Georgia Football will expect big things from D’Andre Walker
Georgia Football said goodbye to two of it’s better OLB’s this past season, but in D’Andre Walker, they have a player who could be better than both.
If there is one player that I think could blow up at UGA this year, it’s D’Andre Walker. Outside of Dawg fans, his name doesn’t really resonate at all with other fans. People who do not follow Georgia Football closely have likely never heard of him. But Walker is a player who has flashed his potential during his time in Athens. In 2018, he should be ready to finally put it all together.
As good as Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter both were, Walker was UGA’s best pass rusher last season. He couldn’t do all of the other things that both of them could do, but he could get after the quarterback. As the season wore on, we began to see more and more of him. Quite often it was Bellamy who stepped aside because Walker brought more pressure.
From an athletic standpoint, Walker has it all. He’s even more explosive and sudden in his movements than Carter and he’s shown that he can make offensive linemen look silly. He will go into this season and UGA’s key pass rusher and for the first time, he’s going to be THE guy. A double-digit sack season is not unreasonable for him this year.
The Dawgs have lots of very talented OLB’s right now. However, all of them are young with Walter Grant the most experienced and he’s a sophomore. Walker will be the sole senior leader of one of UGA’s most talented position groups. That’s a lot of pressure, but it’s something he’s been waiting for.
Lorenzo Carter was drafted in the 3rd round last year. Walker could go even higher and likely will if he reaches his potential this season. The Dawgs have not had a player get 10+ sacks since Jarvis Jones in 2012. It’s time for Walker to break that trend and become to next big-time pass rusher to come out of UGA. If he does, this defense might be even better this year and that is downright scary.