Georgia Tech Seems Confident Its Defense Will Be Improved- Should We Believe Them?

Since taking over as the permanent head coach, Brent Key has done a lot of good things for Georgia Tech, and they have been one of the better programs in the ACC, as the Jackets are the only team that has finished in the top four of the ACC standings each of the last three seasons.

A lot of that has been due to the offense, particularly the play of quarterback Haynes King. The one thing that Key has not been able to nail down since taking over the program has been the other side of the ball. Georgia Tech is on its fourth defensive coordinator in as many seasons and they are hoping that they can improve enough to become a real threat to make the ACC Championship this season.

Here are the ACC defensive ranks for Georgia Tech since 2023 (total yards per game):

2023-Last
2024-4th
2025-12th

They have also been one of the worst teams when it comes to rushing the passer:

2023- 12th (out of 14 teams)
2024-Last
2025- 10th

And when it comes to forcing turnovers, they have also been one of the worst teams in the conference and the country. This past season, Georgia Tech was tied for 121st in turnovers gained.

Those kinds of numbers are not good enough to make an actual run to Charlotte to play in the ACC Championship and the College Football Playoff. For this program to take the next step

Have they gotten it right?

Brent Key Georgia Tec — Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key looks on against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter during the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When you hear Georgia Tech's coaches talk during the early portion of fall camp, they are impressed with the group that they have put together, especially along the defensive line.

Yesterday, defensive coordinator Jason Semore and talked about the depth along the edge that they have put together, saying the team felt confident they could go four deep on both sides:

"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."

Time and again over the course of three seasons, Key has talked about stopping the run being one of the pillars of the program, right there with being able to run the football. Aside from a pretty solid job in 2024 under Tyler Santucci (now with the Baltimore Ravens), Georgia Tech has been unable to stop the run effectively. Semore sounded most confident in his unit being able to do that this season, largely due to the defensive line and the veteran linebacker core getting their confidence back after a down season in 2025:

"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.

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."

Well what about creating takeaways? It sounds like Georgia Tech still has a ways to go in that department according to Semore:

"Not good. We have to catch the ball in the air. A lot of people ask me those questions a lot, how you get a bunch of interceptions and all those kind of things. Catch it. That's how you get a lot of interceptions, right? You watch college football games all across the country. There's a reason that there's a stereotype that defensive players can't catch because they can't. You know what I mean? So we're doing our best to develop our ball skills.

We're doing our best to learn the scheme in a way that allows us to be comfortable and confident and go attack the ball. So right now we're in a place where we're trying to build cohesion as a defensive unit, right, so we can all play together. So there's a lot of pre-snap thinking going on and a lot of communicating going on. But there's not a lot of I'm going out here and attacking the ball and making a play because I know what I'm doing. Right.

So we have to grow from a confidence standpoint in terms of our play makeability on the football. We have a long way to go in that, in that area."

I will continue to say that Georgia Tech is going to have to prove it on the field over the course of a whole season. That means even if they have a good start to the season against Colorado, they are going to have to continue that level of play the next week against Tennessee and against other offenses that have a lot of talent, such as Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Georgia.

Key and his staff want to dictate and play the game on their terms. Running the ball, effective quarterback play, and strong defense and situational football, including the kicking game. They have one of the best running back rooms in the country, one of the best kickers, and a quarterback they believe in. Now it's time to wait and see if the defense can bring up their end of the bargain this season.

One thing is for sure though, the confidence coming from Semore and Key early in fall camp about the defense is undeniable.

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