Georgia Tech Football Potential Breakout Candidates: Defensive Line
Georgia Tech lost its top pass rusher to the NFL Draft (Keion White), but there is going to be a lot of experience coming back for the Yellow Jackets on the defensive line. Whether it is on the edge or on the interior, Georgia Tech is returning experienced players, but they are going to need to have a player breakout (much like White did last season) to make this a formidable unit.
So who could that player be?
Toward the end of the 2022 season, I think defensive tackle D'Quan Douse started to show the kind of playmaker that he could be on the interior.
What kind of season could D'Quan Douse have for Georgia TEch in 2023?
Douse finished the season with 26 tackles and 3.5 sacks, which was tied for second on the team with linebacker Ace Eley.
You could see him get better in each game, especially his performance against Virginia Tech, where he had 2.5 sacks and earned a high grade on PFF (Pro Football Focus) for his performance. Douse finished as the second-highest-graded player on the entire Yellow Jackets' defense, finishing behind safety LaMiles Brooks. According to PFF, Douse played 450 snaps and finished with a defensive grade of 75.2, a run defense grade of 80.7, and a pass-rushing grade of 66.1.
With the departures of Akelo Stone and K.J. Miles this offseason to the transfer portal more is going to be expected of Douse and the rest of the defensive line. Stone looked like he was going to be a key part of the defensive line this spring, but his departure will lead to more snaps for others.
Douse has been building to a breakout season at Georgia Tech since his arrival and I think 2023 is the time.
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