The defensive line for Georgia Tech is going to be missing one big piece next season in edge rusher Keion White, but the other major contributors up front are going to be back. There is going to have to be plenty of improvement with this group heading into 2023, but another offseason with coaches Larry Knight and David Turner could prove fruitful for the Yellow Jackets.
Losing White is a big deal though. He was the most consistent presence off the edge for the defense and his athleticism is going to be tough to replace. Last season, White was third on the team with 54 tackles and led the Yellow Jackets with 7.5 sacks, including a three-sack performance in the upset win against North Carolina.
The two players that I think will be exciting to watch next season are the defensive tackle duo of Makius Scott and D’Quan Douse. Both players started to turn the corner at the end of the season and will head into 2023 as the starters again. Douse finished the season with 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks, which was tied for second on the team with linebacker Ace Eley. Scott finished the year with 22 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
D’Quan Douse was second on the team with 3.5 sacks
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The edge position is where there is going to be a concern. With White gone, who is going to step up on the edge for the Yellow Jackets?
Kyle Kennard is going to have to take a step up next season. He has not been able to put it all together so far in his career at Georgia Tech and had only two sacks last season. He is going to be relied upon next season as a probable starter.
Sylvain Yondjouen has another year of eligibility left, but he did participate in Senior Day ceremonies and has not stated if he is going to return to Georgia Tech for another season as of today, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
There are several bodies at the edge position that Georgia Tech is going to need to take a step forward next season. Noah Collins (one sack in 2022), Kevin Harris, Christian Burkhalter, and Josh Robinson will all factor in and where these guys are getting reps in spring ball is going to potentially be telling of how the rotation could be next fall.
Makius Scott is going to be one of the leaders for the Georgia Tech defensive line next season
Georgia Tech Athletics
On the interior, I think the rotation behind Scott and Douse seems settled, but there are no guarantees. Akelo Stone, Jason Moore, and Zeek Biggers are going to be factoring in heavily with the rotation. Two guys I am anxious to see this spring are Horace Lockett and KJ Miles, two freshman defensive tackles that did not see many snaps this season. Both Miles and Lockett were two of the highest-rated players in Georgia Tech’s 2022 class and their improvement would be a welcome sight this spring and summer.
So what about the freshman class that Georgia Tech just signed? Could any of them factor into the defensive line rotation this fall?
With so many bodies up front, I think it is unlikely that any true freshman could be a big factor next fall. It is not impossible, but there are a lot of experienced players on the defensive line and experience can be hard to beat.
Shymeik Jones and Ezra Odinjor were two late additions to the 2023 class and both have talent on the edge. High school teammates Bryston Dixon and Malcolm Pugh both committed to the Yellow Jackets on signing day and I am a fan of Dixon and believe he will be a good player at some point for Georgia Tech.
There will be a lot of sorting out to do on the defensive line heading into next season. There are plenty of players that have played before for the Yellow Jackets, but none have made a big impact in their careers thus far. It is one of the most intriguing positions for this team going into spring and beyond.
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