Tag: uga football defensive tackles

Georgia football DL Netori Johnson picks transfer destination

Georgia Bulldogs lineman Netori Johnson entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this offseason and is now transferring to Middle Tennessee

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Netori Johnson entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this offseason and is now transferring to Middle Tennessee. Johnson was looking to break out during his junior season at Georgia, but didn’t see the field much.

Johnson switched positions to end the 2018 season and now has collegiate  experience on the defensive side of the football. The six-foot-four, 320 pounder came to the University of Georgia as a well-regarded offensive line recruit.

Johnson was impactful in limited playing time throughout 2019, where he played in four games. He recorded a sack against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and secured a fourth down stop against Murray State in 2019. It will be interesting to see if Netori Johnson plays defensive line or offensive line for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.

In 2020, Johnson only played in the season opener against the Arkansas Razorbacks. With a conference-only schedule, the Bulldogs had limited playing time available for some of the depth players.

Netori Johnson is a former four-star prospect out of Cedar Grove High School. We wish him the best with Middle Tennessee.

This offseason is unique and will have a lot amount of roster turnover because players don’t lose a year of eligibility for the 2020 college football season. Johnson is one of many Georgia Bulldogs to enter the transfer portal this offseason.

Johnson announced his decision to transfer to Middle Tennessee via his Twitter account:

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Georgia football DL Netori Johnson enters transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Netori Johnson has entered in the NCAA transfer portal. Johnson is a former four-star recruit for UGA.

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Netori Johnson, who wears No. 72, has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Johnson is Georgia’s third player to enter the portal in recent days. Johnson was looking to break out during his junior season, but he hasn’t seen the field much.

Johnson switched positions to end the 2018 season and now has collegiate  experience on the defensive side of the football. The six-foot-four, 320 pounder came to the University of Georgia as a well-regarded offensive line recruit.

Johnson was impactful in limited playing time throughout 2019, where he played in four games. He racked up a sack against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and secured a fourth down stop against Murray State last year.

This season, Johnson has only played in the season opener against the Arkansas Razorbacks. It has been a tough season for depth players on Georgia’s roster. With a conference-only schedule, the Bulldogs haven’t won as many blowouts and that’s limited playing time for some of the lesser known Dawgs.

Netori Johnson will have interest as a transfer. He is a former four-star prospect out of Cedar Grove High School. Where will he go next? We wish him the best.

Johnson can still return to Georgia. It must be noted that not every player who enters the transfer portal ends up transferring. This offseason is projected to have a tremendous amount of roster change because players don’t lose a year of eligibility for the 2020 college football season.

Here’s Johnson’s big sack from the 2019 season:

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UGA football player card: DL Netori Johnson

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Netori Johnson will look to break out during his junior season after undergoing a position change.

Netori Johnson, defensive lineman (#72):

Class: Junior

Height: 6-4

Weight: 320 pounds

Hometown: Ellenwood, Georgia

High School: Cedar Grove High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Netori Johnson will look to break out during his junior season. Why may Johnson be able to breakout? He switched positions to end the 2018 season and now has more experience on the defensive side of the football.

Johnson was impactful in limited playing time last season, where he played in four games. Johnson racked up a sack against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and secured a fourth down stop against Murray State.

Johnson will have to battle some talented players to see playing time along  Georgia’s top-rated 2019 rushing and scoring defense. The former four-star prospect has the talent to break into the line up. The Cedar Grove High School product redshirted as a freshman during the 2017 season.

Here’s Johnson’s big sack from last season:

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Georgia football player card: DL Bill Norton

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Bill Norton played in three games and redshirted as a freshman in 2019.

Bill Norton, Defensive Line (#45):

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6-6

Weight: 285 pounds

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee

High School: Christian Brothers High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Bill Norton played in three games as a freshman in 2019. Despite the playing time, Norton was able to redshirt during his first season in Athens. He finished the season with four tackles.

Norton will face a battle for playing time with Jordan Davis, Malik Herring, Travon Walker, and more along the defensive front. Norton came to Athens as a talented four star recruit from Christian Brothers High School. He additionally played four years of basketball during his high school days. Some recruiting services considered him an offensive lineman, but thus far Kirby Smart is utilizing him on the defensive side of the football.

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UGA football player card: DL Travon Walker

As a freshman, Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Travon Walker played in 12 games and ended the season on the Freshman All-SEC Team.

Travon Walker, Defensive Line (#44):

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6-5

Weight: 290 pounds

Hometown: Thomaston, Georgia

High School: Upson-Lee High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Travon Walker recorded 2.5 sacks last season.  He finished the season with eight total pressures. Walker came to the University of Georgia as a five-star prospect.

Walker has limitless potential and should be in for a massive 2020 season. Walker really came on at the end of the season. He recorded a sack to end Auburn’s comeback hopes last season:

As a freshman, Walker played in 12 of 14 total games and ended the season on the Freshman All-SEC Team. He additionally played some special teams.

Travon Walker has some incredible high school highlights. He played running back, tight end, defensive end, and linebacker back in the day at Upson-Lee High School. His speed, power, and quickness were unfair at the high school level:

Walker could help elevate Georgia’s defense in 2020 by wrecking havoc on quarterbacks. Georgia’s pass rush is one of the only ways the defense can improve in 2020.

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UGA football player card: DL Malik Herring

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Malik Herring gave Dan Lanning’s defense a big boost when he decided to return for his senior season

Malik Herring (#10):

Class: Senior

Height: 6-3

Weight: 280 pounds

Hometown: Forsyth, Georgia

High School: Mary Persons High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Malik Herring gave Dan Lanning’s defense a big boost when he decided to return for his senior season. As a junior, Herring played in 12 games and recorded 29 tackles.

Herring was a key piece in Georgia’s top rated 2019 rushing and scoring defense. He also frequented the opposing backfield racking up 18 pressures in the process.

Herring has been a big-factor against the Florida Gators. Over his career he has seven tackles, five QB pressures, and a forced fumble against the Gators.

Georgia fans should expect Herring to start at 3-4 defensive end for the Dawgs next season. Herring came to Georgia as a four-star prospect and is living up to his billing. He’s seen lots of playing time since he was a freshman.

Watch out for Herring when the Dawgs take on the Gators! Herring will look to bump up his NFL Draft stock with a big senior season. Best of luck to Malik.

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UGA football player card: DL Julian Rochester

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Julian Rochester will bring lots of experience back to UGA’s defensive front in 2020

Julian Rochester (#5):

Class: Senior

Height: 6-5

Weight: 300 pounds

Hometown: Mableton, Georgia

High School: McEachern High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Julian Rochester will bring lots of experience back to UGA’s defensive front in 2020. Rochester, who was a senior during 2019, redshirted last season.

Why did Rochester redshirt as a senior? He underwent ACL surgery in the offseason of 2019 and amid his slow recovery, both he and Kirby Smart decided it’d be best for him to redshirt. Georgia’s defensive line didn’t suffer  as a result (zero RB rushing touchdowns allowed) and will return a key veteran lineman in Rochester for the 2020 season.

Rochester appeared in four games in 2019: Tennessee, Florida, Baylor, and LSU. He recorded eight stops in his shortened season.

Rochester played in at least twelve games in every season before 2019. In previous seasons, Rochester averaged nearly 30 tackles per season and contributed at least one sack. He came to Athens as a four-star recruit and is now looking to close at his career with another shot at a championship.

Dec 2, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Julian Rochester celebrates after defeating the Auburn Tigers in the SEC Championship game. Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

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