Georgia football: 30 greatest players of the Mark Richt era

• First-Team All-American (2009)
• First-Team All-SEC (2009)
• 298 total tackles

Rennie Curran was a tackling machine in the middle of the Georgia defense during his three years with the Dawgs. Curran starred at nearby Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. He was a four-star inside linebacker recruit in the 2007 high school graduating class.

Right away, Curran made an impact on defense for the Dawgs. He played in 11 games as a true freshman for the 2007 Bulldogs that finished No. 2 in the country. Curran registered 53 total tackles, 9.0 for a loss of yardage and 3.0 quarterbacks in that impressive debut campaign in 2007.

With a ton of preseason hype, Curran certainly did his part to at least make the 2008 Bulldogs a top-15 team. He had 115 total tackles, 10.0 for a loss of yardage, 3.0 quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles. Though Georgia failed to live up to lofty expectations that fall, Curran rose to the occasion.

That strong 2008 season helped set the foundation for Curran’s greatest football season of his career in 2009. He registered 130 total tackles, 5.0 for a loss of yardage, one fumble recovery and half a sack. His tackling total not only led the team for the second consecutive year, but led the entire SEC.

Curran would obviously be named First-Team All-SEC as a true junior in 2009. He also garnered a First-Team All-American nod from CBS Sports. With that kind of production, it was understandable why Curran left Georgia after his junior year to enter the 2010 NFL Draft.

While he would be a third-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL Draft, Curran would not be for long in the NFL. He played just two years in Nashville, as well as a brief stint with the 2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Curran has since dabbled in the CFL with teams like the Edmonton Eskimos and the BC Lions.

Simply put, Curran’s game did not translate to the NFL level. He was too small to be a bruiser in the run-stuffing game, but not quick enough to drop back into coverage on passing downs. While his pro career wasn’t anything special, Curran’s time in Athens makes him one of the best to have ever played for Mark Richt.

Frankly, Curran would be higher up this list if he had stayed in school in 2010. There is a good chance that squad wouldn’t have gone a miserable 6-7 if he was still on the team. Regardless, Curran was one of the most productive defensive players in Georgia history. He finished with 298 total tackles, 24.0 for a loss of yardage and 6.5 quarterback sacks.