Jabari Hunt-Days Reinstated, Bolsters Georgia Tech Defense

Jabari Hunt-Days was academically ineligible to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during their excellent campaign in 2014.

As of August 01, 2015, Jabari Hunt-Days has officially regained his academic eligibility to play for the Jackets in 2015. His return to play is critical for a Georgia Tech defense that ranked 53rd in the country last season in points against at 25.7 per game and 123rd in passing yards allowed.

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In 27 games for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 2012 and 2013, the 6’3”, 261 lb. Jabari Hunt-Days tallied 129 tackles for the club. He also added 11.5 tackles for losses to go along with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

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As Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets lost All-American Defensive Tackle Shaquille Mason to the NFL this offseason, Georgia Tech must face the reality that they need to buckle down on defense in order to more effectively control the clock. Jabari Hunt-Days’s presence drastically improves their chances of become a better team defensively.

Jabari Hunt-Days will play along fellow DT Adam Gotsis to form a dangerous defensive line. Hunt-Days and Gotsis, along with rising linebacker Tyler Marcordes demonstrate that Ted Roof’s defense on the Flats has the personnel to become a better team than they were in 2014.

In order for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to duplicate the success of the 2014 season, the Jackets have to improve but mitigating yards per play, as they were ranked at 111th in the country last season. The Georgia Tech defense allowed an unsightly 6.32 yards per play in 2014.

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While this is surely an indictment of futility on the behalf of the Yellow Jackets’ defense, much of their defensive success last year was predicated on their ability to induce turnovers by the opposition, as Tech ranked first in the nation in causing opponents’ drives to end in turnovers at 22.3 percent. Despite the loss of Shaq Mason, having Jabari Hunt-Days on the defensive line will give Ted Roof another athletic pass rusher and run stopper who can help improve Tech’s ability of reducing opponents’ yards per play.

At the end of the 2014 season, Shaquille Mason was quoted saying that Jabari Hunt-Days was the reason he was able to develop into an All-American Defensive Tackle. This is high praise coming from a player who was drafted in the 4th round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. There is no doubting his importance to the Georgia Tech football team in the coming season, and the effect he will have on the efficacy of the Yellow Jackets’ defense.

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