Georgia Tech Football: Mid-Season Report For The Secondary
We are close to wrapping up our midseason report card series for Georgia Tech and the last position on defense that we have to grade is the secondary.
Be sure to check out our report cards for linebackers, defensive line, offensive line, tight end, wide receiver, running back, and quarterback.
Secondary midseason grade: B
The Georgia Tech secondary is massively improved from where it was a year ago
Last year, Georgia Tech had one of the worst secondaries not only in the ACC but the entire country. With experienced starters like Tariq Carpenter, Juanyeh Thomas, and Tre Swilling departing, there were going to be a lot of new faces in the back of the Yellow Jackets' defense. There were also five defensive back transfers coming in as well.
The improvement from last year to this year has been pretty substantial. Georgia Tech is fourth in the ACC in passing defense, giving up 208 yards per game, and they are third in the ACC in defensive passing efficiency. Tech also ranks 30th in the nation with seven interceptions.
The starters have remained consistent this season in the secondary, until recently. Safety Jaylon King is still the leading tackler in the secondary with 32, but he suffered an injury in the game against Pittsburgh and is out for the season.
LaMiles Brooks has been the other starter at safety and Zamari Walton and Myles Sims have been the guys at cornerback. K.J. Wallace has been the main guy at nickel, but other guys have seen snaps there as well.
Walton is the leader in pass deflections with four, followed closely by Brooks, who has three.
Sims has been consistent in coverage this year and has 20 tackles, a pass deflection, and an interception.
K.J. Wallace has been an impact player for Georgia Tech as a transfer
Wallace has been a consistent player for the Yellow Jackets this season and one that has impressed me when I have watched. It is his first season with the team after transferring from Notre Dame and he has 24 tackles and one interception and consistently is in the right position in the secondary and around the ball carrier. Khari Gee is another transfer that has also seen an uptick in playing time and should see more in the second half.
Derrik Allen is another guy in the safety rotation and has 20 tackles for the season, along with an interception.
One guy to watch in the second half of the season is true freshmen Clayton Powell-Lee. Powell-Lee made the start for King after he went down with an injury and he responded with an eight-tackle game. Powell-Lee is going to be seeing plenty of playing time going forward with King out and he will have a chance to be an impact player.
Barring injury, I expect this unit to stay with the guys that have given them success. Brooks and Powell-Lee are likely to be the safeties going forward and Walton and Sims will remain at corner. Wallace has been the best guy at nickel, but Gee could get some snaps.
Overall, this unit is a lot better than last year and has gotten better with each game. They are not perfect but seem to be improving and will look to have an impactful second half of the season.
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