Five Factors That Will Determine Georgia Tech’s Defensive Ceiling

Critical factors that will determine the success of the defense

Georgia Tech Defensive Coordinator Jason Semore | Photo Via Najeh Wilkins (Ga Tech On SI)

Georgia Tech has a chance to be a top 25 defense in 2026 with all the moves they made and how stout they looked as a unit in the spring. Today, we explore some factors that will be critical in ensuring they reach their ceiling.

1. Pass Rush 

Georgia Tech was a team that couldn’t create a sustained pass rush last season and was far too inconsistent. There were times when the coverage on the backend was pristine, but the quarterback had all day to survey the defense and find where he wanted to put the football. It proved problematic for the Yellow Jackets.

They need a much better pass rush this season and should get it with the additions of Noah Carter, Jordan Walker, Taje McCoy, and Tawfiq Thomas. The Yellow Jackets are also continuing to develop guys like Amontrae Bradford, Andre Fuller Jr, and Christian Garrett. If the pass rush is at the level it should be, then the Yellow Jackets should win a lot of games. 

2. Turnovers 

Another area Georgia struggled with last season was creating turnovers at a high level. With the implementation of a new, aggressive scheme and system, there should be more opportunities for the Yellow Jackets to force turnovers on offense. They also have a number of ball hawks on the defensive side of the ball who are itching to make plays like Jaylen Mbakwe, Kelvin Hill, Tae Harris, Daiquan White, and Savion Riley.

We should see a better defense that creates turnovers and negative plays this upcoming season for the Yellow Jackets. 

3. Tackling 

Way too many missed tackles a season ago for the Yellow Jackets, especially in the running that led to big runs down the field. This happened because of the run fits and the inability to get the ball carrier to the ground consistently. You also had tackling issues on the perimeter on quick routes down the field that turned five-yard gains into 50+ yard gains. The tackling has to be better if this defense is going to get off the field and give the offense more opportunities. 

4. Finishing Games 

One of the Achilles heel for the defense a season ago was finishing games. The Yellow Jackets struggled even when the offense scored a lot of points, making the plays necessary to close things out. You can go back to the game against NC State when the offense was scoring points but couldn’t close the deal and make a turnover or big stop to lead to a punt to get the offense the ball back in good territory.

They were far too inconsistent. In one game, they closed out Wake Forest with a Clayton Powell Lee interception. Georgia Tech will need more of that play if they are going to take a step forward. 

5. Limiting Big Plays 

Georgia Tech must eliminate big plays downfield and ensure they don’t have a bunch of blown coverages or elite plays downfield. That is where a veteran like Savion Riley can help, drawing on his experience and leadership to communicate with the young defensive backs and ensure those plays don’t happen as frequently.

The Yellow Jackets gave up a number of big plays in 2025 that allowed opponents to stay in games or mount comebacks when they had a big lead. Limiting big plays will help Georgia Tech keep and maintain a lead, while also ensuring a team can’t make a comeback.