Top 5 Georgia football players returning to lead the Dawgs’ excellent defense in 2022

The first guy on this list is super senior Christopher Smith, who set the tone for 2021 with his pick-six as the only touchdown of that Clemson game.

When he chose to come back for one more year, it gave the Dawgs a veteran leader in the secondary they hadn’t had in a while, so it was a big moment. Georgia lost a lot of defensive backs to the transfer portal, so to see guys like Smith, among others like Tykee Smith and William Poole III, come back to lead is enormous.

It allows the younger guys to grow without doing it on the field where mistakes can and will happen.

With his experience, Smith can help the younger guys coming into the program grow and be a guy they can depend on because head coach Kirby Smart is tough on his secondary.

Last year, Smith finished with 35 tackles, three interceptions, four pass breakups, and three quarterback hurries. He was a guy Georgia could depend on in coverage and was a head hunter when he had to be.

With another year to get better and improve his game, Smith could lead the Dawgs in picks this upcoming season and show why coming back one more year is beneficial.

His experience will be the most significant factor. Smith is already one of the team’s leaders, so having a familiar face back there will make the transition easier for those incoming freshmen.

Georgia needed him to come back, and now that he is, Smith could see his draft stock rise with a solid super senior season. He could have gone this year, but to sacrifice and return for one more year shows what kind of legacy he wants to leave.