Tchio poised to make his Tech debut against his former team Clemson

After losing several expected contributors to unexpected medical hardships, Georgia Tech offensive line coach Brent Key turned to the transfer portal after the 2021 season looking for some depth but also looking for players with more than just a season or two of eligibility left as well. Former Clemson lineman and former Milton HS standout Paul Tchio fit the bill. Tchio left the Tigers and embraced the opportunity to come home to Atlanta to play a larger role in the Jackets' offensive line plans.

For Tchio the path wasn't a smooth one though, a foot injury knocked him out of spring ball before he had a chance to finish all 15 practices going down midway through the spring and that led to a long rehab process that carried into the fall. Tchio is finally cleared and healthy and he made the first ATL Chart of the year and is expected to play some guard against his old team in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Labor Day.

He spoke with JOL during camp about the long road to the field.

"The adjustment to Georgia Tech has been really good. I came in here trying to just learn different things and trying to better myself anyway I could both mentally and physically," he said. "I came in here and through about half of the spring and then I had to have surgery on an injury that I had previously and now I'm on the back end of it."

Tchio has enjoyed his opportunity to work with coach Key who recruited him to Tech out of high school as well.

"I've been adjusting very well to coach Key and he has done a great job of developing my game even with me being on the sideline for months. I think I've grown a lot mentally since I've been here," he said. "Coach Key is a real hard coach so you have your good times and bad times, but he is a great coach for sure and he has definitely made me better and he has done a great job of challenging me mentally trying to make me develop and grow my knowledge of the game."

Early on the Jackets saw Tchio as either a left or right guard, but he said his focus switched in camp to mostly right guard where he has been competing with walk-on Joe Fusile and Alabama transfer Pierce Quick for snaps.

"In the spring I was bouncing back and forth between left and right, but since I was coming off an injury I've been working more on the right side," Tchio said during camp. "I've enjoyed playing guard and I definitely think I can help out the whole offense. I am definitely more comfortable on the right side, but at Clemson, I played left guard in some games but practiced a lot at right guard, so I think the right side is my natural side."

Tchio said in camp he was around 310-pounds and he said the mental toll of rehab and not playing a lot in college has him ready to go when the Jackets face Clemson.

"It has been a long time coming, I'm very excited. It has been almost a year since I've played and the rehab tested me mentally and physically and I just had to take it day by day and I just can't wait for the day when I can let it all loose, get off the leash and go play ball," he said.