Georgia Tech had a busy offseason adding talent to its roster, and while the Yellow Jackets looked to strengthen several key positions on offense, most of the attention was focused on defense during the winter and spring transfer period.
Brent Key and his staff have done one of the best jobs in the ACC at developing top talent. 247Sports rated the Yellow Jackets transfer class as having the fourth-largest net gain in the ACC behind Florida State, North Carolina State and Boston College. 247Sports analyst Brandon Marcelo had this to say about Georgia Tech’s just-acquired transfer class:
Departures: 32 (83.1)
Newcomers: 14 (85.85)
Net Rating Increase: +2.75
“Georgia Tech filled holes on the defense with additions from big-name schools like Georgia, USC and Penn State. Edge rusher Romello Height returned to his home state after stints at USC and Auburn, and Georgia Tech nabbed a star player from rival Georgia for the second straight year in the addition of Bulldogs linebacker EJ Lightsey. Still, the Yellow Jackets were heavily hit in the portal with 32 departures and 14 additions, so the net rating may be a bit misleading.”
Here’s how 247Sports, with help from Marcello, came up with this assessment.
“As we head into the summer, let’s simplify the issue and evaluate where each Power Four team stands in order to better evaluate the teams. To do this, 247Sports takes the average rating of players leaving each program (as rated by the 247Sports Transfer Rankings team) and compares it to the average rating of players entering the program. Overall differences between players are not factored into the rating. Instead, only the average player rating matters, and that number is simply distilled into a net gain or net loss by the 247Sports rating system.”
I think Georgia Tech did a good job adding players, and while 32 seems like a big number, I think only a few of them will be contributing to Georgia Tech’s team in 2024.
Kyle Kennard, Eddie Kelly and Dequan Dowse would have given Georgia Tech depth up front, and Johnson and Wallace would have been solid in the secondary. Still, Georgia Tech had the worst defense in the country last year, and the Yellow Jackets’ staff has done a good job of filling in for the players they’ve lost.
Losing some defensive linemen was a blow, but I thought they did a pretty solid job of reinforcing their defensive line. They added defensive tackle transfers Thomas Gore (Georgia State and Miami) and Jordan Van den Berg (Penn State) and USC/Auburn transfer Romello Height for pass rushing. Those three should be immediate contributors and help turn around a defense that was the worst in the nation last year.
Georgia Tech officially announced the addition of six new transfer students on Friday who joined the program for the spring semester.
Let’s take a look at each one.
TE Josh Beetham (Michigan)– Michigan (2021-23): Appeared in 11 games over three seasons at Michigan, playing at tight end and on special teams…Appeared in nine games as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, helping the Wolverines to a 15-0 season and a national championship…Appeared in one game each in 2021 and 2022…Two-time Special Teams Scout Team Player of the Week for helping prepare Michigan for games against Maryland and Penn State in 2022…Earned Academic Excellence All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and 2023.
Illinois (2020): Didn’t play in a game as a true freshman quarterback…retaining a season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
high school: Named All-State Honorable Mention as a senior QB… Was a two-time All-Conference and All-Area selection… Coached by Dan Maguire… Also an All-Conference and All-Area player in basketball.
Safety Jayden Davis (Cincinnati)
Cincinnati (2023): Played in two games as a true freshman (vs. Houston, West Virginia) … No stats recorded … Redshirted.
high school: Rated as a three-star prospect rival, 247Sports ESPN… Ranked among the top 50 prospects in the state of Georgia rival and ESPN … His senior season was shortened due to injury but still received all-county recognition from the Gwinnett County Touchdown Club … He earned all-region and all-county honors as a junior in 2021, recording 65 tackles (59 solo), three interceptions and eight pass breakups while leading Collins Hill to a 15-0 record, a Georgia 7-A state championship and a final national ranking of No. 3 … The 2021 Collins Hill team was the first team since 1971 playing in the highest classification in Georgia to win every game by at least 15 points … Coach is Renee Gregory.
Defensive lineman Thomas Gore (Miami, Georgia State):
Miami (2023): Played in all 13 games…Recorded eight tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks…Recorded two sacks in the win over Temple University…Recorded a season-high three tackles against Bethune-Cookman University…Recorded solo stops against North Carolina, Louisville and Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Georgia State University (2019-22): Spent four seasons at nearby Georgia State University…Recorded 93 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in four seasons…Recorded 45 tackles, 9.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman in 2021 and was named All-Sun Belt honorable mention…Redshirted as a true freshman in 2019 and retained one season of eligibility in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
high school: Rated as a 2-star prospect rival and 247Sports … Led Brentwood Academy to its fourth consecutive state championship in 2018 and was named to the All-State First Team … Coached by Cody White … Was also a state heavyweight champion in wrestling … In track and field he competed in the shot put.
Defensive end Romero Height (Auburn University and USC):
Southern California (2022-23): Played two seasons at USC…Appeared in 12 of Troy’s 13 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, recording 21 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks and one fumble recovery…Appeared in just two games as a sophomore in 2022, starting against Rice University and Stanford before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Auburn (2020-21): Played two seasons at Auburn University…Appeared in only one game as a true freshman in 2020 (vs. LSU) before retaining a season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic…Recorded 19 tackles (three for loss) as a freshman in 2021…Recorded a season-high four tackles twice, against Arkansas (including a half TFL) and Alabama (including a TFL).
high school: Rated as a 4-star prospect 247Sports … Named the nation’s No. 24 outside linebacker and No. 35 overall prospect in the state of Georgia … Selected to the first team Max Preps Following his senior season in 2019, he was named Small School All-America and Georgia Class 2-A Defensive Player of the Year…As a senior, he had 27 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown to lead Dublin to the Georgia 2A state championship…Also caught two passes for 112 yards and a touchdown and a kickoff return for 43 yards as a wide receiver during his final prep season…Coached by Roger Holmes.
Cornerback Zachary Toub (University of Illinois):
DB, Sophomore, 6-2, 190, Ocoee, FL/Ocoee High School (Illinois)
Illinois (2023): In his one season at Illinois, he played in 10 games with three starts at cornerback…recorded 25 tackles and five pass breakups…recorded three tackles and a season-high three pass breakups against FAU…recorded a season-high seven tackles in the final game against Northwestern…also recorded three or more tackles against Nebraska (4), Minnesota (3) and Indiana (3)…recorded one pass breakup each against Wisconsin and Indiana.
Cornerback Zachary Toub (University of Illinois):
DB, Sophomore, 6-2, 190, Ocoee, FL/Ocoee High School (Illinois)
Illinois (2023): In his one season at Illinois, he played in 10 games with three starts at cornerback…recorded 25 tackles and five pass breakups…recorded three tackles and a season-high three pass breakups against FAU…recorded a season-high seven tackles in the final game against Northwestern…also recorded three or more tackles against Nebraska (4), Minnesota (3) and Indiana (3)…recorded one pass breakup each against Wisconsin and Indiana.
Iowa Western CC (2020): In the spring of 2021, he played one season at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa (the season was postponed from the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic). He added 40 pounds to help him transition from linebacker to defensive line. Despite playing in just six games, he was named to the Junior College All-America First Team and the All-Region First Team. He recorded 13 tackles, including four TFLs. He recorded a season-high 7.5 tackles for loss against Iowa Central CC. He recorded a season-high two TFLs against Snow College. He helped Iowa Western CC to an 8-1 overall record.
high school: Starred as a linebacker at Providence Christian Academy near Lilburn, Georgia. Selected as a first-team All-State as a senior in 2019. Received All-Region and All-County honors twice. Is Providence Christian’s all-time leader in career tackles, tackles in a season and tackles for loss. Set school records with 157 tackles and 14 TFL as a senior. Also recorded four sacks in his final prep campaign. Coached by Parker Conley. Earned three letters in baseball and two letters in basketball.
