Georgia football: DCs to look at if worst case scenario happens

By now, Georgia football fans know Dan Lanning is heading to Oregon to be their next head coach. Head coach Kirby Smart quickly announced that Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp would be the co-defensive coordinators moving forward.

While all three will be coaching the bowl game, what if the worst case scenario happens and both Schumann and Muschamp some how leave?

Of course this talk is all rethorical and something to discuss while we wait impatiently on the Orange Bowl.

Georgia football should look at these three coaches if the worst case scenario happens.

There are so many names the Dawgs could look at, but Georgia needs to find someone with the same aggressive mentality that Smart has.

Could he go with someone young and fiery or a proven coordinator? Either way, they must be ready to buy into his culture.

The first coordinator the Dawgs should try is Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard because outside the Dawgs, the Badgers have one of the best units in the country.

Wisconsin was the No. 6 scoring defense giving up 16.4 points a game, No.1 rush defense at 61.08 yards, No. 5 pass defense at 175.6 yards and No.1 total defense at 236.7 yards.

The Badgers also rank No. 10 on interceptions with 15 on the season. What is even more impressive, the Badgers opponents convert third downs onaverage 26.62% of the time. They’re also No. 9 in red zone conversion as opponents convert 72.41%.

Leonhard has been with the Badgers for six seasons now, with five of them being the defensive coordinator. He joined the staff after 10 years in the NFL. Since taking over, the Badgers have consistently had one of the best defenses.

He is a young, fiery defensive coordinator that would kill it at Georgia. Leonhard would be the first person to call because of how well he has done.

Another option could be promoting Tray Scott as the defensive coordinator. While that may seem far fetched and silly, why not hire from within and take a chance on him.

Smart knows how Scott works and they’re both on the same page in terms of football culture, so Smart could mold him into whatever he wants his defensive coordinator to be.

This selection would be a big risk but something to think about because Scott will be a hot commodity sooner than later.

The next defensive minded guy Smart should think about is UAB’s defensive coordinator David Reeves.

Smart raved about Reeves when the Dawgs played them earlier this season, and credited him having one of the best defenses in the country.

It could be time for Reeves to step up to the big leagues and coach an SEC defense. The Blazers have finished in the top-10 the last three years in total defense, and that says a lot with them not being a Power 5 team.

They are also a defense that loves to get to the quarterback, as they complied 113 sacks in the last three season and 277 tackles for loss. Not to mention they are an excellent third down defense, finishing No. 2 nationally in 2013, No. 3 in 2019 and No. 7 in 2020.

Reeves has done a great job, and it would make a great fit for the Dawgs.

Georgia football is safe for now with Schumann and Muschamp, but if either one of them get another job, these would be the first three names to consider. Heck, Lanning could try and take Schumann with him if he were smart.

Smart will know what to do, and the Dawgs will likely not have to worry about this at all for a little while anyway, but it’s a good idea to think about who would take over the Dawgs defense, and these three names would be where to start.