Georgia football: grading interior linemen in 2019 class

Georgia football signed the no. 2 recruiting class in the nation. But how well did they recruit defensive tackles and nose guards?

Georgia football returns the entire interior defensive line from 2018. Regular starters Julian Rochester and Tyler Clark will be back and hungry for strong finishes to their careers in Athens. While younger stars Malik Herring and Jordan Davis are looking to take the next step in their progression.

But that didn’t stop the coaches from recruiting blue chip interior linemen in the 2019 class. Five-star Travon Walker is the headliner of the group. The Bulldogs also signed a pair of four-star strongside defensive ends who are more likely to play defensive tackle in the 3-4 defense. More depth was added with a three-star and a JUCO lineman.

Georgia wasn’t necessarily looking for new starters this season. But next season, nose guard will be up in the air and the team needs to continue building depth in the defensive line, which was an issue this past season. Rochester and Michael Barnett are the only returning nose guards, and Barnett will be the only returning nose in 2020 if he’s still around. Defensive tackle is a little more set in formations with four-man lines. But when Georgia uses a five-man line, they’ll need more reliable players.

So did this year’s recruiting class address the interior defensive line with future stars. Or will the Dawgs need to sign a huge class of tackles and guards in 2020?