Summer UGA football lookahead: Inside linebacker deep entering 2016 season
Replacing Jake Ganus won’t be easy.
Ganus, Georgia’s top inside linebacker last season, stepped in and filled a tremendous void in unexpected fashion. After transferring from UAB, Ganus moved up the depth chart and led Georgia in tackles with 102 in 2015.
With Ganus gone, someone will need to fill the leadership void both on the field and in the locker room.
The good news for Georgia is that there are several inside linebackers with experience who can get the job done. While it’s not loaded in starting experience like the secondary is, the inside linebacker group has plenty of playmakers and goes fairly deep in talent.
Players expected in the rotation: ILB Natrez Patrick, ILB Reggie Carter, ILB Roquan Smith, ILB Tim Kimbrough, ILB Juwan Taylor, ILB Ryne Rankin, ILB Jaleel Laguins (freshman)
How they fared in the spring: The top two inside linebackers this spring were Patrick and Carter, although a lot of that may have been due to Smith sustaining a ligament injury in his wrist that required surgery. Smith participated in non-contact work and even got some playing time in the G-Day game, although he was unable to tackle.
Patrick has a chance to make the biggest leap of anyone on Georgia’s defense. A role player who sustained a minor midseason injury in 2015, Patrick is poised to start this fall.
Carter missed last season with a shoulder injury but participated in practice this spring without any setbacks. A quiet one off the field, Carter’s known for turning the intensity up once he’s on it. He was projected to start in 2015 but the injury put that off for a year. The biggest key for Carter will be staying healthy, which he’s been able to do so far this year.
Kimbrough is a hard hitter who will have every opportunity at playing time, even if it’s not as a starter. Kimbrough started seven games in 2015 and recorded a team third-best 67 tackles.
What to watch in August: Smith will be out of his cast and should be full-go once preseason practice begins. From there, it’s a matter of whether he can overtake Carter for a starting spot. It will also be interesting to see how some of the other linebackers outside of the top four perform, as a rotation of Patrick, Carter, Smith and Kimbrough is a fairly strong group to work with.
Rankin is a veteran who provides depth and is also a standout on special teams. Taylor is someone who could factor in as well due to his athleticism and versatility. Laguins, the lone inside linebacker in the recruiting class of 2016, could get some early playing time as well, although he may also get a look at outside linebacker as well.
Breakout candidate: Just about everyone can be considered a breakout candidate from this group. But Smith gets the nod since he wasn’t full-go this spring. Smith has a lot of upside and got some valuable experience in a backup role last season.
Smith had an interesting road to Georgia. Initially committed to UCLA on National Signing Day in 2015, he backed off soon after it was relayed to him that his primary recruiter, Jeff Ulbrich, was taking a job with the Atlanta Falcons. Smith ended up at Georgia but spent his freshman season in a reserve role with 20 tackles.
As Georgia’s coaching staff gains confidence with Smith at the position, his output should increase to where it’s expected to be.
Previous stories in this series
Looking ahead at Georgia’s defensive backs
Looking ahead at Georgia’s outside linebackers
Looking ahead at Georgia’s defensive line
This story was originally published June 24, 2016 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Summer UGA football lookahead: Inside linebacker deep entering 2016 season."