Georgia Tech defensive line needing group effort

For a new season, Tyler Stargel will wear a new number. The Georgia Tech defensive end will switch to No. 99 after wearing No. 47 since arriving in 2012. The change is in part paying homage to Houston Texans star J.J. Watt and in part to make a break.

“I liked (47), but, like I said, I just wanted to have a fresh start with 99,” he said.

There is plenty in Stargel’s position group that is fresh. The Yellow Jackets have one returning starter on the defensive line, defensive tackle Adam Gotsis, and are knee deep in underclassmen with little experience. The three departures weren’t nobodies, either. All-American defensive end Jerry Attaochu, Euclid Cummings and Emmanuel Dieke are all in NFL training camps this summer.

“Last year, I knew what we had, but this year, I don’t,” defensive line coach Mike Pelton said.

Beyond that, the Jackets don’t have much depth. While none was expected to play a major role, linemen Justin Akins, Darius Commissiong, Travin Henry, Jimmie Kitchen, Kevin Robbins and Anthony Williams all had eligibility remaining, but are no longer with the team for various reasons.

End Jabari Hunt-Days, expected to play a significant role, is academically ineligible for the season. Lastly — or so Roof hopes, at least — transfer Kenderius Whitehead will have to sit out the coming season. It was hoped he would have immediate eligibility by completing a ramped-up course load at Georgia Military College to earn an associate’s degree, but he was unable.

Tech has 10 scholarship linemen available this season. It’s so few that the coaching staff has prepared a contingency plan, likely going from a four-man front to a three-man look, if injuries accumulate.

“Our numbers up front right now, it’s as low as I’ve ever been, as far as the numbers,” Roof said.

Further, after defensive tackle Adam Gotsis (43 tackles) and nose tackle Shawn Green (29 tackles), the remaining eight have a combined 22 tackles. The numbers and inexperience have put Roof and Pelton in a bind. The best way to prep an inexperienced player is to give him as much simulated game action as possible. That, though, carries the highest risk for injury.

“It is a pickle, indeed,” Roof said. “You’ve got to have a real good feel for where kids are physically. You’ve got to grind because that’s the nature of that position. But at the same time, you’ve got to be smart how you do it.”

Beyond the veteran oversight of Roof and Pelton, Tech’s hope lies in who the Jackets have. Gotsis is a proven ACC-caliber starter. Green, who has the talent but has battled injuries, has shown re-dedication in his senior season. KeShun Freeman, expected to win the rush defensive end job that belonged to Attaochu last season, is a promising freshman. Stargel, penciled in as the starting strongside defensive end, has added nine muscles of muscle mass (he’s now 248) and said his comfort level in Roof’s defense this preseason is a “180-degree turn” from last season, Roof’s first.

“I felt like I was just running around. I was hustling, but I didn’t really know what I was doing,” he said. “This year, I kind of know what’s going on, which is completely different.”

There is the possibility that Pelton’s gang of 10 includes a star on the rise, perhaps Gotsis or Freeman.

“Coach Pelton’s always talking about it, a new star is born every year,” Stargel said.

The loss of teammates and the dim expectations from fans and media have brought the unit closer, Pelton said.

“They hear a lot of noise outside, and they hear people saying what they can’t do and this and that,” Pelton said. “I think that they just bond together and say, ‘Hey, this is about us and what we can do.’”

The Tech defensive line will have to depend on relentless effort, a team approach and improvement over the course of the season. Beyond developing starters, finding dependable backups for the rotation will be critical to keep players fresh.