Last season, Georgia had what may be considered the best defense in the history of college football. And it all started up front with a stacked defensive line that featured plenty of NFL talent.
Led by Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Jalen Carter, Georgia’s big men were the catalyst for a defense that gave up an average of 10.2 points per game last season.
But looking ahead to 2022, only one of those players mentioned, Carter, returns this fall.
Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports recently posed what he thought was the biggest question for every SEC football team as we approach the midway point of spring practice.
For Georgia, Sallee’s question centered around that defensive line:
How deep can the defensive line be this season?
The Bulldogs defense was historically dominant last season, but multiple key players from the national champs are gone — particularly along the defensive line. Jalen Carter, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound monster, should be the talk of the town after showing flashes of stardom last season alongside departed monster Jordan Davis. Carter has the skillset to be a top-tier NFL draft pick in 2023 and needs to step up in the middle of the defensive line. Devonte Wyatt, a 315-pound monster as well, is also off to the NFL after seven tackles for loss a year ago, which will put even more pressure on coach Kirby Smart to build the depth that championship-caliber teams need to win at an elite level.
Co-defensive coordinators Will Muschamp and Glenn Schumann have replaced Dan Lanning, who took the head coaching gig at Oregon in the offseason. Their first order of business will be developing talent up front.
Just to show you how good Georgia’s line was last year, the Bulldogs may have three of its linemen selected in the first round of this year’s draft.
Walker is seen as a potential No. 1 overall draft choice, but that may just be more hype than reality right now. Davis should certainly be a first rounder and so should Wyatt.