Spring, renewal, youth. Georgia Tech defensive line coach Mike Pelton is drowning in it.
Pelton’s wife, Staci, delivered the couple’s fourth child — Taelah, daughter No. 4 — Sunday. At work, he is driving a slew of young linemen through spring practice, trying to motivate, teach fundamentals and find some playmakers.
“They’re trying to respond the right way,” Pelton said Monday. “We know we’ve got some work ahead of us.”
Tech had a brief scrimmage Saturday and Pelton had a typical review — some flashes of potential from a number of players but nothing satisfying. The Yellow Jackets will continue the process to replace three starting defensive linemen from the 2013 team — ends Jeremiah Attaochu and Emmanuel Dieke and defensive tackle Euclid Cummings — over 10 more spring practice workouts. Tech had its fifth workout Monday.
For now, the first-string defense is comprised of Tyler Stargel at defensive end, Adam Gotsis at nose tackle, Shawn Green at defensive tackle and Jabari Hunt-Days, who has moved down from linebacker, at rush end. Given the position change, Pelton compared Hunt-Days’ development stage to a freshman’s, but was encouraged.
“Jabari has playmaking ability in him,” said Pelton, who is entering into his second season at Tech. “So a lot of times, he might be messing up, but you can see him run some stuff down. You can see him where he’s supposed to be.”
Green called Hunt-Days a “natural” whose taste for contact has suited him well.
“He doesn’t have to waste his time coming down five yards off the line of scrimmage to hit somebody,” Green said, “so he’s real good at that.”
Patrick Gamble, who is training at both tackle spots, had a productive scrimmage, Pelton said, playing with effort and using his technique. However, Gamble was in a car accident over the weekend, suffered a concussion and has been sidelined.
Francis Kallon, the Central Gwinnett High product whose British upbringing and eye-popping athletic ability caused a stir among Tech fans during his recruitment, has been slow to develop. Kallon, a tackle, played little last season as a redshirt freshman.
“To give him credit, I saw him out there after practice today working on what he needs to work on,” Pelton said. “That’s a good sign, so he understands how far he’s got to go. It’s just putting pressure on Francis to understand that every day, he has to come out with a mind that he’s got to get better.”
Others, like tackle Jimmie Kitchen, face similar challenges of finding their internal drive.
“You don’t want guys to just be satisfied with where they are,” Pelton said. “You want them to take it to another level.”
While the first string may be relatively set for the spring, Pelton is asking for much in their consistency. Even Gotsis and Green, the two most experienced players on the line, Pelton said, “have got a lot that they can clean up, too.”
Green is receiving his first extended coaching from Pelton. He missed last spring after undergoing shoulder surgery and did not return until after the season began. Gotsis, while a returning starter, is from Australia and did not have a traditional rearing in the game.
“(Green) asks the right questions, he’s got a feel for the defense,” Pelton said. “Really, it just boils down to being consistent.”
Green likes the tough coaching that Pelton is giving out, he said, “because that way it’ll keep us going. We don’t want to get comfortable.”
Green probably need not worry about that.
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