Taje McCoy has become one of the steadier bright spots for Georgia Tech this season, and on Wednesday the edge rusher made it clear he sees his role as bigger than just what happens on Saturdays. With the Yellow Jackets heading into a matchup with Louisville, McCoy talked about the team’s mindset, his work with younger players and the challenge of slowing down a Cardinals offense loaded with playmakers.
Georgia Tech’s record isn’t where anyone wants it, but McCoy said the buy-in is still there inside the locker room.
“The record is not like how we want it, but like I said, I feel like guys are still bought in. They still want it, and I’m right behind them, and I’m trying my best to even push them harder as best as I can,” said McCoy.
That leadership piece has become part of his job, especially with younger players in the room. McCoy pointed to Christian Speakman, the true freshman who continues to earn reps, and explained how he’s trying to help guide that growth.
“Yeah, just constantly being somebody they can talk to, can lean on. Like early, I was just telling Speak that I'm proud of him the way he's playing, and he's just putting games together, and I told him just keep stacking games and just keep stacking practices and just always harp on just 1%. Get 1% better every day and just keep doing that, and hone in on your techniques no matter the situation.
On the other side of the ball, Louisville brings a different kind of test. McCoy singled out Keyjuan Brown, Isaac Brown and Lincoln Kienholz as names Georgia Tech has to account for, and he said the Cardinals’ motion-heavy offense demands discipline from the entire defense.
“They do a lot of shifts in motion. So, you know, we got to be uh great with our eyes, see pitchers before they happen, you know, just play sound defense.
Everybody execute their 111. And I think we can have a whole defense success if everybody just be on the same page.
Just having good eyes, playing uh good team football, you know, being where you're supposed to be, fitting the holes properly, you know, just feeding the blitzes, doing all that, and I feel like we can contain them guys.
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