FSU football: In-depth look at Georgia Tech's Tyler Santucci as defensive coordinator
By Kelvin Hunt
Strengths and Weaknesses
We'll use the 2024 Georgia Tech defense as the guide since we know Santucci runs the entire defense.
Georgia Tech allows 22 ppg (tied No. 46), 3.64 yards per carry (No. 32), 5.54 ypp (No. 65), 14 sacks (tied No. 116), 60 tackles for a loss (No. 49), seven turnovers forced (No. 129), and 29.6 percent third down conversions allowed (No. 9 nationally).
In a nutshell, they are solid in scoring defense and against the run. The yards per play allowed tells me they are more of a bend but don't break, but if they get you in third and long they get off the field because of an elite third-down defense. They haven't forced many turnovers and don't force many sacks.
Their run defense is better than their pass, as they allow 63.5 percent pass completions, 16 passing touchdowns allowed, and 30 passes defended. How much of this is because they don't have great talent all over the defense? It's likely a factor, and figuring things out in the first few games in year one likely contributes to these numbers. It should be noted that Santucci's linebackers are consistently near the team lead in tackles and tackles for a loss wherever he goes.
Can Santucci be elite or close to it at a place like FSU, where he can attract better talent?