When Kirby Smart mentioned after Saturday’s 34-3 win over Clemson that Georgia defensive coaches “had to get uncomfortable” utilizing Jalon Walker’s unique skill set, it raised some eyebrows.

What exactly did he mean?

During the game, Georgia had packages for Walker as an inside backer and as an outside linebacker.

The results were impressive.

The junior collected six tackles, three for lost yardage, including 1.5 sacks.

“We're very different regarding what NFL scouts and personnel tell us, that we still train outside backers to be SAM outside linebackers,” Smart said. “I learned a long time ago that you need to develop two skill sets because the game has changed and evolved to be more spread-oriented.”

Walker appears to have adjusted well.

His effort not only helped stymie the Tigers’ offense, but it also earned him national Defensive Player of the Week honors from the Senior Bowl.

“I'm very proud of Jalon because he's had to really grow and get uncomfortable at inside backer. He's more natural at his outside backer position,” Smart said of Walker, whose back-to-back tackles on plays of 2nd-and-1 and 3rd-and-1 stonewalled the Tigers.

“As Coach Smart said, we do have various packages where I’m at inside backer and there are packages where I’m at outside backer,” Walker said. “I feel like I had a great week of practice doing that, keying on those details of what I really need to do. I felt that paid off.”

Under Smart, Georgia’s coaching staff has traditionally done whatever it can to make players more valuable in the eyes of the pros.

“These guys that played outside linebacker against a two-back I-sets, they weren't finding homes,” Smart said. “They might have a home in the NFL. They'd have a home in college, and we make promises that we're going to develop you in multiple ways.”

Walker is certainly not the first linebacker to pull this kind of inside-outside double-duty.

“Going back to Natrez Patrick, he could play end-of-the-line backer, and he could also play inside backer, and he was used to rush and do things here,” Smart said. “Lorenzo (Carter) was that way. Quay Walker started as an outside backer, and an inside backer, and had flexibility. So, we think it's part of your growth.”

Per Smart, it only makes sense.

He and his coaches tell recruits they’re going to receive 98 percent of their football reps in practice.

So, why not experiment and grow?

“That two percent you get to play in the game, you get to show off all these things you learned,” Smart said. “So, when the next level comes calling, they've seen you do multiple things. It's really important to them that you can still play end-of-the-line backer because their style of football still has some traditional nature to it as opposed to college. It's very different now.”