Georgia Tech Fall Camp Day Three Notebook: Jason Semore, Veteran LB's Talk Defense

Yesterday, Georgia Tech wrapped up day three of fall camp and the Yellow Jackets get their first day off today before picking things back up on Friday. There is less than one month until the season opener against Colorado.

After Georgia Tech's offensive coordinator talked to the media on Tuesday, it was time for Jason Semore, the Yellow Jackets' defensive coordinator to step up to the podium. Semore talked about each position on the defense, and veteran linebackers Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey got to discuss their final fall camp.

Semore likes the defensive end depth

If you have been following along since the spring, you would know that Georgia Tech feels confident they have added the pieces to be effective on the defensive line. The proof is going to come in the fall, but it is undeniable that the coaching staff feels they are a bigger, deeper team up front.

Semore discussed how deep he felt the defensive line is, particularly at the edge spots:

"We're pretty deep right now at the defensive end position. I would say guys that have the talent and measurables and stuff to play in the game, we're probably four deep both sides. So I've never been anywhere where we'd have as much length and depth in guys that can play from a talent standpoint. Now it's just a competition to see who can learn the most scheme and become the most dependable and all those kind of things."

It has been a while since Georgia Tech has put together a feared unit on the defensive line, but this group hopes to take the necessary steps to make the Yellow Jackets a better defense.

Stopping the run is a must

One of the top priorities for this team under Brent Key this season is going to be better stopping the run. Last season, Georgia Tech was 15th in the ACC in stopping the run, allowing 164 yards per game. That was down from when the Yellow Jackets ranked 6th in the ACC in stopping the run in 2024 and this team needs to get back to that level if they want to return to the ACC Championship for the first time since 2014.

The messaging coming from Georgia Tech and Semore is that they will be better:

"A lot of it starts up front, you know. You watch our guys strike blocks and stuff like that. We'll be just fine stopping the run. We have a really good group that's coached by a really good coach, and those guys have really good technique and fundamentals. Like I said, it comes down to the mission in campus, you know. Coach Key's job is kind of to develop the identity of the team and what we stand for and hold those guys accountable to that.

For us, the cohesion comes from the same group of dudes playing on the field with lots of reps and communicating and playing off of each other and all those kinds of things. Right now, from a base install, normal down, this is what we do in the defense standpoint. We have a group that we feel pretty good about. They're starting to come together and they're playing pretty cohesive football.

But we saw today in practice, we did lots of situational stuff. That's a whole different ballgame, right? So we got a long way to go in those regards, right? We got to learn how the game changes when it's third down and four to six. We got to learn how the game changes in tempo periods. Right. Although there's a lot of learning that goes with all of that. But from a base normal down, put your hand in the ground, play technique standpoint, we're going to be just fine in terms of stopping the run."

Semore believes in the talent in the safety room

One area that Georgia Tech carries question marks this season on defense is at safety. The Yellow Jackets are missing last year's starters Clayton Powell-Lee and Omar Daniels, but are fighting to show that they will be an even better unit in 2026.

Returning for Georgia Tech is Tae Harris, Fenix Felton, and Savion Riley and they are the only players at the position who have played in a game. Behind them are a slew of freshmen, who are going to need to be ready to go.

Semore admitted the unit is light on experience, but he believes in the talent in the room:

"From a talent standpoint, I feel really good about the depth. I mean, those dudes are good players. That position requires things just beyond talent and technique. We adjust two ways. We adjust in the secondary and in the core. Obviously, in the secondary. That requires a lot of schematic football knowledge and confidence in what you're doing as a communicator. We're still growing there.

There's certain things that you're not going to be good at until you do it a bunch of times. It's our job as coaches to find a way to develop those guys as fast as humanly possible and play at a high level as soon as we can."

This is going to be a group to watch this season.

Final camp for Efford and Lightsey

The one group on Georgia Tech's defense with plenty of experience is the linebacker room and that is because Kyle Efford and E.J. Lightsey are back for one more go around on The Flats.

Efford talked on Wednesday about this being his last fall camp and how he is trying to make the most of it:

"Yeah, definitely. I mean, every single day I come out here, I just kind of try to take it all in, take the time with my teammates. It's the last little ride, so you've got to make it count."

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