‘It’s your time now’: Georgia defensive end making the most of each play this season

Malik Herring stood on the Vanderbilt Stadium sideline in a clean white jersey and red helmet clenched in his hand. He awaited his moment to start his junior season, but it never came in the season opener.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart brushed off the absence of his defensive end. A blunt response sent a loud message to Herring, who has played the waiting game throughout three seasons with the program: “If he continues to practice and get better, he’ll play,” Smart said.

Herring entered the season with a strong effort to close his sophomore campaign. A “coming-out party,” Smart said, happened against Georgia Tech and its triple-option attack as Herring recorded five tackles. He had his career-best game in honor of his late aunt, Tonia Herring, who was murdered in Forsyth after a domestic dispute with her boyfriend on Aug. 2, 2017. He followed up that showing with a four-tackle night in the Sugar Bowl loss to Texas.

“I told him ‘You’ve got to step up, it’s your time now,’” senior defensive end David Marshall said. “He took that advantage (his size) and improved his game.”

For a player who carried a lot of anticipation entering the season, something felt off with this coach’s decision. He played in 29 of 30 games throughout his first two seasons, but his playing time had been spotty — mostly playing on third-down packages. Herring knew a lot about the waiting game, and had been here before.

On paper, everything lay in his favor: a 280-pound defensive end with athleticism (who has now become known for exhilarating postgame backflips with safety Richard LeCounte). Georgia also lost Jonathan Ledbetter to the NFL last season, but the coaches didn’t think Herring had met the standards in order to play.

“God’s going to let you know when it’s your time,” Herring said. “I just had to seize that moment.”

A week later, Herring’s chance came against Murray State and progression occurred gradually. His first few stat lines had a pair of quarterback hurries, along with a tackle here-and-there. Herring’s influence looked much like it had over the past two years — in areas that don’t translate onto the stat sheet.

As time went on, however, his playing time expanded with each passing game. He’s started in six of his last eight games, and showed his worth as a valuable member of the Bulldogs’ defensive front.

“He’s coming out and taking practice more seriously,” linebacker Tae Crowder said. “He’s doing good things, and it’s showing up on Saturdays.”

His quarterback pressures turned into a few tackles-for-loss. Herring chipped in during big moments, including combining with big nose tackle Jordan Davis for a deflating second-half sack of Florida quarterback Kyle Trask. Herring made himself heard by fellow defenders, coaches and those who follow the Bulldogs each week.

All of it set up for a special evening on The Plains. Georgia knew 12th-ranked Auburn had a variety of offensive weapons on its home turf. More specifically, the Tigers had multiple run weapons with running back Jartavious “Boobee” Whitlow and quarterback Bo Nix. Herring snuffed many of those attempts out and had his second arrival party within the hostile confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

His afternoon began with handling the speedy receiver Anthony Schwartz — a star track athlete who chose Auburn over Georgia in the 2017 recruiting class — as the Tigers tried to fool their opponent with a jet sweep play. Schwartz backtracked and was driven to the ground by the interior lineman.

He followed it up with a second-quarter pass breakup on a pass to receiver Seth Williams. Herring, part of a defensive effort that held Auburn scoreless for three quarters in a 21-14 victory, was involved in every facet for the Bulldogs. He made his presence known everywhere, and it led the always-smiling junior to strut his exuberance once the sun set on Saturday evening.

Herring finished with a season-high four tackles and the aforementioned pass breakup. That’s havoc, what Georgia loves the most.

“He was like the player of the game on defense,” said Smart, also giving the title to linebacker Monty Rice. “(But) he has to keep getting better, too. He hasn’t arrived … You can’t rest on what you’ve done in the past. You’ve got to continue to drive.”

His escalated play comes at a needed time for the Bulldogs. Or, maybe a time where it serves as a luxury. At season’s end, Georgia’s defensive line grows a year older and won’t have too many departures — Marshall and Michael Barnett will have exhausted eligibility. Herring will become one of the veterans amongst the group (so will senior Julian Rochester after Smart revealed the team’s plans to redshirt him this season).

Once the next season opener rolls around, Herring shouldn’t be standing on the sideline without having an influence.

“He’s going to have to lead little guys, younger guys who are coming in and young guys who are in now,” Marshall said. “He’s going to have to be a big factor on the defensive line.”