Georgia Tech LB Tah'j Butler Will Enter The Transfer Portal

Butler played for Georgia Tech's defense from the time that he was a true freshman, but he is opting to enter the transfer portal

Oct 18, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Tah'J Butler (15) celebrates with defensive back Jy Gilmore (14) during the second half of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech is set to lose another linebacker to the transfer portal.

It was announced today that Yellow Jackets LB Tah'j Butler was going to be entering the portal. Butler had been a key piece of the Georgia Tech defense over the past two seasons.

NEW: Georgia Tech LB Tahj Butler has entered the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.

Butler totaled 34 tackles and 1 interception this season. https://t.co/kSYG7dZ8sR pic.twitter.com/gNUcJ5Ma0v

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 9, 2026

This past season, Butler posted 34 tackles and one interception for the Yellow Jackets defense. Per PFF, Butler played 324 total snaps, finishing with a 66.1 overall grade, including a 71.7 grade in coverage. During his freshman season in 2024, Butler finished with 25 tackles and had a PFF grade of 65.1 in 191 snaps.

The Georgia Tech linebacker group is going to be losing Butler and former Oregon State transfer Melvin Jordan. Right now, Kyle Efford, E.J. Lightsey, and Cayman Spaulding are the veterans of the group while Georgia Tech is bringing in talented freshmen like CJ Gamble, Braylon Outlaw, and Kymani Morales. It would not be a surprise to see Georgia Tech bring in some experience at this position via the portal.

Trying to upgrade the front four

Nov 9, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffalos defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas (95) leaves the field after the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

One of the positions that Georgia Tech has been looking to upgrade during portal season is the defensive line and they have brought in three experienced transfers in the past week.

The latest addition to the Georgia Tech defensive line is Colorado transfer Tawfiq Thomas. Thomas was only able to play in four games last season before suffering an injury, but he was having a solid season for the Buffaloes before he went down for the year.

In the four games that he played, Thomas (6'4 300 LBS) totaled 12 tackles. On PFF, Thomas finished with a very solid 81.4 overall grade, including a 74,7 grade in run defense and an 81.2 overall pass rushing grade. During the 2024 season, Thomas totaled 18 tackles and one sack. Per PFF, Thomas finished with a 55.5 overall grade in 233 snaps. He is originally a Louisville transfer.

Georgia Tech is losing standout DT Jordan van den Berg, along with some other veteran pieces up front and the Yellow Jackets also needed to upgrade the talent at this spot. Thomas is going to be one piece of the puzzle, but UConn transfer Vincent Carroll-Jackson, and Rutgers transfer Jordan Walker are going to try and make the Yellow Jackets more formidable on that side of the ball.

Georgia Tech is reportedly also going to host Cincinnati edge Tim Griffin. Our own Najeh Wilkins broke down what Griffin could bring to the Yellow Jackets front four:

"Griffin didn’t play a lot in his freshman season with the Bearcats and had more of a reserve role. However, when he was in, he did a good job in run defense and containing his gaps. 

An area where he graded fairly well this season was tackling, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Griffin finished with a 73.2 tackling grade on 24 snaps. Most of his snaps came on run defense, with 19 of the 24 coming to stop the run. This is a good sign for Georgia Tech because they struggled mightily with stopping the run a year ago. Teams gashed them consistently on the run, and a lot of issues came from containing their gaps. 

He starred at Alcovy High School in Covington, Georgia, where he made a name for himself and stood out. Coming out of high school, he was rated as a three-star prospect, the No.121 defensive lineman, the No.131 player in Georgia, with an 86 overall rating per 247Sports."