Georgia Tech Football: Defensive Line Mid-Season Report Card

How has the Georgia Tech defensive line performed this season?

Georgia Tech came into the season with big question marks on the defensive line after having one of the worst in the ACC in 2021. Keion White had struggled to stay healthy last year and veterans like Jared Ivey and Jordan Domineck transferred to SEC schools. The Yellow Jackets were going to need guys to step up. 

So far this season, White has been healthy and been the team's best pass rusher and different guys have contributed in different games. It has not been perfect by any means and there needs to be more consistency, but the pass rush has been better. The run defense is where this unit is weak, as Georgia Tech has one of the worst rushing defenses in the country. 

Let's take a look at the grade this unit gets and their performance this season. 

Defensive Line Mid-Season Grade: C+

Keion White has given Georgia Tech a healthy season so far in 2022 / Georgia Tech Athletics

The big difference from last year's defensive line is that White has been healthy this season. He missed eight games a year ago but now leads the Yellow Jackets in sacks with four, which is also top ten in the ACC. Finding a consistent guy on the other side has been a bit difficult, but there are signs that guys are improving. 

Sylvain Yondjouen had a solid game against Pitt and has 2.5 sacks this season. The guy that has drawn the most starts opposite of White has been Kyle Kennard, who has 19 tackles and one sack this season. Noah Collins is the other edge rusher getting significant snaps and has 15 tackles for the season. The pass rush from the edge has been better than it was last year, but still has room for improvement. 

D'Quan Douse and Makius Scott have been the main starters on the interior for Georgia Tech / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The interior of the defensive line has seen Makius Scott and D'Quan Douse be the main starters and both guys have been solid. Douse had his best game of the season against Pitt and consistently brought pressure against Panthers quarterback Kedon Slovis. The pair of defensive tackles only have 0.5 sacks between them and there has not been a consistent pressure from the interior or run-stopping force. 

Other interior linemen to mention include Zeek Biggers (15 tackles), Akelo Stone (six tackles and one sack), and T.K. Chimedza (five tackles). 

I would say the edge players have outperformed the interior of the line. The pass rush has been good on the edge, but the unit has a whole has had trouble stopping the run. Georgia Tech has the ACC's 13th ranked rushing defense and 108th nationally. The defensive line takes a big part in that. 

Overall, the unit is better then it was last year, but doing better against the run is going to be a big part of the second half of the season, especially against strong running teams like Florida State. 

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