Georgia Football: Defensive Players to watch on G-day

Monty Rice ILB

Speaking of linebackers, there is going to be a battle in the middle. With Roquan Smith now gone, a lot of guys are going to have to step up. The Freshman that most impressed last season was Monty Rice who ended up starting a game when Natrez Patrick was suspended.

Rice is much close to Patrick than he is to Smith. He’s a thumper who has great instincts. I’ve always felt that despite not having a high star rating, he was going to be a guy who would see the field in Athens. He just has a knack for the position. It will be interesting to see which unit he’s on come Saturday. Is he playing the Patrick role on the 2nds or Smiths on the 1s?

Nate McBride ILB

McBride is a player that I feel everyone is intrigued by. He has the kind of blazing speed and raw talent that makes you sit up and notice. Not many guys his size can end up winning sprint championships in the state of Georgia. He’s certainly got rare physical tools.

What he doesn’t have is much experience. McBride missed his entire Junior season after a car accident. He then took a while to recover and didn’t quite have the instincts that linebackers need in his final year of high school.

He was lights out on special teams in 2017 and made several big hits that got him noticed. But the time is now for McBride to show that he’s going to be more than just a special teams guy. Saturday will be the first chance we get to see him in a defense and it should help us see how he’s developing.