Some key losses for Georgia Tech.
The Georgia Tech football team is set to face Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl on Friday, December 27, in Alabama. Georgia Tech wrapped up the regular season with a 7-5 record, highlighted by a significant opening week victory against Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. They concluded the season with a near-upset against Georgia, losing in an epic 8-overtime showdown in Athens.
Vanderbilt, with a 6-6 record, achieved a remarkable upset over Alabama, which helped raise the profile of quarterback Diego Pavia and the program this season.
As they prepare for the Birmingham Bowl, Georgia Tech will be missing two defensive starters, according to Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key confirmed that starting linebacker Kyle Efford and starting nickelback Rodney Shelley would not play in the bowl game due to injuries.
Key remarked on their absence, saying, “They had surgery right after the last game. We made a decision on when to do it. Both those guys had continued to play through the season, and it reached a point where they had nothing left in them to keep going.”
The absence of these two players is a significant blow for Georgia Tech. Efford, in his sophomore year, has recorded 35 solo tackles and three sacks. Similarly, Shelley, a junior cornerback, has contributed with 16 solo tackles and has been an important starter for the Yellow Jackets this season.
Additionally, Georgia Tech has lost its top wide receiver, Eric Singleton Jr., who entered the transfer portal and joined Auburn on Monday, making a substantial addition to the Tigers’ roster as they rebuild this year.
With these departures and the ongoing changes in the college football transfer portal, Georgia Tech will face a more challenging matchup against Vanderbilt on Friday.
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