Defense in modern college football is all about speed.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said as much in speaking with reporters on Tuesday. From the NFL to the college game, the question has become "How much speed can you get on the field?"

That's where linebackers such as Jalon Walker and Xavian Sorey come in.

"With all the passing, Jalon and Sorey give us an abundance of speed," Smart said. "They’re two of our fastest players. They’re able to chase things down, run things down."

Both Walker and Sorey provide tremendous versatility to Georgia's defense. Each has the ability to play inside linebacker and also rush off the edge when needed.

Sorey has been developing those skill sets for years. He came to Athens in the Class of 2021 as a speed-rushing outside linebacker, learning from players such as Nolan Smith and MJ Sherman.

He had to learn the intricacies of college defense after relying almost exclusively on his athleticism in high school.

"I came from a small high school in Florida," Sorey said. "We really didn’t have plays on defense. We were 'see ball, get ball.' Just learning the system here and just understanding football, understanding defense, who I’m working with on the back end, working with my teammates. That’s been the biggest thing for me is just being a team defensive player that works with everybody. It ain’t just 'see ball, get ball' no more. You’ve got plays and assignments now."

Now, Sorey and Walker have each carved out roles in Georgia's defense. They rotate in with the inside backers and also rush the passer on third downs. In Georgia's win over South Carolina last week, Sorey bulldozed South Carolina's right tackle and flushed quarterback Spencer Rattler from the pocket.

Sorey admitted he missed on getting the sack. But that play illustrates the value of having players like him and Walker in the middle of Georgia's defense.

"It’s beautiful for me because I know if a ball spills out, those guys are going to run it down," defensive lineman Zion Logue said. "It’s fun playing with guys that have that speed, because most teams are trying to hit it on the outside because they know most of the time they can’t run it on the inside. So they’re just going to keep bouncing and bouncing. We have the speed to get to the sideline and get to it."