Kyle Efford led the team in tackles. Now can he be the leader of the defense?
We start this week looking into the players who will become household names among the Yellow Jacket faithful this season with Breakout Players. Each player will likely be an Impact Player before the season is out, but you might not be as familiar. Last week was heavy on the offensive side and rightly so for their returning production. The defense isn’t without a potential star this year.
First up is linebacker Kyle Efford who started to make his presence known toward the end of the season. Kyle was in full rotation through the year as a redshirt sophomore but would claim the starting job against Boston College and remain a starter to finish the season.
The midseason start did not slow Efford down in production as he led the team in total tackles with eighty-one. He also logged a sack against Clemson and a game-sealing interception against Syracuse. The pick against Syracuse along with eleven total tackles earned Kyle Efford the ACC Linebacker of the Week recognition.
Kyle Efford will be relied on heavily in the middle of the defense this season with the departures of Andre White, Brealin Oliver, and Paul Moala exhausting their eligibility. Georgia Tech was ranked one of the worst defenses in defending the run last year so having Kyle become the enforcer in the middle will be instrumental to the success of the defense.
He fits the mold of a run stuffer at 6-2 and 220 pounds. Kyle won’t beat a speedster to the edge, but he has proven effective in filling the gaps. He does a great job on the opening drive against UGA to force a fumble after two linemen double-team Zeek Biggers. This focus on Biggers allows Efford to come in unhindered and use his large frame to match up with RB Daijun Edwards’s size.
There should be more improvement in Efford’s game this year with the new incoming defensive staff. New defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci got a lot out of the Duke defense last year, even without any notable names along the front. Coach Santucci will also coach the linebackers and should help Kyle develop further.
The area where Efford could become a true highlight for the Jackets is if he can become more integral in the pass rush. His lone sack against Clemson came on a free run off the edge on what looked like a long developing pass. Kyle isn’t slow, but there are quicker options on the edge than him. Having him as a threat up the middle would force opposing offenses to always account for that possibility.
Kyle Efford leading the team in tackles last year was a great start to his career with the Jackets, but now it is time to see him be one of the leading voices on that side of the ball. Being one of the few returning players in that position he will command a bulk of the snaps. It’ll be exciting to see if he can bring back a new level of play Georgia Tech has been missing from that unit.