Former Dodge County standout Leonard Floyd may be Georgia’s ‘LeBron James’ on defense

ATHENS -- There isn’t a position Leonard Floyd can’t play.

In Georgia’s season-opening win against Louisiana-Monroe last Saturday, Floyd lined up predominantly at inside linebacker. He spent most of last year at outside linebacker, a position he’ll play a bunch this year, as well. Floyd has also spent considerable time in practice working at the star position.

Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt said Floyd will also play some defensive end before the season is done.

Georgia plans to use Floyd in multiple ways this season, which should only help with getting the best possible personnel on the field.

“He’s the LeBron James of the defense. He can play every position out there,” outside linebacker Davin Bellamy said. “With Leonard playing other positions on the field, it frees us up.”

Since the beginning of the first week of the regular season, Floyd has participated primarily with the inside linebackers during practice. Against Louisiana-Monroe, he recorded eight tackles and a half sack.

Georgia ran a 2-4-5 alignment for much of the game, but didn’t move players around too much on the field. In the coming weeks, Floyd should expect to move around to different spots to create as much confusion as possible for opposing offenses.

For Floyd, being able to start the season healthy has been a blessing. Having undergone two shoulder surgeries during his time at Georgia, the former Dodge County standout has endured plenty of pain in his recovery. He said he felt fine, however, coming out of last Saturday’s opener and that he felt like his former self.

Floyd said he has embraced the versatile role he has been tasked with. With the ability to play all over the field, Floyd’s presence allows for the coaching staff to match up the best possible personnel for the given situation.

“I just try to do each role to the best of my ability,” Floyd said.

When asked to play the star position in practice, his teammates came away impressed. Cornerback Malkom Parrish said Floyd’s height and length helps him at his position, despite the unique stature his 6-foot-4 frame brings to the secondary.

“He covers gaps more, whole routes,” Parrish said. “It’s hard to shoot that whole route, even when the corner is late out (of) the break and we’re in a zone. If he’s sitting there or close to the ‘go’ route, it’s hard to get that ball in there. It helps all around.”

One thing Floyd will keep doing, regardless of where he lines up, is get after opposing quarterbacks.

In his career, Floyd has 13 sacks in three seasons.

“I’m always at home rushing the passer,” Floyd said. “That’s what I came to Georgia to do, to get after the passer.”

Outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, who has gotten after quarterbacks with Floyd often, said it should work in Georgia’s favor to line Floyd up at multiple spots to create pass-rushing lanes.

“You can put him at different levels,” Jenkins said. “If people try and gameplan one side of the ball, he can go back off the ball. It makes the possibilities of this defense limitless.”

While Floyd has cross-trained at multiple positions, it’s unlikely he’ll play three or more during the course of a game. A lot of what the coaches decide to do with Floyd will have to with gameplanning for each week’s particular opponent.

But head coach Mark Richt said Floyd’s ability to process football concepts makes it easy for the coaching staff to put so much on his plate.

“He loves the game and he understands it and it just comes pretty natural to him,” Richt said. “He’s still got to learn this, that and the other obviously, but it doesn’t mess with his head. He can process all that information at all of those spots.

“Now, can he play all three in one game? I don’t know if you can gameplan it quite that way, but he’s got the versatility to do that.”

This story was originally published September 9, 2015 at 11:14 PM with the headline "Former Dodge County standout Leonard Floyd may be Georgia’s ‘LeBron James’ on defense ."