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Georgia Bulldogs: Who Will Play Inside Linebacker?

By John Buhler

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The Georgia Bulldogs will have to replace two dependable veteran inside linebackers in 2015.  Both Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera now play in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts, respectively.

Part of the reason that the Georgia Bulldogs were able to transition so smoothly from Todd Grantham’s defense to Jeremy Pruitt’s was the strong play from their linebacker corps.  UGA enters 2015 with incredible depth on the outside with the likes of Lorenzo Carter, Leonard Floyd, and Jordan Jenkins.  But how does ILB Coach Mike Ekeler go about replacing the productivity and senior leadership on the inside in 2015?

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Even with Wilson and Herrera’s departures, the Dawgs still have tremendous depth at linebacker, both inside and out.  To help with senior leadership, Mark Richt and his staff brought over UAB transfer ILB Jake Ganus after the Blazers football program went on hiatus after last year’s 6-6 season.  Jake will have one year to play Between the Hedges but looks to contribute right away as one of the top tacklers in Conference USA the last three seasons.

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    • Junior Tim Kimbrough has made a name for himself with his hard-hitting style on special teams.  Now that there are snaps available at inside linebacker, will Kimbrough command a starting role in Mike Ekeler’s group?

    Upperclassmen Ryne Rankin and Reggie Carter are definitely in the mix as well.  Georgia benefits on the inside by having players who know the system well that can step right in and contribute.  Both juniors should contend for playing time at ILB this fall.

    Even true freshmen like Roquan Smith, Juwan Taylor, and D’Andre Walker could make things interesting if they have a strong fall camp for the Dawgs.  While at least one of the true freshmen will likely need a redshirt because of depth, it wouldn’t shock me to see one or two of these guys get a few snaps on the inside in 2015.

    Let’s not forget that Pruitt may want to have all three stud OLBs (Carter, Floyd, and Jenkins) on the gridiron at the same time. For that to work, either Carter will have to play in a defensive end/LEO role up near the front four or Floyd will have to move inside.  Jenkins will stay at JACK as he is incredibly consistent there (5.0 sacks in his first three seasons at UGA).  Though Floyd will have his work cut out for him in run stopping, expect for him to play on the inside or at STAR several times this season.

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    One thing that is actually in the Georgia Bulldogs favor this year when it comes to the inside linebackers is that we will see a deeper rotation there than in recent years.  Players like Wilson, Herrera, and Alec Ogletree never came off the field once they earned starting jobs.  Perhaps a deeper rotation is what will work best for Mike Ekeler and his unit this fall.

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    Georgia should have an easier time with this positional transition period as the strength of UGA’s defense lies on the outside at linebacker.  Their ability to pass rush with convincing authority should allow the inside group to effectively mix and match without the pressure to carry the defense.  It’s too early to tell, but I expect Reggie Carter, Jake Ganus, Tim Kimbrough, and Ryne Rankin to contend for starting jobs at ILB out of camp.

    Only 20 more days until it’s Saturday in Athens.  September 5th is almost here.  I cannot wait for the Georgia Bulldogs to tee it up Between the Hedges when the ULM Warhawks come to the Classic City.  Baba O’Riley keeps playing my head on repeat.  Dawg Nation, I know that I’m not alone.

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