Which Georgia legend would be the best addition to the 2024 Bulldogs defense?

EA Sports has revived college football video games with College Football 25 and for the first time, the game will feature real rosters with players' actual names and likenesses. Whatever you think of NIL, it brought back the best sports video game that there ever was and that’s a massive win. 

On top of the current players, College Football 25 also features legends of the sport and Georgia has plenty of those. So, in this hypothetical world, which legend would Kirby Smart most want to add to his current defense, if he only got to choose one? 

The 2024 Bulldogs are one of the favorites to win the College Football Playoff, but Smart would need to pick a legend who fills a need and all but guarantees another national title. On the offensive side, we went with AJ Green to give Carson Beck another weapon. Now, it’s time to decide which former Bulldog would elevate the 2024 defense. 

Georgia may not have its usual assortment of studs along the defensive line. Still, Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson were solid on the interior last season and Mykel Williams could be the best edge rusher in the entire country. Williams is the potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but there is a significant question about who will be able to generate pressure opposite him. 

Jalon Walker led the team in pressures last year with 26 on just 124 pass-rushing snaps, but players like Chaz Chambliss and Christen Miller struggled to get after the quarterback. 

The linebacker group behind the defensive line is very young, especially with Jamon Dumas-Johnson leaving for Kentucky, but the youth movement is a good thing. Smael Mondon Jr. is back as the veteran and CJ Allen will take a bigger role as a sophomore. Roquan Smith would be an upgrade, but not the biggest one and not at the most important position. 

That leads us to the secondary where Georgia was gutted by the NFL draft, losing Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter, and Tykee Smith. Daylen Everette is returning as a starting outside corner with Malaki Starks back at safety. Julian Humphrey’s snap count with certainly increase, but true freshman Ellis Robinson IV could be called upon to play a significant role early in his career. 

Maybe Georgia could use a legend in the defensive backfield. Let’s take a look at the options either to pair Williams with more dominance upfront or to add a dynamic playmaker in the secondary. 

The options: 

• David Pollack
• Champ Bailey

Champ Bailey was incredible on both sides of the ball during his three seasons in Athens and would be the pick if Georgia could only add one legend. He’d fill a need at wide receiver and cornerback, but the pick has to be Pollack. 

Pollack was a three-time All-American, a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and is still the program’s all-time leader in sacks. The 2020 College Football Hall of Fame inductee received just about every individual accolade a defensive player could and led the Bulldogs to a conference title in his sophomore year, but now with the 2024 Dawgs, Pollack would have his best shot at a national title. 

Pollack and Williams would live in opposing backfields and if there were any weaknesses in Georgia’s secondary, the opposing quarterback would be on the ground before he could exploit them.