As everyone knows, there are three levels of defense to every defensive unit in football, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have a unique situation where they have a leader for every position group that will be returning to the team in 2025.
The leader of the defensive line and perhaps the best player on the defensive side for the ball for the Yellow Jackets will be interior defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg. The senior was named to Phil Steele’s preseason All-ACC team, and will enter his final year of college football as the leader of a defensive line that will need to get more pressure on the quarterback than they have in the the past two season, combining for just 39 sacks.
For the linebackers, it will be Kyle Efford, who had a statement game in the Yellow Jackets opener against the Florida State Seminoles last season, compiling ten tackles for the Yellow Jackets. Efford missed two games last season with an injury, but was still able to finish the season with 64 tackles, establishing himself as one of the country’s best field generals and always getting involved in the play.
The secondary for the Yellow Jackets will see a lot of new faces, but one that has been consistent for the team for the past three seasons has been safety Clayton Powell-Lee. Powell Lee has appeared in all 38 games for the Yellow Jackets since his arrival in 2022 and started every game last season for the Yellow Jackets. Heading into his senior season, Powell-Lee will be the anchor of a secondary that will look vastly different from last season.