The One Area That Will Lead To Georgia Tech Success In 2026

Georgia Tech has enjoyed considerable success over the last few seasons. 2025 was their best year and the most wins under head coach Brent Key. Today, we take a deeper look to see the one area that will lead to the Yellow Jackets' success in 2026.

So what is that one area?

It is forcing turnovers. It is an area they have struggled with throughout the Brent Key era. In 2025, Georgia Tech only forced 12 turnovers (eight forced fumbles and four interceptions). Simply put, that is not going to get it done if they want to become the team they aspire to be.

Fortunately for Georgia Tech, they hired a new defensive coordinator, Jason Semore, and are adopting a new defensive scheme. Coach Semore specializes in forcing turnovers and making plays with his defense. He has a proven track record of doing so.

He also runs a more aggressive scheme that preaches striking first and being in attack mode, rather than being passive and in zone, where you come up and make the tackle.

Another thing that should help in forcing turnovers is the personnel. Georgia Tech was active and brought in some guys from the portal, who should be able to cause more turnovers. One is potentially a ballhawk with Jaylen Mbakwe. He made several plays in the spring and put together some impressive performances. The other to watch is Daiquan White, who will be a senior and has gotten better each step of the way.

The safeties should also be a factor in helping cause more turnovers with the level of aggressiveness and speed they play with. You look at Tae Harris, and you can see turnover written all over him in how physical he plays and his ball instincts. You throw in Fenix Felton and veteran Savion Riley, and you have a formidable unit. Felton showed some flash as a true freshman last season.

Lastly, Georgia Tech's defensive line is much improved thanks to portal acquisitions and roster development. The Yellow Jackets should create a lot more pressure and chaos up front, which should lead to more turnovers. Names to watch include Christian Garrett, Tawfiq Thomas, Noah Carter, Jordan Walker, Amontrae Bradford, and Andre Fuller Jr.

Turnovers will be vital to success because they create more opportunities for the offense. It will also create shorter fields and help the team set a tone early in games. Momentum isn’t everything, but when you can get it off a turnover, it makes a difference.

Turnovers will also take some pressure off the offense if the offense is struggling early in a game. It gives them a great chance to find a rhythm and get in a groove. With a new-look offense that is undergoing a scheme change, Georgia Tech needs all the chances it can get.

If Georgia Tech can get in the range of 24-27 forced turnovers, it should be a successful season for them. Forcing turnovers and halting the opposing team’s momentum will be key factors. At times last year, the Yellow Jackets couldn’t close out a game. However, they are in a prime position to dispel that notion, and the defense can close out games with clutch turnovers and strong play. Turnovers will tell us a lot about how far the Yellow Jackets can go.

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