Kyle Efford Opens Up at ACC Media Days

Kyle Efford Opens Up at ACC Media Days originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Despite missing two games last season due to injury, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Kyle Efford still managed to lead the team in tackles for a second consecutive year. Even with the absence, Efford still managed to be named to the All-ACC Team.

Efford is the heartbeat of Georgia Tech’s defense and is looking to continue his stellar play into 2025. He opened up at ACC Media Days about his injuries, his teammates, and his football idol.

Q.Kyle, you went through some injuries and so forth last season. How are you feeling now, and how does the linebacker room like to you?

KYLE EFFORD: Man, I feel great now. My body feels great. I'm just ready to get on that football field. The linebacker room looks good. We've got some good depth in there. We've got some guys that are ready to play ball.

Q.Kyle, just what it's like to work with defensive coordinator Blake Gideon and what your takeaways are from the way he goes about his job, and maybe some of those little pieces that we don't see every week that you see in those intricate details?

KYLE EFFORD: Yes, sir. Coach Gideon has been great so far. He's going to have us playing real fast out there, real instinctual football. He's speeding that defense up for us and we're really excited to get out there and play instinctual football again.

Q.Kyle, I want to ask you a little bit about the linebacker room. You've got some guys, obviously yourself. I want to talk about the growth and development of Tah'j Butler.

KYLE EFFORD: Yeah, man. Tah'j, EJ, them boys are coming along, man. When it comes to them, it's just going to be about them slowing the game down in their head, staying healthy. When you have a true freshman coming back with, I don't know what, 50, 60 tackles, it says a lot. His game says really all what it needs to say about it.

Q.People described you as a throwback linebacker in the past. Who are your biggest inspirations in terms of playing linebacker that are throwbacks?

KYLE EFFORD: If I'm honest, I only watched Ray Lewis growing up. That was my go-to guy.

Q.Georgia native, your home is only about 35 miles away from Bobby Dodd Stadium. What's it like for you to represent that school, and what is, in essence, right around the corner from your hometown?

KYLE EFFORD: It means a lot to me. Staying local was one of the aspects that played into my decision. It kind of is nice being like a hometown hero, per se. But it's just an added, like, intensity towards it. I want to put on for my city.

Q.Kyle, Coach Key talked about how the defense took a big step forward in run defense this year. Where is this defense improving this year and do you think you can replicate that success?

KYLE EFFORD: 100. I think our front is going to start at the front, obviously. I mean, really all three levels, it's going to be something serious. I definitely think just getting out of such a defined defense and letting us play instinctual football, the game we were playing since we were kids, it's definitely going to work out for the better.

Related: Georgia Tech to Hire Ryan Alpert as Next Athletic Director: Report

Q.You've been a consistent presence in the middle of this Georgia Tech defense. How have you approached being a leader over the past two seasons, and how are you looking to improve on that even further in 2025?

KYLE EFFORD: One of my major things going into this year was becoming a more vocal leader. I've always been somebody who preferred to lead by example and kind of get things done and just following by default. But I'm to that point now where I'm not going to sit back and watch anything anymore. If I see an issue, I'm going to address it. Definitely becoming a more vocal leader has been my focus.

Related: Everything Georgia Tech HC Brent Key Said at ACC Media Day

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.