An outside linebacker leads UGA in tackles for loss. It’s not who you think it is

There are the names you know from Georgia's outside linebacker position and the name you might not know — yet.

The names you know are the two seniors, who are vocal leaders of the team and longtime starters: Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy. The name you don't is Georgia's leader in tackles for a loss: junior D'Andre Walker.

As the Bulldogs approach Saturday’s SEC Championship, the case could be made, in a purely statistical argument, that Walker has been Georgia's most disruptive outside linebacker this season.

Walker has 9.5 tackles for a loss, which is three more than Carter and 4.5 more than Bellamy. With 3.5 sacks, Walker sits third on the team behind Roquan Smith and Carter. He has one more sack than Bellamy. However, Walker trails Bellamy and Carter in tackles and quarterback hurries.

Carter said Walker plays energetically. Sometimes, that can backfire. Such was the case in Georgia’s first game against Auburn. In the second quarter, Walker was flagged for leaping over the blocking shield during a punt. The penalty gave the ball back to Auburn’s offense, and the Tigers scored three plays later to take a 15-7 lead.

“He's improving,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “And he's very conscientious about his special teams work and his defensive end work.”

Walker has seen more playing time earlier in games as the season has progressed. In the opener against Appalachian State, Walker did not play a defensive snap until the final minutes of the first quarter. When he did, he blew past the Mountaineers’ left tackle, which led to a sack for Trenton Thompson. Last weekend, Walker played on Georgia Tech’s second possession.

In the second quarter, with Georgia Tech driving, Walker ran down tailback Clinton Lynch for no gain on a third-and-four play for his first tackle of the game.

Walker later made three straight tackles in the fourth quarter against the Yellow Jackets, including a tackle for a loss, to force a punt. He finished the game with a career-high six tackles.

“He played really well looking back to the Tech game,” Smart said. “He was able to help us. It was a situation where (Georgia Tech’s offense) fit what he does well, too.”

Carter and Bellamy remain Georgia’s starters, and they have shown no reason for Walker to replace either of them. However, Walker has demonstrated they aren’t Georgia’s only options at outside linebacker.

“We plan on having him in there to make some plays and try to keep momentum in our favor,” Carter said.

Against the Tigers, Carter said, controlling the edges of the offensive line will be important. Auburn’s offense “thrives” on the perimeter, Carter said. In Georgia’s defense, limiting access to the outside of the field is often determined by the outside linebackers.

Next season, Walker is positioned to slide into an almost every-down role as Carter and Bellamy leave, having used all of their eligibility. But first comes a shot at redemption against Auburn and another chance to make you learn his name.

“He's gotten a grasp of the defense,” Carter said. “I'm proud of him because he's grown a lot. He's ready to go out there and make plays.”

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 6:12 PM with the headline "An outside linebacker leads UGA in tackles for loss. It’s not who you think it is."