Georgia Tech Football Transfer Profile: Etinosa Reuben

What will Etinosa Reuben bring to Georgia Tech's defensive line in 2023?

Jackson Caudell | Feb 16, 2023

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Georgia Tech has brought in 12 new transfers to the program and the Yellow Jackets are hoping that each of them can make an impact this season as Tech tries to make it back to a bowl game for the first time since 2018. I think it would be a good idea to take a deep dive into each one and assess the chances that they make an impact next fall.

I talked about Georgia Tech's newest addition at the quarterback position in a recent article and now I want to transition to the other side of the ball. Georgia Tech brought in three defensive players to help replace guys like Keion White, Charlie Thomas, and Ace Eley and all of them have a chance to be instant impact players next season.

Let's talk about Clemson defensive line transfer Etinosa Reuben.

According to 247Sports, Reuben is the highest-rated transfer out of the 12 that Georgia Tech brought in and he is hoping to make an impact on the defensive line for the Yellow Jackets. He was given a rating of 88 as a transfer.

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.

So where will Reuben line up for the Yellow Jackets?

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. Georgia Tech is returning two experienced defensive tackles (D'Quan Douse and Makius Scott) who seemed to get better as the season went on and if Reuben can step in and provide some depth there, that is going to make the defensive line a strength for Georgia Tech. Guys like Zeek Biggers, Akelo Stone, and Jason Moore are also going to challenge for playing time and I am optimistic that this group will be a plus for Georgia Tech in 2023.

If it is needed, I think Reuben could line up outside at end, but it might not be where his skillset is best used. He could be a guy that can get consistent pressure up the middle, which makes the entire defense much better.

Reuben is going to have a chance to shine for Georgia Tech this season and give depth up front to a defensive line that hopes to create plenty of havoc this season under new defensive line coach Marco Coleman.

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