4. College Football News Preview 2020: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Defense 3 Things To Know
– There was an easy excuse for the offensive woes in the transition to a new coaching staff. There was no reason for the defense to be as bad as it was. It was last in the ACC in tackles for loss and sacks, and it allowed 432 yards and 32 points per game, giving up 38 points or more five times.
On the plus side, as many as 20 of the top 21 tacklers are expected to return to the 4-2-5 attack that has to start generating more big things behind the line.
– The Yellow Jackets came up with just 17 sacks with no one coming up with more than 2.5. Former Florida star recruit Antonneous Clayton got hurt early on in his career, but he’s expected to raise the level of the end play, and Kelton Dawson is a veteran who made 26 tackles last season.
Someone, though, has to be disruptive on the outside. There’s 300-pound size on the inside, but like the ends, the tackles have to do far more to help out a good-looking linebacking corps. David Curry and Charlie Thomas combined lead the team with 162 tackles, and Quez Jackson made a whole lot of plays in the rotation.
– The secondary has some players, but to keep harping on this, they need help from more of a pass rush. Tre Swilling is one of the ACC’s best cover-corners, and senior Tariq Carpenter was third on the team with 62 tackles from his safety spot. There’s depth along with good talent in the starting five, but generating more interceptions are a must from a group that picked off just five passes.