Georgia Football: 5 players who can replace Roquan Smith

3. Monty Rice

Rice has quite possibly the best linebacker instincts of this group. He might have only been a 3-star recruit, but there is a reason the guy had so many SEC programs fighting over him. He knows how to play linebacker.

While he isn’t the athlete that the rest of these guys are, Rice just knows what to do. He is the only player here who started a game for UGA this season when he played against Missouri. He got by far the most playing time of this group because of how ready he was to step in and play this position.

The issue for Rice is that he just doesn’t quite have the explosive speed that Smith has. He is a great run stuffer and to me, he’s the natural heir to Natrez Patrick when he leaves Athens, but the guy who takes Roquan’s spot needs to be fast. He needs to be able to cover as well as stuff the run and that takes a certain level of explosiveness.

That sideline to sideline ability is something that UGA really needs and I just don’t know if Rice is the guy to do that. I do however think he has the inside track to the job in the spring. He will be the guy who starts in that position because of his experience and it will be up to the others to try and take the job from him. Rice certainly won’t make that easy for them and if Patrick leaves, I think he’ll be a starting LB next season no matter what.