Georgia Tech Football: Ranking the ACC Coastal's Linebacking Groups
Up next in the Coastal Division rankings series are the linebackers, a position that Georgia Tech is going to return experienced players to.
Unlike some of the other positions, most of the Coastal teams return multiple experienced players at the linebacker position. Georgia Tech is one of those teams. Charlie Thomas and Ayinde Eley are back for their senior seasons and they are going to be looked at to be the leaders of the defense.
So how does the linebacker group from Georgia Tech compare to the rest of their division rivals? I ranked the ACC Coastal linebacker groups below.
ACC Coastal Linebacker Rankings
ACC Coastal Linebackers
ACC Coastal Linebackers
7. Virginia
While most teams in the Coastal return plenty of experience at the linebacker positions, Virginia is one of the few teams that lacks experience at linebacker.
The good news for the Cavaliers is that senior linebacker Nick Jackson is back after having a solid year in 2021. Look for transfers like Chico Bennett from Georgia Tech and Jack Camper from Michigan State to provide a boost to an inexperienced group.
Virginia could be ranked higher on this list by the season's end, but inexperience puts them last in the division.
6. Duke
With so much turnover at nearly every position, Duke is going to rank last at most positions in the division because of a lack of experience and talent. They have just enough to keep them out of last place, but there is still an uphill battle for the Blue Devils' linebackers to climb this year.
Senior linebacker Shaka Heyward led the team in tackles last season and will likely do so again. Dorian Mausi is a solid player to have alongside him and both players will hope to provide new head coach Mike Elko with a solid foundation for 2022.
5. North Carolina
The Tarheels are going to be plenty inexperienced at linebacker, but they have one of the ACC's best linebackers leading the defense with Cedric Gray returning.
Noah Taylor and Power Echols are the other projected starting linebackers for Gene Chizik in his return as defensive coordinator. Like the rest of North Carolina, this group has potential, but there are plenty of questions.
4. Miami
This is by far the weakest position on the Hurricane's defense, but they have experience.
Corey Flagg Jr is back for another season, alongside veteran linebacker Waynmon Steed, but both players struggled with missed tackles. UCLA transfer Caleb Johnson hopes to provide help, but he also had a lot of missed tackles while with the Bruins.
Expect this group to be solid, but not spectacular.
3. Georgia Tech
The strength of the Georgia Tech defense will be the linebacker group thanks to the experience of Thomas and Eley. Linebacker is one of the few positions that Georgia Tech did not add transfers to this offseason and those two players are the reasons why.
While both players are experienced, they are going to have to play better. Georgia Tech's defense was bad last season and their linebackers have to be more effective if the Yellow Jackets want to improve on that side of the ball.
2. Pitt
The Panthers have one of the best linebackers in the ACC and the country in SirVocea Dennis and he is in for a huge season. Talented replacements are in line to replace some of the experience that the Panthers lost from their ACC title team from a year ago.
Bangally Kamara and Solomon DeShields are breakout candidates for Pitt and I think they will help solidify the defense.
1. Virginia Tech
It might surprise some to see Virginia Tech here, but new head coach Brent Pry is going to have a nice group to work with to help turn this defense.
Dax Hollifield is the headliner of the group, but the Hokies have multiple talented linebackers. Alan Tisdale and Keshon Artis are going to help round out the best linebacking group in the ACC Coastal.
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