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Brent Key announces LB Kyle Efford, DB Rodney Shelley out of Birmingham Bowl vs. Vanderbilt

by:Alex Byington12/24/24

_AlexByington

Brent Key
Georgia Tech coach Brent Key. (© Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key announced a pair of defensive starters will miss Friday’s Birmingham Bowl vs. Vanderbilt with injuries. Yellow Jackets starting linebacker Kyle Efford and starting nickleback Rodney Shelley will not participate in the Birmingham Bowl due to injuries, Key said, according to Atlanta Journal-Constitution beat writer Chad Bishop.

“We have a couple of guys, the whole team came over and we have a couple of guys out who had surgery right after the (Georgia) game,” Key said, according to Kelly Quinlan. “They won’t be playing, but other than that we will be a full go. Kyle Efford and Rodney Shelley had surgery after the season.”

Efford, Georgia Tech’s star sophomore linebacker, led the Yellow Jackets with 64 total tackles and three sacks this season. Shelley added 19 tackles as the team’s top nickelback. Efford, a third-team All-ACC selection, previously missed two games against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech with an undisclosed injury.

Shelley, a junior, ranks second on the Yellow Jackets with four pass breakups and is fourth on the team with five tackles for loss this season, three of which came against Virginia Tech. Shelley also made his impact on special team this season with a blocked field against North Carolina.

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Report: Brent Key agrees to long-term contract extension with Georgia Tech, receives pay raise

Georgia Tech and head coach Brent Key have agreed to a new long-term contract, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported. The deal includes an extension and a pay raise.

Key is getting ready for his second bowl game as Georgia Tech’s full-time head coach. He took over as the interim at his alma mater in 2022 following the departure of Geoff Collins and became the full-time coach at the end of that season. During his time at the helm, the Yellow Jackets are 18-15 overall and 14-9 in ACC play.

Key initially arrived at Georgia Tech as offensive line coach and assistant head coach in 2019 following two years under Nick Saban at Alabama. He served as the Crimson Tide’s offensive line coach from 2016-18 after spending 10 years at UCF. With the Knights, he rose from a graduate assistant in 2005 to assistant head coach, offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from 2014-15.

Nick Schultz contributed to this report.