Georgia Football: How UGA deals with losing Manac.

Linebacker: Freshmen making a push.

Manac was initially a backup for an OLB spot in the spring. That looked like the most likely way that he was going to get on the field. But things seem to have changed since then. Georgia’s much talked about 2017 recruiting class arrived on campus and the level of competition elevated dramatically.

The 2017 class had several very impressive linebacking options. Monty Rice and Nate McBride are both natural inside linebackers. Jaden Hunter is a bit of a tweener. He has been playing on the inside this summer but he certainly has the size and pass rushing skill to play on the outside. Right now, he’s a Swiss army knife that can play in a lot of different places.

On the outside, Georgia might have it’s two best prospects. Robert Beal is one of the most exciting players in this class. He arrived in class late thanks to a complicated senior year of high school where he transferred to IMG Academy and back. However, physically, he might be the most talented player of this class even if it takes him a couple of years to reach his potential.

Walter Grant however, could make an impact straight away. Grant has made a big impact in camp and could well end up being the primary backup for the starters this season. In short, all this talent coming in likely made this another position group where Manac was being pushed further down the depth chart.