Last year, Georgia Tech defensive line coach Mike Pelton was in his first year at Tech with an experienced group. As the Yellow Jackets begin next practice next Monday, the roles are reversed.
“I don’t want to sell them short, but you know what?” Pelton asked. “There’s a lot of guys that haven’t done anything in that group.”
It makes for a particularly critical 15 practices for Pelton’s line this spring. The Jackets need to begin developing some sturdy help on the defensive front or they could be in for a rough ride in the fall.
“That’s the good thing about college football,” Pelton said. “A new star is born every year. It’s an opportunity for these guys.”
Pelton will have 11 scholarship players in his position group in spring practice, including early enrollee KeShun Freeman. Besides Adam Gotsis, a returning starter at nose tackle, none have started a game and four have never played in a game. Besides nose tackle Shawn Green, none have accrued significant experience on the line.
Playing time was limited last year behind starters Jeremiah Attaochu, Euclid Cummings, Emmanuel Dieke and Gotsis. The gap between those four and their subs was too vast. In defensive coordinator Ted Roof and Pelton’s first season, the Tech defense improved — yards per carry dropped from 4.3 in 2012 to 3.6 last year and scoring defense fell from 28.3 points per game to 22.8 — in no small part because of the foursome’s productivity. Attaochu was named an All-American and could be drafted into the NFL as early as the second round. Cummings and Dieke are possibilities to make a pro camp.
“I would have been fine with” giving more snaps to the second string, Pelton said. “And there were certain times you would have liked to have gotten a little bit more reps (for the backups), but it was hard to take those guys off the field. … They were making plays.”
After Gotsis, who made 38 tackles last season, the next leading returning tacklers on the defensive line are Green and Patrick Gamble, both with six.
The challenge is on for players like Green, who is healthy going into his senior year after battling injuries throughout his Tech career. Players who were either discouraged about not getting playing time behind last year’s starters or were content to wait in the shadows can step forward. Pelton spoke with encouragement about defensive tackle Darius Commissiong, who redshirted last season.
“He’s done some work,” Pelton said. “You can see him mentally trying to transition into what a college football player should do on and off the field.”
With both defensive end spots open, Green said he has seen candidates like Roderick Rook-Chungong, Nick Menocal and Tyler Stargel pushing each other in weightlifting sessions and winter workouts.
“The D-ends are battling it out,” Green said. “You can see it. They get competitive with each other all the time.”
Gotsis has been impressed by Stargel, who backed up Attaochu last season.
“I feel like this spring, when he can take on that spot, because the spot’s open, I feel like he’s trying to put his name on it and own it,” Gotsis said.
Pelton is preaching consistency from players like tackles Francis Kallon and Jimmie Kitchen.
“Francis always flashes,” Pelton said. “It’s like the light’ll come on and it’ll go off for two days. But it’s in there and it’s my job as a coach to get it out.”
Starting next Monday, Pelton will be doing a lot of that.
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