Five Newbies to Watch For: DT Brentavious Glanton

Countdown to Kickoff: 65 Days

Adam Gotsis was likely Georgia Tech’s best and most talented player on the defense last season, he got drafted in the second round despite being injured. Despite his contributions, the defensive line had serious trouble getting any pressure on the quarterback or stopping the run. When he got injured, the line play got even worse. Now with Gotsis gone for good, there is a huge gap in the middle of the line that several players will be looking to fill. Redshirt freshman Brentavious Glanton has one of the best chances to replace Gotsis and improve the interior line play.

Brentavious Glanton, from Albany, Georgia, committed in the recruiting class of 2015 as a three star with an impressive offer list. He chose Georgia Tech over Tennessee, Cal, NC State and others. Some thought that Glanton would get some play time during his freshman year, but he did not get any play time early and the terrible season that Tech was having meant that they weren’t going to burn his redshirt for a couple of games. He came in at 6’2” 275 pounds and I can’t find anything that gives a more updated weight (His ramblinwreck.com profile still lists him as 276). This is certainly not as big as you’d hope a defensive tackle to be, and Georgia Tech has had trouble with getting bullied on the line in the past. In his game tape he shows an impressive ability to get to the ball using a variety of moves as well as surprising speed from a defensive tackle. He does show the strength necessary to succeed at this level but he did show some trouble with keeping his pad level low and I’m sure that has been a big focus for him.

What to Expect This Season

Glanton flashed some big promise when he dominated the spring game and led the defense with tackles. He is one of the defensive tackles fighting for a starting spot and will almost certainly see significant play time. Upperclassmen Patrick Gamble and Francis Kallon have experience, but have not played well enough to guarantee a spot on the line. Sophomore Kyle Cerge-Henderson got some play time last season, but seemed overwhelmed as a true freshman. He looks to take a big step forward this season. True freshman Brandon Adams will bring some desperately needed size to the line if he starts or gets significant play time. These five look to be the rotation at tackle and I wouldn’t be that surprised if any of them start. Brentavious Glanton has just as good a shot as any of them, and if the spring game was any indication, he may have a better shot. A successful Glanton would bring huge benefits to a defensive line that needs to be stronger this season, especially because of graduation in the secondary. Whether or not he starts, Glanton should get a lot of time of on the field this fall.