The past two national championships relied heavily on the Georgia defensive line’s prowess. With Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, and Jalen Carter, the interior defensive line was way too much for opposing guards and centers to handle. Throw in Travon Walker, the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick in 2022, and you can tell why the defensive line had its way in almost all 30 games of the past two years.
Georgia lost Davis and Wyatt after the 2021 title, and now Carter is gone from the 2022 team. The Bulldogs will hope to bring similar production up front, and they're positioned well with how they’ve recruited in recent years.
Not only will Georgia hope the defensive line produces accordingly in 2023, but in the next few seasons to come.
Based on recruiting, here’s a look at how the defensive line projects to look like over the next three seasons.
2023
Mykel Williams
Nazir Stackhouse
Warren Brinson
Zion Logue
Tramel Walthour
Christen Miller
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Jonathan Jefferson
Jordan Hall
Jamaal Jarrett
The first thing that stands out about this group is how experienced it is. Stackhouse, Brinson, Logue, and Walthour are all seniors, although they all have at least one year of eligibility remaining due to the free COVID-19 year in 2020.
In addition, Williams earned a lot of playing time last year as a freshman. Ingram-Dawkins and Miller are coming into their own and have a chance to earn more playing time in the rotation this year. Of course, Hall is the one whom a lot of folks will be watching closely; he has a chance to jump a few of the veterans and play right away as a true freshman. With Carter gone, the Bulldogs are looking for that dominant presence up front.
Williams could emerge as the star of this group in 2023. He showed a lot of potential last season and should step into a bigger role. Hall will be one to watch early as a freshman as well.
2024
Mykel Williams
Warren Brinson
Christen Miller
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Jonathan Jefferson
Jordan Hall
Jamaal Jarrett
Justin Greene
This assumes Stackhouse, Logue, and Walthour will move to the next level while Brinson returns for one final season, which would add valuable expertise and experience to the roster. That's all just a guess, however.
Williams should be one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the nation by this point, positioning himself to be a potential top-10 draft selection. Hall could be a superstar as a sophomore.
Greene, at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds as a present-day high schooler, will then join the fold, adding even greater depth at the position. There will also be some additions to this group through recruiting in the 2024 class.
2025
Christen Miller
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Jonathan Jefferson
Jordan Hall
Jamaal Jarrett
Justin Greene
Justus Terry
Right now, the 2025 group is a bit thin, which will change over time as recruiting heats up. But the good news is that Miller, Ingram-Dawkins, Jefferson, Hall and Jarrett—at least as of now—can be projected to be a veteran presence for this group. Terry has already committed to the 2025 class as a 6-foot-5 and, 260-pound prospect.
As Georgia has done, you can bet the coaching staff will continue stocking up on players on the defensive side of the trenches.
In conclusion
A major component of Georgia’s title teams has been the defensive line. This is a position group that head coach Kirby Smart will continue recruiting heavily, and the numbers can be expected to grow over the next two seasons. But as it stands, there's plenty of star power to lead the way as the depth—and potential competition for some starting and rotational spots—is added.
