The Georgia football defense had a great start to the season against Marshall in Stanford Stadium as the unit held Marshall's offense to just seven points. The defense also limited Marshall to 78 yards rushing and seven first downs overall for the game.
Kirby Smart will want to replicate those numbers in each game leading up to SEC play, and defensive lineman Christen Miller will be a big reason why. Miller is a huge reason for the limited rushing yards as he was holding up blocks for linebackers and shedding blocks left and right all night long.
Christen Miller needs to be Georgia's star defender all season
The redshirt junior needs to be a focal point for a younger defensive line group. Miller is very talented and is highly rated on NFL draft boards and is coming off a solid 2024 season where he started 10 games. He is the alpha for this unit, and a strong defensive tackle is key to the spine of a defense.
Miller is following in the footsteps of former teammates Nazir Stackhouse, Jalen Carter, Devonte Wyatt, Jordan Davis, and Warren Brinson as the biggest piece to Georgia's defensive front. His former teammates laid the groundwork for how defensive tackle units should play, and Miller so far is doing everything he can to follow in their footsetps.
Miller's potential elite play can free up linebackers CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson to roam and make impact plays. The Georgia run defense was up and down last year, with it being a real issue for the Bulldogs in crucial games.
The No. 5 Bulldogs will continue on the hunt to make the playoffs and win a National Championship, and if that is going to happen Miller will need to be a dominant player for the defense to be elite and play to their championship standards.