Georgia Tech began the 2023 season with several options at linebacker. One of the primary options wasn’t necessarily expected to be Kyle Efford.
A redshirt freshman from Dacula, Efford was one of seven backups on the depth chart behind starters Trenilyas Tatum and Paul Moala. Through hard work and consistent play, he rapidly worked his way up the depth chart and now is a major player in the regular rotation at the position.
“I wasn’t too worried about reps to begin with, I just wanted to come in and do my job, that’s it,” Efford explained about his mindset entering the season. “What I’ve been doing has been good. It’s been resulting in some good stuff, so I’ve seen my reps go up a little bit.”
Efford leads the Yellow Jackets (3-4, 2-2 ACC) into Saturday’s showdown with No. 17 North Carolina, and “leading” is a characteristic that Tech coach Brent Key has picked up on the most when it comes to the emerging defensive star. Not only has Efford led by example since stepping on campus in 2022, but he has become more vocal in the locker room and on the field.
“He’s a younger guy, but I spoke to him last week at one point just about the leadership he brings,” Key said. “It’s doing what you’re supposed to do, leading by example, by the way you play, by the way you carry yourself. But it’s also the respect that he has, it’s the way he carries himself, the confidence he carries himself with – but not an arrogance at all. When he speaks up people listen because he’s backing it up now on the field.”
Efford was a three-star recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite, as a star at Dacula High School. He reportedly held scholarships offers from Duke, Indiana, Iowa State, Maryland, Michigan, Purdue and Vanderbilt along with his opportunity to play at Tech.
Dacula credited Efford with 160 tackles as a senior to go with 1,180 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
Credit: Jason Getz/jason.getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz/jason.getz@ajc.com
Efford enrolled at Tech in January 2022 and played in four games later that year, recording 29 snaps on special teams. He remained with the program through the coaching change (from Geoff Collins to Key) and emerged in the spring as a possible bright spot for the Jackets’ defense.
Fast forward to Sept. 8 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Efford was on the field for 26 defensive plays, made seven tackles and was graded the fifth-best Jackets defender, according to Pro Football Focus, in a win over South Carolina State.
Efford ranks sixth among Jackets with 30 tackles this season and is the No. 5 overall defender on the team, according to PFF. He’s coming off a six-tackle performance against Boston College.
“His knowledge of the game has improved so much just with playing over the last 5-6 weeks,” Key said. “He has become quicker to the ball, he’s quicker in coverage. His anticipation and knowledge of what’s going to happen and tendencies, and those things are what’s allowing him to play good football.”
Efford, whose brother plays professional soccer for PAN Giannina F.C. in Greece, will take the field at 8 p.m. Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium looking to help slow a North Carolina attack that leads the ACC in passing offense and total offense and that has one of the nation’s better quarterbacks in Drake Maye. Efford didn’t get to play in Tech’s upset of the Tar Heels last season, but has put himself in position be part of another possible big-time win for the program.
The journey to get to that point started long ago.
“I really had to fall in love with the process this season,” he said.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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