Everything You Need To Know About Georgia Tech's Defensive Line Entering Fall Camp

Simply put, Georgia Tech has to be better on defense if they hope to make a real run at the ACC Championship this season. The Yellow Jackets have been a prolific offensive team under Brent Key, but they have struggled to find their footing on defense, which is a problem that predates Key.

Georgia Tech has made investments in the defensive line this offseason, bringing in six transfers from the portal, and they hope that the upgrade in size, as well as the development of some younger players, is going to be enough to improve the defense.

Let's take a closer look at the defensive line as we get closer to fall camp.

Returners

DE Jordan Boyd (Jr)- Boyd has increased his snap count over the past couple of seasons and he could be ready for a breakout season on the edge in 2026. He finished with a 52.4 Pro Football Focus grade last season in 204 snaps, totaling one sack.

DE Amontrae Bradford (Jr)- Bradford has all of the tools to be an effective pass rusher and all-around player in the ACC and is someone I am watching closely. He finished with a 60.2 overall PFF grade in 258 snaps last season, finishing with 2.5 sacks.

DE Brayden Manley (Sr)- Manley did not have the kind of season that was expected after transferring over from Mercer, but is 2026 the year that he puts it together and becomes a feared pass rusher? In 347 snaps, Manley finished with a 66.8 overall grade on PFF. He is the leading returning pass rusher for Georgia Tech, totaling three sacks last season.

DE A.J. Hoffler (Sr)- Hoffler battled injuries last season after transferring over from Clemson and he finished the year with 1.5 sacks, as well as a 53.8 overall PFF grade in nearly 450 snaps last season. At the very least, he will provide veteran depth for this unit.

DE Andre Fuller Jr (Soph)- Fuller Jr saw some action as a true freshman, playing in 265 snaps last season and finishing with a 60.8 overall PFF grade. Fuller has a quick get-off and speed around the edge and was a prized recruiting pickup for Georgia Tech. Like Boyd and Bradford, the coaching staff would love to see some of the younger players stepping up and challenging for real playing time and that includes Fuller Jr.

DT Christian Garrett (R-Fr)- Garrett also battled injuries last season, but early on, he had the look of an impact freshman for Georgia Tech. He finished with a 72.6 grade on PFF in just 51 snaps, fifth-best on the team, if you ignore the snap counts. A former blue-chip recruit, Garrett could be a major factor in the interior rotation this season.

DT Derry Norris Jr (R-Fr)- Norris Jr only played in six snaps last season and is going to have a difficult path to playing time with the veteran players in front of him. It could be another developmental season and then a real push for playing time in 2027.

DT Shymeik Jones (R-Soph)- Jones is a mountain of a player (6'5 310 LBS) and has been developing steadily over the past couple of seasons, playing 129 snaps last season. Jones has the body type to be a physical presence inside and I expect him to be in contention for a spot in the two-deep.

DT Landen Marshall (R-Fr)- Marshall is going to be challenging for a depth spot in camp this fall after only seeing 65 snaps last season. With the new arrivals via the portal, that won't be easy, but don't count out Marshall.

Newcomers

DE Jordan Walker (R-Sr)- Walker is coming in from Rutgers and he made a great first impression in the spring, racking up two sacks in the spring game and being a constant presence in the backfield. Now that is just a spring game, but Walker is going to be counted on and should be a favorite to start for Georgia Tech this season.

DE Noah Carter (R-Soph)- Carter is a former blue-chip recruit who is coming over after playing a small role in his first two seasons at Alabama. He brings a lot of juice off the edge and has star potential if the coaching staff can harness it.

DE Jordan Woods (Fr)- Woods is an incoming freshman, and I think that he is going to be in for a developmental season, barring a surprising breakout from the young prospect.

DE Taje McCoy (R-Jr)- McCoy is coming over from Oklahoma State and is going to be a factor for the Yellow Jackets' edge rotation. In his career, he has 45 tackles and six sacks at both Oklahoma State and Colorado, where he began his career.

DT Tim Griffin (R-Fr)- Griffin is coming in after a season at Cincinnati, and he finished with a 73.2 tackling grade on 24 snaps last season for the Bearcats. Can he find a way into the rotation this season?

DT Christian Speakman (Fr)- If there is a true freshman who can break through for playing time, it is Speakman. He was very impressive during the spring and made a great impression on the coaching staff. It is tough for true freshmen defensive linemen to get lots of snaps, but he has a chance.

DT Tawfiq Thomas (R-Sr)- Thomas is a former Colorado defensive lineman and he is coming to Georgia Tech to try and be a real difference maker in the middle of the defense and help the Yellow Jackets improve their run defense.

DT Amier Clarke (Fr)- Clarke is a talented young prospect, but he is going to find a tough path to playing time this season and will likely be taking a developmental season for the Yellow Jackets.

DT Vincent Carroll-Jackson (R-Jr)- Carroll-Jackson is coming over from UConn and I think he is a likely starter for the Yellow Jackets this season. Carroll-Jackson finished with a 58.9 defensive grade, 57.7 run defense grade, 61.4 tackling grade, and a 57.2 pass rush grade, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Projected Two-Deep

Starters	Backups
DE- Jordan Walker	DE- Taje McCoy
DT- Tawfiq Thomas	DT- Christian Garrett
DT- Vincent Carroll-Jackson	DT- Shymeik Jones
DE- Noah Carter	DE- Amontrae Bradford

Biggest Question- How impactful can the transfers be?

Georgia Tech is hoping that all of the transfers (with perhaps the exception of Griffin) can be impactful players. Carter has real pass rushing upside, McCoy and Walker are veteran players on the edge, and the same for Thomas and Carroll-Jackson on the inside.

It is not going to completely fall on the transfers, as the Yellow Jackets need their younger players such as Bradford, Garrett, Boyd, and Jones to step up, but there is real belief that this defensive line can take a meaningful step forward.

Bottom Line

Despite losing Jordan van den Berg, I think this is going to be one of the most improved units on the entire defense. I have belief in the transfers ability to be impact players, while I think Bradford and Garrett are in for breakout seasons.

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