Georgia Bulldogs: 5 defensive standouts for 2016

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Sep 26, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs safety Dominick Sanders (24) and defensive tackle James DeLoach (89) react after a tackle against the Southern University Jaguars during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Southern 48-6. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

The Georgia Bulldogs will have to lean on their defense to have success in 2016. Here are five returning starters that will help lead the Dawgs in 2016.

The Georgia Bulldogs will begin their first season of the Kirby Smart era in Athens in 2016. Smart played collegiately at the University of Georgia in the 1990s and had been the great defensive mind behind the Alabama Crimson Tide’s crushing defense the last decade under head coach Nick Saban.

With the Georgia Bulldogs needing to revamp their offense in 2016 after a sharp decline in the passing game in 2015, expect for Smart to build this year’s team around its already stellar defense. The players were well-coached under former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and the defensive staff kept two key coaches in defensive line coach Tracy Rocker and outside linebackers/STAR coach Kevin Sherrer in Athens for the 2016 NCAA season.

Since both Smart and Pruitt stem from the same Nick Saban coaching tree in Tuscaloosa, don’t expect a ton of alterations to last year’s strong UGA defense. This is a unit that routinely kept opponents out of the end zone en route to Georgia’s second straight 10-win season in 2015.

While the Georgia Bulldogs do lose a great deal of talent on the defensive side of the football particularly at linebacker, Kirby Smart should feel confident about the corps returning to Athens in 2016. Here are five players on the 2016 Georgia Bulldogs defense that could have a standout season playing Between the Hedges this fall for Coach Smart.

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