Georgia Tech Football Fall Camp position preview: Linebackers

Georgia Tech has a lot of production to replace at linebacker this season

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Jul 28, 2023 7:19 PM EDT

In this story:

Replacing multi-year starters that had 100 tackles each is not an easy task, but that is exactly what Georgia Tech must do in 2023.

Gone are both Charlie Thomas and Ace Eley and the competition to replace the two players is going to be something to watch in fall camp. Georgia Tech has some returning players mixed with additions from the transfer portal and it will be interesting to see how this position shakes out this season.

Eley and Thomas were not the only linebackers to depart this offseason. Former four-star linebacker Khatavian Franks entered the transfer portal this offseason.

Georgia Tech also has a new linebackers coach. Kevin Sherrer is the new co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and he brings with him plenty of experience from the NFL and the SEC.

Let's break down the position and start with the players returning.

Trenilyas Tatum is the first name that should be mentioned when talking about the linebacker competition. Tatum made one start last season in the game against UCF and finished the 2022 season with 31 tackles and one sack. He played 189 snaps last season and finished with a 60.7 grade on PFF (Pro Football Focus). Tatum is one of the favorites to land a starting job and even if he does not, he is going to factor into this team on the defensive side of the ball this season.

Redshirt sophomore Tyson Meiguez has been with the program for three seasons and could be ready to challenge for more playing time. Meiguez is a former three-star recruit in the 2020 class.

Kyle Efford is a redshirt freshman that had a solid spring. He talked about the competition and what the coaches are looking for out of each linebacker:

"Toughness. Obviously knowing your assignment and that kind of stuff. We are a close-knit group and we are all competing and we all know it is going to be a competition at the spot so we are going after it each and every day."

One of the attributes that both Thomas and Eley had last season was leadership. Efford said that right now, the leadership is coming from the group as a whole right now:

"I feel as if we all are stepping up right now. We are all still kinda feeling each other out but I feel like on the field, we are all still kinda just getting into it really. I can say that Dre, Braelen, Tyson (Meiguez)... I can't really specify who is taking that leadership role right now. We are all just kind of talking to each other.

What kind of role will Kyle Efford play for Georgia Tech in 2023?
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Let's transition and talk about the incoming transfers.

Andre White Jr is coming to Atlanta after spending four seasons in College Station and he is one of three transfers from A&M that is joining Brent Key's squad (Haynes King and Chase Lane are the others) and all three of these guys are hoping to be an instant impact player. White has traits that are similar to Thomas and that is what stands out the most to me.

White is a former four-star recruit from Harrisburg, PA, and here was his scouting report coming out of high school, courtesy of 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn:

"Tremendous frame with ability to add 15 pounds and play at 230. Can play inside or outside linebacker. Runs well and closing speed is impressive. Gets to full speed in a few steps. Movements are fluid and easy. Changes direction well. Explodes into gaps and plays physical. Can get off blocks and locate ball carrier quickly. Effective blitzer. Can chase a play to sideline. Good body control. Nice footwork when dropping into coverage. Drives through ball carrier when tackling. A big hitter with attitude. Upper body strength needs work. Must be consistent with wrapping up on tackles and keep his pad level low at contact. Two- or three-year starter at top 20 Power 5 school. Third- or fourth-round draft pick."

I think his speed and running ability is something that stands out about White. One of the things that Thomas did well during his career was close in on ball carriers with speed and pressure the quarterback and that is evidenced by his 10 career sacks. I think that White can replicate some of that on the field and that kind of ability is why ESPN's Bill Connelly named White as one of his 10 favorite ACC players heading into the season:

"Generally, averaging havoc plays (TFLs, passes defended, forced fumbles) on more than 1.5% of your snaps is pretty good. In seven games with A&M last year, White averaged 3.0%. Give him a starring role and watch him post star-level numbers."

White has the potential to step in and contribute right away.

Minnesota transfer Braelen Oliver played his high school football in the state of Georgia and is now returning home to play for the Yellow Jackets.

Olliver played at Douglas County High School and was a member of the 2018 recruiting class. He committed to Minnesota and was redshirted in his freshman season in 2018. Oliver played in every game during the 2019 season before missing the entire 2020 season with an injury.

Oliver bounced back from the injury in 2021 and 2022 but transferred to Georgia Tech after this past season.

In 2019, Oliver played a total of 211 snaps according to PFF (Pro Football Focus), and finished with a 42.4 grade on defense. He finished with a 56.9 grade in run defense, a 33.8 grade in tackling, a 73.0 pass-rushing grade, a 31.9 grade in coverage, had a 30.4 missed tackle percentage, and allowed 76.5 % of his targets in coverage to be caught for 315 yards and two touchdowns.

Those numbers are not great, but Oliver was still just a young player who was getting his first snaps as a defender in the Big Ten.

The bad thing for Oliver was that he missed the 2020 season. He had to come back in 2021 and try to have his breakout season.

It was not just any injury that Oliver went through either. Here is how it was described by Pioneer Press beat writer Andy Greder:

"[Oliver] tore multiple knee ligaments and his hamstring, dislocated his knee and had nerve damage going down his foot, causing foot drop, where lifting the foot can be a challenge."

The fact that Oliver was able to even play is amazing and a testament to what a hard-working player he is.

Oliver played more snaps in 2021 and did improve in some areas, but not in others. He played 279 total snaps and finished with a 49.5 grade on defense. His run defense grade regressed to 51.9, while his tackling grade improved to 53.3. His pass-rushing grade was 51.1, his coverage grade was 47.6, his missed tackle rate was 19.4 and he allowed 50% of his targets to be caught for 159 yards.

Because he was bouncing back from such a serious injury, it is tough to judge Oliver's 2021 season.

During his final season with the Golden Gophers, Oliver finished with a 58.0 grade, the best of his career in Minnesota. He set a career-high in snaps played with 345 and had a 58.8 run defense grade and a 40.6 grade on tackling. His pass-rushing grade was 54.4 and had a career-best 60.4 grade in coverage. He did have a 28.6 missed tackle percentage and allowed 82.4 % of his targets to be caught for 98 yards.

If he can stay healthy, I think Oliver could be a leader for Georgia Tech both on and off the field.

Braelen Oliver brings experience to Georgia Tech from Minnesota
MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK

Georgia Tech also brought in Rutgers transfer Austin Dean. Last season, Dean (6'2, 225 LBS) registered 18 tackles. He is a former three-star recruit in the 2020 class and played his high school football at Berkeley Prep in Tampa, FL.

Along with Dean, White Jr, and Oliver, former Notre Dame and Idaho linebacker Paul Moala is joining the mix as well.

Moala started his career as a three-star recruit (247Sports) from Mishawaka, IN. He played for three seasons as a member of the Fighting Irish, totaling 22 tackles. He transferred to Idaho last season and had a career-high 44 tackles, two sacks, and three interceptions.

Ashton Heflin was a member of Georgia Tech's 2023 recruiting class and he made plays during the spring game and I would not be surprised if he sees playing time at some point this fall.

Heflin was the only freshman that went through spring practice and that gives him an edge over the others. Jacob Cruz and Nacari Ashley are talented, but this is a crowded room and it could be a redshirt year for them.

This is a competition that is going to be vital for this season. Tatum, White, and Oliver could be the favorites heading into camp, but Moala, Efford, and Meiguez should push for playing time. I am high on Heflin's potential and he might see the field on special teams soon.

Georgia Tech kicks off their season vs Louisville kicks off on Sept. 1st at 7:30 on ESPN.

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