themselves in the SEC while Douse made his way up to Lansing to go to Michigan State. Collins transferred to Arkansas State.
Who’s Returning?
Although Georgia Tech returns several players along the defensive line, the main one I want to mention here is the return of oft-injured DL Sylvain Yondjouen. When the Belgian DL has been healthy, he’s been an absolute force for Georgia Tech’s defensive line. If he can stay healthy, he could be a big part of the defensive line this offseason.
Who’s New?
It’s an exciting time as Georgia Tech brings in a number of talented players to join the defensive line. Starting with the transfers, the Yellow Jackets add two players who are each on their third school: DT Thomas Gore (started at Georgia State before transferring to Da U) and Edge Romello Height (started at Auburn before transferring to USC(w)).
Gore put up some solid numbers at Georgia State before transferring to Miami. Over four seasons, he collected 22 TFL and 11 sacks. He served primarily as a reserve at Miami but still had 4 TFL and 2 sacks. Height is a guy that Georgia Tech initially pursued out of high school. Last season, he appeared in 12 games for USC and collected 6 TFL and 4 sacks in limited playing time. It’s also worth noting that he missed most of 2022 due to a shoulder injury. He is a guy that has a lot of potential and could be a really key addition to the Yellow Jackets’ defensive line.
Joining this group are incoming freshmen Edge Jordan Boyd, Edge Amontrae Bradford, Edge Uche Iloh, and DT Landen Marshall. A few things worth noting about this group:
- Boyd ran an 11.40 second 100-meter dash. For comparison, former GT quarterback Justin Thomas ran a 10.79 second 100-meter dash.
- Bradford ranked as the No. 41 edge rusher in the nation by 247Sports Composite and finished last season with 75 tackles, 9 TFL, and 5 sacks.
- Iloh started playing football as a sophomore and finished his high school career with 180 tackles, 37 TFL, 23 sacks, and 8 pass break-ups.
- Marshall ranked as the 35th-best player in Alabama and won a state championship during his junior season.
Season Outlook
As I mentioned, this is a group with a lot of room for growth. There are a couple spots that are pretty solidified but I wouldn’t be too surprised to see mostly open competition and a lot of shuffling along the defensive line as the coaching staff tries to determine the best group.
Projected Starters:
- Base end – Sylvain Yondjouen
- Defensive tackle – Makius Scott or Shymeik Jones
- Nose tackle – Zeek Biggers
- Edge – Romello Height or Kevin Harris
How do you see Georgia Tech’s defensive line shaking out?