Georgia Tech Football fall camp position previews: Defensive End

Who will emerge as Georgia Tech's top pass rusher in 2023?

Author:
Jackson Caudell
Publish date:
Jul 28, 2023 5:05 PM EDT

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One of the top storylines to follow for Georgia Tech during fall camp this year will be the pass rush and the edge rush position. The Yellow Jackets are losing Keion White, who was selected in the 2nd round of this year's NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, but White is the only significant loss. It is never easy replacing a talent like that, but some players could be ready to have a breakout season finally.

Let's break the position down.

The guy that is likely in line for an increased role this season is Sylvain Yondjouen, who just spoke at this year's ACC Media Days. Yondjouen had 23 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season, but those numbers should rise this season. Yondjouen received a 67.0 grade on PFF (Pro Football Focus) last season on 300+ snaps.

It should be no surprise that Yondjouen is drawing inspiration from the season that White had last year:

"It gives me a lot of motivation to keep working hard because I saw Keion at the beginning of the season or even when he transferred, at first he didn't really play a lot, and then he played way more last year. Just seeing him work every day, he would come in, get treatment, get in the hot tub, get stretched before everybody, after everybody, stayed longer after workouts, and it just shows that if you put your mind to it and you keep working for it, it will pay off. That's what I'm trying to do just like him. Just keep working, head down, and we'll see where I get. Yeah, I'll put 100 every time."

If Yondjouen has one spot, who could have the other?

This spring, defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker talked about the competition at the position and mentioned names to keep an eye on:

"Yeah, I'll give you names. Noah Collins, Kyle Kennard, and Kevin Harris have an opportunity to have real downs and have some experience. They are literally in a three-headed competition. At some point they have been with every group in first, second, or third string. This offseason is huge as far as them understanding the position and I would argue that one of the most complex positions is the rush position as far as what we ask them to do."

Collins finished 2022 with 16 tackles and zero sacks on 207 snaps, Kennard finished with 36 tackles and two sacks on 527 snaps, and Harris finished with only two tackles. All three are going into their junior season and this is a chance for all three players to show they can take a step forward and it is going to be needed. It is no secret that the entire defense suffers when there is no pass rush and with the schedule that Georgia Tech plays, there are going to have to be edge rushers that take a big step this season.

Josh Robinson only played 86 snaps last season, but fall camp is going to give him a chance to shine.

Georgia Tech did bring in two transfers on the defensive line this offseason.

Eddie Kelly (USF) and Etinosa Reuben (Clemson) are going to be factors up front this season. Reuben could wind up playing more snaps on the inside, but I am going to include him here since he played both in the spring.

Kelly played one season for the Bulls and he totaled 19 tackles, a fumble recovery, and a pass deflection last season. He is a talented player but is light on experience.

Reuben is a former three-star recruit and top 500 player from Park Hill South High School in Missouri. Here is what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn had to say about Reuben when he was coming out of high school:

"Interesting frame because of length and shoulder width. A bit of a tweener between defensive end/defensive tackle. Can play defensive end or add weight and move to defensive tackle. Good get-off at snap. Quick, violent hands makes it hard for blockers to engage. Strong and powerful when firing off ball. Can re-direct down line of scrimmage. Has some twitch. Covers ground well in first three steps. Good body control. Needs to add flexibility to bend. Developing technique and combining moves important to taking next step as player. Lower body strength development needed. Speed chasing down plays must improve. Multi-year contributor with starting ability at elite program if off-field development continues. Late round NFL draft pick or free agent."

During his time with the Clemson Tigers, Reuben tallied 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Reuben had his best season in 2021, when he totaled 2.5 sacks and 14 tackles. According to PFF (Pro Football Focus), Reuben played 192 snaps in 2021 and finished with a 72.2 grade, with a 68.5 grade in run defense and a 69.8 pass rushing grade. With the Tigers defensive line healthier, Reuben only saw 56 total snaps during the 2022 season according to PFF.

Based on where he spent the majority of his time at Clemson, I think Reuben is going to line up inside at defensive tackle. In 2021, PFF charted Reuben as playing 129 of his snaps at defensive tackle and 41 of those snaps as a nose tackle.

There are two freshmen to keep an eye on. Malcolm Pugh and Ezra Odinjor were members of the 2023 recruiting class and while it is tough to get on the field as a freshman, never count anyone out.

I think Yondjouen, Kennard, Collins, Kelly, and Harris are going to get most of the snaps on the edge this season, but there are questions marks about this group until a couple of guys step up and help give Georgia Tech solid play on the edge. Watch this position closely this fall.

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