Georgia Bulldogs season preview 2014: Defense

The 2014 college football season is nearly upon us, and in that vein, it is time to take a deeper look at the Georgia Bulldogs, as they are poised for what could be a run at the SEC East title with a ceiling that extends toward discussion surrounding the first annual College Football Playoff. In this space, we will break down the defensive side of the ball, where new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will have the opportunity to deploy a talented bunch in hopes of significant improvement.

Let’s take a look at the position groups.

Defensive Line

In a 3-4 scheme, it isn’t often that a college football program will go 8-or-9 deep on the defensive line, but that is a real option for Georgia. Senior Ray Drew is perhaps the most “famous” defensive lineman on the roster, and he is an above-average pass rusher (6.0 sacks last season), especially for a 3-4 defensive end. Drew will be joined by juniors Sterling Bailey and James DeLoach as “definites” among the defensive ends, although DeLoach can also function as a tackle in four-man fronts.

On the interior, senior Mike Thornton is listed as the starter at the nose, with redshirt freshman Josh Atkins, senior Toby Johnson and junior Chris Mayes figuring into the rotation for this season. There probably isn’t a “star” among this group (at least in 2014), but what they lack in explosiveness, they will make up for in depth and productivity.

Linebackers

This is the main event in Athens. Ramik Wilson, who happened to lead the SEC in total tackles last season, returns to anchor an extremely talented and deep group of linebackers, and in a rarity in college football, all four players are on the verge of being household names. Wilson is probably the steadiest player at this point, but Amarlo Herrera produced north of 100 tackles last season as well, and that duo fortifies the middle of the field. It is always valuable to have “senior leadership” on defense, and both Wilson and Herrera have been through SEC battles as they head into their final season together.

On the outside, rising sophomore Leonard Floyd (who some believe will be a “breakout” player in 2014) and junior Jordan Jenkins should be considered the main pass-rushers for Pruitt’s crew. Floyd produced 6.5 sacks as a freshman, and Jenkins added 12 tackles for loss despite being considered (at least by some) as a bit of a disappointment. Both players have the upside to reach double-digit sacks, and as a unit, there are multiple national services who rank UGA’s linebacking corps as the best in the country for 2014.

Secondary

Here is where things get slightly sketchy for the Bulldogs. Georgia lost Josh Harvey-Clemons, Tray Matthews and Shaq Wiggins to transfer and/or dismissal during the off-season, and each member of that trio was slated as a starter for 2014. However, there is plenty of talent remaining, even if the players don’t come with immediate name recognition.

Senior cornerback Damian Swann is easily the best of the bunch, and 5-foot-11 Swann produced 50 tackles and 8 pass break-ups in 2013. On the other side, juniors Shattle Fenteng and Sheldon Dawson are slated for significant playing time, with Devin Bowman also in the mix.

At safety, Corey Moore is the “safest” starter, and as a senior, the 6-foot-2, 206-pound Moore will be counted on heavily in implementing the new system. Sophomore (and converted running back) J.J. Green has garnered a great deal of hype during the off-season, but as of now, redshirt freshman Aaron Davis is listed as the starter on the other side of Moore. In addition, keep an eye on sophomore Quincy Mauger, who produced more than 50 tackles as a freshman when he was pressed into action.

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With the talent that Mark Richt’s club possesses on the defensive side of the ball and a new regime in which to maximize the roster, there is no reason to believe that this won’t be a vastly improved unit that ranks among the nation’s best. Anything less than an above-average defense should be considered a disappointment, and if Jeremy Pruitt’s track record is any indication, the Bulldog Nation should expect great things from this group.