Looking for youth to step up:
But it’s not just experienced players that Georgia will be looking to. The Dawgs will also need a few of their young players to step up and make immediate contributions. The first is Malik Herring, the only defensive linemen who signed from the class of 2017. A natural defensive end, Herring looks like the eventual successor to Ledbetter and was a terror at the high school level. He’s a guy that UGA really hope forces his way into the rotation, even more, this season.
Then there are the new kids. Devonte Wyatt played at JUCO last season and in doing so, he got a lot better. He’s still a very raw player, but the talent is obvious. Not many guys who are tipping 300lbs can run a 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. Wyatt can and his explosiveness is clear for all to see. He’s got a lot to learn and it might take some time for him to reach his potential. However, the Dawgs will need him to at least be ready to make an impact this year, just like Marshall and Clark did back in 2016.
Last but certainly not least is Jordan Davis, the true freshman who is somehow the largest man in this entire group. When Davis arrived this summer, a lot of reporters were actually shocked at how big he was. It sounds like the reports of him being 6ft6 and 330lbs were not inaccurate. Davis comes into the program as an incredibly raw freshman, but he’ll be expected to play. You cannot coach his sort of size and there will be situations later in the year where they want him ready to go. Hopefully, Tray Scott can get him up to speed early, because if he’s contributing in 2018, this DL rotation could actually be really good.
It’s always scary to rely on youth on the lines. The Dawgs are going to do more of that on their DL than they would ideally like to. However, these guys are all really talented players. They can all bring something special to the rotation and if they are ready, Georgia’s defense could become dominant.
The way this unit is built might not be the traditional line of scrimmage powerhouse that we’ve seen over the years at Alabama. But don’t be shocked if UGA is right up there with the best of them when the 2018 season comes to an end. There is a lot more talent in this group than external writers want to talk about and the coaches have a clear plan for how they are going to use them. That in itself should make Dawg fans sleep a little easier at night.