Georgia football will see another top-ranked defense in 2022 with returnees

On Tuesday, Georgia football got the last piece of great news as linebacker Robert Beal announced he would return for his super senior season.

The Dawgs have four big names deciding to come back for one more run with his announcement. A similar situation happened before the 2021 season, and look what happened.

As hard as it is to repeat a national title, getting leaders like Beal, Nolan Smith, Christopher Smith, and Tykee Smith to come back is a great start.

Plus, William Poole is coming back as well. In the postseason, he did a great job stepping into Latavious Brini’s role, so having him around elevates the secondary’s depth and gives that unit another experienced player.

With these players returning, Georgia football won’t skip a beat on defense in 2022.

Beal led the team in sacks last season with 6.5, and while he played in all 15 games, he didn’t start getting a ton of reps until Adam Anderson left the team. He did a great job stepping into the role, and Georgia didn’t skip a beat.

Anderson had five sacks through eight games, so to have someone step into his role and lead the team in sacks should tell you how good this guy is.

Smith was No.2 on the team in tackles for loss at nine behind Butkus winner Nakobe Dean who had 10.5. He recorded 3.5 sacks, 27 quarterback hurries, and 56 total tackles.

The significance of these two coming back is hard to describe because while Dean was the one who got most of the attention, these two were there making plays too. Beal was in the transfer portal at one time but withdrew his name. He came back, worked his tail off and led the team in a big area.

They will help so much at the linebacker position with the younger guys, and they will be two of the team’s defensive leaders.

Smith was already one of the guys who wasn’t afraid to step up and say something to his teammates, but now he can be the alpha Dawg. He is coming back to continue his legacy and shows investing one more year in yourself can pay off in the long run.

Look how returning for a final season helped Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis?

These three defensive backs are also big puzzle pieces for the 2022 defense. Georgia had thin numbers in the secondary, Tykee Smith got hurt, and multiple guys left after 2020. Both Smith’s are returning, and Poole needed to take a super senior year.

After the way Poole finished the season, it shows what experience does in a secondary and how it helps. He led the team in the title game with two pass breakups. Mind you, and they were crucial pass breakups too.

Poole gives the Dawgs another body in an area that will be full of talented youngsters willing to learn. Tykee Smith needs to get his rehab done because that young man has a high ceiling and just got a tough break, but it was a blessing in disguise because now he can show what he has on the field.

Christopher Smith started the year with a pick-six that set the tone for the whole season, and for him to take a super senior year is huge. He continues to grow and get better as a player, not to mention, he will be a leader the younger players will respect.

Georgia put together one of the most lethal defenses in college football history last year. With these five players returning, it is plugging in holes that the coaching staff would have had to fill with young guys if they didn’t. Not to mention, the sophomores already coming back because for this article we wanted to focus on the guys choosing to return.

Once again, the Dawgs will have proper leadership and guys who understand why playing as one unit is essential. That defense we saw in 2021 was exceptional, of course, but this unit has the potential to be lethal in its own way.