Kyle Pope Reveals Where He Wants to See Georgia Tech's DL After Camp: "It's a high expectation for this group"

There is a little more than three weeks before Georgia Tech hosts Colorado in the season-opening game for both teams, and the Yellow Jackets began their second week of fall camp on Monday.

Through the first five practices, the big word for Georgia Tech is that they are going to have an improved defensive line. Brent Key has talked about the size and depth they have up front, defensive coordinator Jason Semore is confident in the depth on the edge, along with the ability to stop the run this season.

Yesterday, when speaking with the media, defensive ends coach Kyle Pope talked about where he wanted to see his group at the end of fall camp, and he did not shy away from the unit having high expectations:

“I think right now for us, as we finish this fall camp, we walk off the field at last practice. I want everybody to see we're a fast and violent group, not just a fast and violent group; we're a group that's grown. We're a group that right now you can look at us and say, there are expectations. Look at us and say, hey, these guys are exceeding any expectations for this group. I think that's the biggest thing. You don't go get depth for nothing. You don't go get experience for nothing to go out there and be the same group.

It's time for us to get to level two of things. Level one, bam, we mastered it. We're good. We understand the X's and O's. We understand the B where we're supposed to be. Now, let's go execute at a different level and in a detailed manner to where we got no choice but to be successful. And I think that's the biggest thing. I'm looking for this group to grow. Not just them, but I'm going to grow with them. And that's what I'm excited about a lot. It's a high expectation for this group, and I'm ready for it every week this year.”

Can they live up to this expectation?

Actions always speak louder than words and Georgia Tech is going to have to prove it on the field, but there is enough intrigue up front to see where this coaching staff is getting this excitement.

The transfers the program brought in this offseason (Jordan Walker, Taje McCoy, and Noah Carter) have already made an imprint on the program, with Walker taking on a big leadership role and both he and Carter had a fantastic spring.

After developing for the past couple of seasons by being in the rotation, Amontrae Bradford, Jordan Boyd, and Andre Fuller Jr could be ready to put it altogether, while true freshman Alex Willis and Jordan Woods are impressing early in camp according to Pope:

“Oh for sure man, the freshmen looking good. Right now as you look, I get so excited about like a Jordan Woods, a big body. He's still a baby, but he's that pup that wanna go bite. He don't know how, but he gonna do everything he can to try, you know what I'm saying. So I still get excited about it, Jordan Woods, Alex Willis, the guy who's gonna try hard and work his tail off. But then you go to those second-year players like the Andre Fullers of the world, even the Amontrae Bradfords, the Jordan Boyds, like those guys have stepped it up, but they also have those older guys in the room with them to see, okay, I get it now.

I don't have to be frontline, but I can be with these guys, and I can get examples of how it needs to be done so they can grow. It's been growth in every single one of those guys, and those guys attack it, they're ready to grow, and they're ready to compete because they also have the mentality of, look, I may be a second or first year guy, but I'm gonna outwork this guy in front of me.”

Edge players have to do more than just rush the passer, but the first two weeks of the season are going to provide a nice barometer for how good this unit is early on. While Colorado does not have a lot of NFL level talent, new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion is a smart play caller and runs the kind of up-tempo offense that can get defenses out of sorts and the Yellow Jackets have not proven they are a better defense than they were last season.

Then there is Tennessee. Yes, Tennessee is going to have a brand new starting quarterback, but they have a proven scheme that can put up big numbers and stress defenses in a number of ways. That is going to be a big challenge for Georgia Tech and they are going to have to be ready to go right from the start.

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