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#5 Clayton Powell-Lee

Clayton Powell-Lee - Football - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Year Junior
Height 6-2
Weight 185
Hometown Atlanta, Ga.
Last School Westlake H.S.
Major Building Construction
Clayton Powell-Lee - Football - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

2023 (Sophomore): Appeared in all 12 games and made two starts as one of the three safeties that sees significant playing time for the Yellow Jackets (joining LaMiles Brooks and all-American Jaylon King) … Despite making only two starts, ranks second on the team with 66 tackles … Has also tallied an interception and two pass breakups … Has recorded at least three tackles in 11-of-12 games and five or more stops in 8-of-12 contests … Opened the season with one of his best statistical performances of the season, tallying five tackles, an interception and a pass breakup against Louisville (Sept. 1) … Had eight stops in 30-16 win at Wake Forest (Sept. 23) … Recorded eight tackles and broke up a pass in 23-20 victory at No. 17 Miami (Fla.) (Oct. 7) … Had nine tackles in 46-42 triumph over No. 17 North Carolina (Oct. 28) … Notched seven tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, at Clemson (Nov. 11) … Had six stops against No. 1 Georgia (Nov. 25).

2022 (Freshman): Earned honorable-mention freshman all-America recognition from College Football News despite not seeing significant action on defense until starting free safety Jaylon King sustained a season-ending injury in the fifth game of the season at Pitt (Oct. 1) … Finished third in voting for 2022 ACC Rookie of the Year … Played in all 12 games (primarily on special teams until Game 5) and started six of the final seven games of the season at free safety … Despite being a starter for just half the season, finished fifth on the team with 48 tackles and tied for first in the ACC and third nationally with three fumble recoveries … Also added an interception and a pair of pass breakups … Turned in one of the nation’s top defensive performances of the season when he intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble, all in the final seven minutes of the game, to help lead Georgia Tech to a 28-27 come-from-behind win at Virginia Tech (Nov. 5) … His interception with 6:54 left in the contest led to the Yellow Jackets’ game-winning touchdown drive, while his fumble recovery with 2:08 to go sealed the victory … Making the incredible performance at VT even more impressive is the fact that he missed the entire week of practice and did not start the game due to illness … Was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week following the incredible performance at VT … Recorded just three tackles over the first five games of the season, primarily in a special teams role until King’s season-ending injury at Pitt … In his first-career start, recorded eight tackles in win over Duke (Oct. 8) … Two weeks later, he tallied a season-high 14 tackles at Florida State (Oct. 29) … 14 stops at FSU were the most by a Georgia Tech DB since Isaiah Johnson’s 14 at Pitt in 2014, were tied for the most by an ACC DB in 2022 and the most by an ACC freshman in ’22 … Notched seven tackles vs. Miami (Fla.) (Nov. 12) … Broke up a pass in season finale at No. 1 Georgia (Nov. 26) … Named to All-ACC Academic Team in recognition of his performances on the field and in the classroom.

High School: Rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN and 247Sports … Four-year letterwinner in both football and track and field at Atlanta’s Westlake H.S. … Helped lead Westlake to three-straight regional titles (2018-20) … Also earned a conference championship in 2020 … Named All-Region defensive back in 2021 after helping lead Westlake to a 10-3 record … Recorded a staggering 131 total tackles as a senior, including 50 solo takedowns … Also amassed 1.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries … Helped lead Westlake H.S. to a 21-5 record over his last two seasons, including a third-round 6A state playoffs appearance as a senior in 2021 and a region championship and trip to the 6A state semifinals as a junior in 2020 … Two-year team captain … Coached at Westlake by Bobby May … Attended same high school as Georgia Tech teammates Leo Blackburn, Jakiah Leftwich, Horace Lockett and Myles Sims … Member of Westlake’s first-team all-state 4×100 relay team as a junior … Earned a spot in state championships in the long jump as a senior.

Personal: Majoring in building construction … Father, Gary Lee, was a four-year letterwinner at Georgia Tech (1983-86), playing wide receiver … He recorded 67 receptions for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns … Drafted in the 12th round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions … Played two years (1987-88), hauling in 41 receptions for 569 yards and one touchdown … Member of ACC Academic Honor Roll.

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