Georgia Football has to move forward without Natrez Patrick

It’s ok, we still have Roquan!

Thankfully, Georgia still has it’s best linebacker. Roquan Smith might just be the very best player on this entire team, not just the defense. He is clearly the leader of this unit who gets everyone into their positions each play. Although not having Patrick in is a problem, the team would be in a lot worse of a position is it was Smith who was out.

Smith has been one of the best linebackers in the country this year. Whether it’s stopping the run, covering or rushing the passer, the guy can do it all. His speed is something that separates him from regular players and he’s incredible to watch. So long as he is in, I have to believe that this defense is going to stop most people. He’s so much more than just stats. Every time someone tries to throw over the middle he’s right there. He’s consistently broken through traffic and stopped the run. The guy is just a monster.

But even great players need to take snaps off and with Patrick out, that makes it harder for Smith to get a rest. That’s something the coaches are going to have to manage because they need him at 100%. The last person this defense can afford to lose is Smith. If he ends up missing any extended time, that’s a loss we can’t replace. Hopefully, Georgia can get up big against Mizzou this week and give him some time off. With Florida coming up in 2 weeks, we’re going to need him fresh and ready to go.