Tyler Marcordes looks the part. The Georgia Tech linebacker stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 243 pounds, long-limbed with a muscular frame.
“He’s a physical player; he’s growing into it,” linebackers coach Andy McCollum said recently.
As McCollum spoke in the lobby of the Tech football offices, Marcordes happened to walk through the doors upon his return from the practice field.
“I mean, just look at him,” McCollum said.
This spring, Marcordes has done far more than have the right appearance. He was placed on the first-string defense as the weakside linebacker and has done enough to keep the job.
“He’s doing good,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “He’s been improving every day.”
Despite him switching from the strong side to the weak side, which places him closer to the line of scrimmage, both Marcordes and Roof have noticed an increased level of comfort. Last season, Roof was in his first season back at Tech, teaching a new system with new terminology. Marcordes was a sophomore backing Brandon Watts at strongside linebacker and saw limited playing time.
“It was kind of confusing, definitely,” Marcordes said.
Still, he made good use of his opportunities. He returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown — tied for the fifth-longest interception return in Tech history — in the season opener against Elon. He had three tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble against Alabama A&M in his sole start of the season.
He also was given the special-teams-effort award at season’s end, playing on all four kick-return and coverage teams. In reviewing video cut-ups of the season, Marcordes’ productivity in relatively few snaps stood out to Roof, which helped lead the coach to put Marcordes on the No. 1 defense alongside linebacker Quayshawn Nealy.
Marcordes set a goal for himself to earn a starting job at linebacker, which became a more difficult task when Roof switched the primary defense from the 4-3 to a 4-2-5 alignment using only two linebackers. His main competition at the weakside or “will” linebacker spot is Paul Davis, who impressed last season as a freshman.
“Hopefully I have a few more plays this year and can stand out a little more on the field,” Marcordes said.
Marcordes has made an impression, combining his size, strength and speed with a growing savvy. He had a sack in the team’s scrimmage Saturday.
“You see him reacting instead of thinking,” Roof said. “Sometimes with guys (in their) first year in the system, you see it. They’re hesitant; they process things. You see that as opposed to just reacting and attacking, and he’s done a better job of that.”
Roof said he sees Marcordes also showing a better knack for subtle skills such as disguising his blitzes.
“When you tell him something, it’s like, ‘That’s right. Yeah, I got it,’” Roof said. “It’s not, like, ‘Really?’”
Marcordes likely would be one of seven defensive starters with little or no starting experience. Earning a starting spot would be a notable milepost on an unusual journey. As a high-school junior, Marcordes and his father traveled to Atlanta from their home in Bloomington, Ill., where he was told that, at just over 6 feet and 200 pounds, he was too small. By the time he was a senior, he had grown to 6-4 and 230, with game video to match.
He accepted a scholarship offer in December 2010 and is the first player from Illinois to play for Tech since 2006.
“I feel pretty good about it so far,” he said. “Just got to keep competing.”
Etc.: Tech will open its Saturday morning scrimmage at Bobby Dodd Stadium to the public. The scrimmage will begin at 9:15 a.m. and admission is free.
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