Summer UGA football lookahead: Outside linebackers welcome new top two at position
Outside linebackers have two primary responsibilities: Get after the quarterback and set the edge against the run.
Georgia lost two players who fulfilled those obligations admirably in Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins. A new top two and surrounding cast will be needed to fill the giant void left by those two high-caliber linebackers.
The good news for Georgia is that there are plenty of options at the position. And based on how spring practice went, Georgia very well could still be in good hands.
Players expected in the rotation: OLB Davin Bellamy, OLB Lorenzo Carter, OLB Chuks Amaechi, OLB D’Andre Walker, OLB Chauncey Manac (freshman), OLB David Marshall (freshman)
How they fared in the spring: Replacing two of Georgia’s best defenders in Floyd and Jenkins won’t be easy. Between the two, Georgia got 133 total tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2015. Coming out of the spring as the top two outside linebackers to replace Floyd and Jenkins are Bellamy and Carter.
Head coach Kirby Smart said Carter had a fine spring and noted how much more competitive he was in practice than what he expected. Carter said Smart and the new coaching staff have been on him a lot to keep the Norcross native motivated. Carter came to Georgia with the reputation of being able to rush the passer effectively. He has continued to work on setting an edge in the run game to become a more well-rounded player.
If Carter plays to his potential Georgia will be in great shape at the position.
Bellamy ascended up the depth chart last August and ended his 2015 campaign with 33 tackles and three sacks. Bellamy is Georgia’s best all-around linebacker entering this season with his leadership becoming more apparent as spring practice continued.
Amaechi was unable to participate in spring practice due to a torn labrum, although he got some good experience a season ago in substitution packages.
What to watch in August: The Bulldogs have four players with experience who figure to contribute. Bellamy and Carter are easily the two starters, while Amaechi and Walker should be able to spell them.
Behind the top four, freshman outside linebackers Chauncey Manac and David Marshall are ones to watch. Programs no longer redshirt as many players as previously, and it’s likely these two will have every opportunity to step into the rotation if they prove they should be on the field early.
Last year’s defensive coaching staff stuck with a mostly four-man rotation, although Walker did get in the mix for a good number of reps. In addition, there could be some packages that move inside linebacker Natrez Patrick to the outside. Those two factors could keep the freshmen primarily on special teams while learning the defensive scheme.
Georgia has plenty of numbers at the position. It’s a matter of getting a combination to provide the kind of production Georgia got out of Floyd and Jenkins.
Breakout candidate: Walker made tremendous strides this spring in his hopes to earn a bigger role on Georgia’s defense. In Georgia’s G-Day spring game, although no one was allowed to tackle the quarterback, Walker came up with four sacks off the edge.
A season ago, not many people thought Bellamy would emerge the way he ended up doing at the position. Walker could be in a similar position this season, where he earns more trust from the coaching staff as preseason practice carries on.
Walker has the makings of a third-down pass rusher to start the season, which is something Georgia will gladly take considering the front-seven defensive losses it has had to deal with.
Previous stories in this series
Looking ahead at Georgia’s defensive backs
This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Summer UGA football lookahead: Outside linebackers welcome new top two at position."