For as rough of a start to the calendar year as it has been for the Georgia Bulldogs, there are glimmers of good news if you look hard enough. Despite losing so many players to the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, it should not be lost in the shuffle that one key contributor from last season's defense is returning. Linebacker Raylen Wilson announced on Wednesday that he is coming back!
His production speaks for itself, but his leadership shall become paramount for the Georgia defense.
#Georgia LB Raylen Wilson has officially announced he will return for his senior season in Athens! 🐶🔥
— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) January 7, 2026
Wilson totaled 74 tackles and 2.5 sacks this past year, serving as a key piece of Georgia’s defense. His return brings leadership, experience, and proven production back to… pic.twitter.com/nNJVNdqhKr
Along with KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson IV in the back-end, Wilson becomes the vocal and emotional leader for this unit next fall. Wilson did gain some very important experience as an on-field leader in the wake of standout linebacker CJ Allen suffering an injury in the Texas game. It is next man up, and Wilson seems to be chomping at the bit to make his mark on the Georgia football program in 2026.
It is still quite early in the offseason, but we are starting to see the foundational pieces of the defense.
Raylen Wilson's return to Georgia defense should excite entire fanbase
Entering this past offseason, we all were looking for leaders on each level of the Georgia defense. In the trenches, it was Christen Miller. In the linebacking corps, it was Allen. And in the back-end, it was, or became, Daylen Everette. With all three of them turning pro, new leaders have to emerge. Bolden and Robinson appear to be likely candidates in the secondary. Wilson is an obvious one at linebacker.
For Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann, they now have their playmaker on their side of the ball they can put their full trust and faith into wearing the green dot for them defensively. Surely, they will give reps to other players in practice, such as Bolden or whomever else emerges in the linebacker corps. This is how you build depth, as well as develop leadership. This is exactly what Georgia has to do here.
Overall, the Bulldogs have roughly a week to reshape their roster in the wake of players entering the NFL Draft, as well as others coming and going in the transfer portal. Not having any more playoff games to prepare for can help rekindle some much-needed focus for Georgia. How the coaching staff decides to build this roster around key pieces like Wilson will go a long way towards next fall.
For now, we can all look to Wilson as an emerging leader this defense needs to get back on top of it.