Hold the phone: Georgia Tech’s defensive line portends to be a strength

The important developments from Georgia Tech’s spring game Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium:

First, there were no serious injuries.

Second, coach Brent Key placed a quarterback atop the depth chart and, to the surprise of pretty much no one, it was Alberto Mendoza, the transfer from Indiana and the younger brother of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.

And, not as spicy a meatball, but also of significant consequence: Key continued to be elated with the depth, size and ability of his defensive line.

After the final session of spring practice, Key went so far as to say that “there are a lot of, I think, really good players that can help us this year on the defensive line.”

This is not something that is said much around Tech, at least not with a straight face or when strapped to a polygraph. Impactful defensive linemen don’t grow on trees and they normally don’t flock to Bobby Dodd Stadium, a reality Key was willing to acknowledge.

“Yes, I did just say that,” he said. “It’s great to say it.”

Tech faces a battery of questions as it goes into its first season after the record-breaking run catalyzed by quarterback Haynes King (now awaiting the NFL draft) and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner (now calling plays at Florida). The primary ones revolve around how effective Mendoza will be and how new coordinators George Godsey (offense) and Jason Semore (defense) will acquit themselves in their new roles.

But Key’s confidence in a remade defensive front is an assurance that the Jackets will remain competitive in the post-King era. Since the end of last season — a joyride that derailed in no small part after the Jackets were gouged in the run, losing three of their final four regular-season games — Key has prioritized adding size and length on the defensive line.

The transfer portal brought in the likes of defensive ends Noah Carter (Alabama) and Jordan Walker (Rutgers), both of whom scored two sacks in the spring game. From Colorado came 325-pound defensive tackle Tawfiq Thomas.

“These guys, they can play on the edge with speed, they showed they have the ability to play with power,” Key said. “They have girth to them, size. We’re deep there. I’m not trying to oversell it and act like we’re the best that’s ever come, but I’m damn excited about them.”

A year ago, the Jackets were 15th in the ACC in rushing defense at 164 yards per game, a regression of more than 40 yards from 2024. It was most unbecoming of a program that prides itself on toughness.

Tech will rely on bulwarks like Thomas and freshman Christian Speakman (335 pounds) to clutter up rushing lanes and push back pockets.

“I’ll say, for me, I feel like it’s great for my ‘3-tech’ (defensive tackle) to create penetration,” said Carter, the Alabama transfer from Centennial High. “And I feel like it makes it way easier for me to make plays and just sets me up to make plays if my interior D-linemen are doing the same thing that I am.”

Watching Speakman repeatedly demonstrate the laws of physics on Saturday was something. While the initial collision on the line of scrimmage between a guard and defensive tackle often results in a draw, when Speakman lowered the boom, the guard usually gave way to a noticeable degree. It was a little like watching a wrecking ball take snaps against a brick wall.

Saturday was not the first time this spring that Key expressed his delight with the position group.

“I know for the first time since I’ve been the head coach here and I know for the first time in a long time, we have a defensive line that we can play really good winning football with,” he said after an earlier scrimmage.