Georgia Football: Defensive Players to watch on G-day

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Jonathan Ledbetter
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Jonathan Ledbetter
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Right now, there is no spot on the team that needs players to step up more than the defensive line. While the starting three are solid, the guy behind that really need to step up this year. The loss of Trenton Thompson and John Atkins is going to reduce the amount of depth and could cause issues.

UGA is light in terms of players at the DT position for Saturday. They have lost senior Michael Barnett to injury and he looked to be stepping up and could have filled a role. They also have two freshmen who are yet to arrive and at least one of them could end up seeing some time when the season comes around.

DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle DT

In the meantime, DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle has a chance to stand out on Saturday. Having made an impact in his first few years, he struggled in 2017 and fell down the depth chart. He did make a huge play in the SEC Championship game on special teams. His blocked field goal kind of sparked Georgia’s rally and helped them get the win.

As a senior, this is Hawkins-Muckle’s last chance to see the field. He has some other young players pushing him and if he wants to get significant time in his final year, he needs to make the most of his spring. Kirby Smart has said that the key for him remains Hawkins-Muckle’s weight. If he can stay where he needs to be, he has a chance to be a really good player. Saturday is a chance for him to show that he’s ready to do just that.

Devonte Wyatt DT

Devonte Wyatt is one of the main players pushing Hawkins-Muckle. Having spent his freshman year at a JUCO college, Wyatt arrived in Athens in the run up to the Rose Bowl. He’s had a chance to practice with the team since December and he seems to be improving.

Wyatt has a long way to go, he was a raw player in high school and he has a lot to learn. The raw physical attributes are tantalizing though. The guy weights 300lbs and he ran a 4.6 yard 40 yard dash in high school. Wyatt actually played RB for his team at some point, that’s how athletic he is.

He’ll be going up against the young inexperienced guards on Saturday. Wyatt will need to get pressure on Justin Fields or that second unit could end up getting torn apart. G-day will be a great opportunity to see how far Wyatt has come in the past 5 months.