There were a lot of new faces being showcased in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.

Defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker and DB coach Travares Tillman are the only two familiar faces on the staff.

Well, unless one counts Marco Coleman, who returned to The Flats after one season at Michigan State. Coleman, along with new LB coach/Co-DC Kevin Sherrer and Senior Analyst Brian Baker, all joined the staff following hte announcement of Key’s hiring.

Returning contributors Clayton Powell-Lee, Kyle Kennard, Noah Collins, LaMiles Brooks, and the almost-healthy Jaylon King all made the type of plays that fans of the program have come to expect.

Zeek Biggers may be primed for a breakout season. He looked disruptive and quicker off the ball than he had been in the past. Braelen Oliver's physicality (and his choice of gear) have him primed to become a fan favorite.

The biggest question mark going into the spring was about replacing likely first-round draft pick Keion White.

The biggest question mark defensively following spring practice- Who is going to replace Keion White?

They’ve added depth and length on the defensive line, both via high school recruiting and the transfer portal.

Etinosa Reuben, formerly at Clemson, flashed on multiple occasions on Saturday. He coincidentally was doing so wearing No. 6.

Reuben was never able to put it all together at Clemson, but the combination of tools and size is certainly there, and his performance on Saturday is another step forward.

Transferring in from Auburn prior to last season, cornerback Ahmari Harvey impressed on Saturday in his second spring in Atlanta. Tackles on the edge, making the right reads, plays on the ball, everything a defensive back can be asked to do, Harvey did it on Saturday. He finished the game with six tackles (tied for most) one forced fumble, and 2 PBU.

When asked about Harvey’s progression after the game, Key didn’t shy away from giving Harvey praise.

“He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

It is hard to really measure how good (or bad) a defense is in a spring game in which several plays would have likely been called back due to penalty, but the foundation has been set going into post-spring meetings, summer workouts, and ultimately fall camp and the 2023 season.

If Georgia Tech is going to take that next step in 2023, and get into post-season play, the defense is going to be a major factor in doing so.

Repeating the turnover production that they were able to find throughout 2022 is a tall task, but given the amount of talent returning on that side of the ball, is far from impossible.