Georgia Tech’s Kyle Efford leading the nation in tackles

A few days after Georgia Tech’s win over No. 10 Florida State on Aug. 24 in Dublin, Tech coach Brent Key received a text message on his mobile phone from former Tech linebacker Matt Uremovich.

Uremovich, an Army veteran with a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, was so impressed with the way that Tech linebacker Kyle Efford played against the Seminoles that Uremovich offered to send Efford personalized Army Ranger shirts.

“I love the way (No.) 44 (Efford) plays,” Uremovich’s text message read, Key said Thursday on his weekly radio show.

Efford was credited with 10 tackles in that win over FSU. On Saturday night, in a 35-12 victory over Georgia State at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the sophomore was credited with 13 more. Efford, with 23 total tackles, now leads the nation in that category.

“Really, the tackles just come from pure effort,” Efford said Saturday. “Just flying around.”

A Dacula High School graduate, Efford (6-foot-2, 230 pounds) rose to prominence in 2023 by making a team-high 81 stops (6.23 per game). Off the field he became a team captain and one of the program’s foremost leaders in Tech’s efforts to return to championship-level football.

All that after playing on only 29 special-teams plays over four games in 2022 and making one assisted tackle.

“(Efford) plays the game the right way. He goes about everything the right way,” Key said. “He’s gonna have eight, 10, 12 tackles in a game, and he’s gonna be on the front row of (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) on Sunday night, bringing guys with him. That’s what’s cool about Kyle. He’s an unbelievable leader. He affects his teammates in the right way.”

Efford’s double-digit tackle games to start the season are the third and fourth of his career. He had 10 at Virginia and 11 against Syracuse last season and his outing against the Orange was one of his better performances, according to Pro Football Focus, of the year. Efford and Tech visit Syracuse (1-0) at noon Saturday (ACC Network).

In the Jackets’ win over State, Efford was rated the team’s best defender in pass coverage. He was rated as the team’s second-best tackler in the win over FSU.

A former three-star recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite ranking, who chose Tech (2-0, 1-0 ACC) over Purdue, Maryland, Iowa State and Duke, Efford has added a protective neck roll to his game-day get-up this season. That has given him an old-school look to match his tenacious play in the heart of the Tech defense.

Efford told “ACC PM” on Friday he’ll spend an hour on game day resting with his eyes closed, visualizing how the coming contest will play out. So far the results have played out awfully well.

“I can’t say enough good things about Kyle Efford,” Key added.

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