Georgia Football: 5 players who can replace Roquan Smith

5. Tae Crowder

Crowder is a bit of an enigma to Georgia fans. He was originally recruited as a running back although some recruiting services had him pegged as a wide receiver. Kirby Smart moved him to the defensive side of the ball when he got here and Crowder has been a part of the ILB group since then.

We haven’t seen much if anything of Crowder at that position since the move. His most memorable play for Georgia, however, came in the Rose Bowl. It was Crowder who made the heads up play of grabbing the OU squib kick and fell to the ground. That play set up UGA’s 55-yard field goal and sparked the comeback.

Now one special teams play does not make a starting inside linebacker. However, there is no doubt that Crowder has some intriguing physical tools. He’s a fast and physical player who can be quite the load when he wants to be. He’s played a lot this year on special teams and has earned his way into this conversation because of that. The guy has put in a lot of effort to get better and he could well surprise some people.

Crowder has a better chance of seeing the field on defense if Patrick does not come back. If UGA is looking for 2 rather than just 1 ILB’s this year, I think he will find his way into that rotation. I can’t tell you what to expect from someone I have never seen play this position before. But he’s certainly worth keeping an eye on during spring training.