Larry Knight has the potential to change Georgia’s defense next season. The Bulldogs announced their hiring of Knight as the program’s next outside linebackers coach on Tuesday, replacing Chidera Uzo-Diribe after he left for a job with the Dallas Cowboys.
Knight has been tabbed as a pass-rush specialist, with the title even gracing his social media bio. He was the defensive ends coach and run game coordinator at Arkansas State last season where the Red Wolves led the Sun Belt in sacks with 39, which tied for eighth in the country.
Georgia made a move on Larry Knight in a hurry
The Bulldogs hired Knight away from West Virginia, where he was set to serve in a similar role after joining the Mountaineers in January. That kind of aggressiveness gives an idea of how coveted he is, and Georgia will need all the pass rush juice it can get in 2026.
That’s because, even in a year where it won the SEC and made the College Football Playoff, Georgia could not get to the quarterback in 2025. The Bulldogs recorded just 20 sacks on the season. That was the lowest total of anyone in the SEC and the program’s lowest of the Kirby Smart era.
Even as the Bulldogs saw some improvements rushing the passer later in the year thanks in part to the emergence of Zayden Walker, their struggles finishing plays and getting consistent pressure ultimately doomed them. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss danced all around them in the CFP quarterfinal to the tune of 362 passing yards and two touchdowns after not being sacked once.
Smart downplayed those struggles during the year, remarking in November, "We have never been a sack machine, if you look at us statistically.” But hiring Knight clearly displays a desire to ramp that sack total up, or at the very least create more of what they like to deem “havoc”.
Knight is from Augusta, Ga. and played football at Central Michigan where he was an All-MAC player in 2009. He spent time as an intern or graduate assistant with the Atlanta Falcons (2015), Cincinnati (2011-12) and Tennessee (2013-15).
His first major job was at Temple from 2017-19 where he served as outside linebackers coach and added defensive recruiting coordinator to his plate starting in 2018. He then served as the defensive line coach and defensive recruiting coordinator at Georgia Tech from 2019-22 before returning to Temple from 2023-24.
"We are excited to add a coach and a man of Coach Knight's caliber to the staff," Smart said in a press release via the University of Georgia. "He has produced on the field at all of his coaching stops and has also proven his worth as one of the best recruiters around.”
Larry Knight has a lot to work with at Georgia
Georgia will return edge rushers Gabe Harris and Quintavius Johnson in 2026, the former of whom missed the Sugar Bowl with turf toe, noticeably impacting the defense. Walker will also be back for his sophomore season, and the Bulldogs added former five-star recruit Amaris Williams out of the portal from Auburn.
Georgia also brings back rising sophomores Isaiah Gibson, Darren Ikinnagbon and Chase Linton, all of whom were highly rated high school recruits. They’ll have a chance to make the rotation in 2026.
Overall, Georgia seems much more sure of its pass rushing plan entering 2026. They’ve hired a new position coach with a proven track record of producing results, and Harris and Johnson have a full season of starting under their belts.
Couple that with the possible emergence of a few sophomores, and the vibe is completely different from last offseason, where the Bulldogs seemed to be caught off guard by the surprising transfer of Damon Wilson II.
Though they added Elo Modozie via the portal, his arrival was far too late in the spring to have a fair shot at making an impact in the fall. This time around, Georgia seems much better positioned to rebound in the pass-rush department.
That could make all the difference for a defense filled with talent at all three levels that didn't quite put it all together in 2025. The addition of Knight could be what Georgia needs to reestablish itself as one of the most vaunted defenses in college football.