Inside linebacker is the defensive position group under the most intense scrutiny for Georgia in fall camp.
Gone are NFL draft picks Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Channing Tindall. In their place are Bulldog players who have plenty of talent, but are short on crucial in-game experience.
When he met with the media on Tuesday afternoon, inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann broke down what he sees from the current crop of linebackers.
"You never ask somebody to replace somebody else, right? You ask them to be the best version of themselves," Schumann said. "I think the one thing that, the standard that was set from those guys and the guys before them, everybody is competing together. It’s about the team, about each other. These guys embrace that as well. I’m excited to see where we go."
As Schumann noted on Tuesday, the inside linebacker position has changed in modern college football.
Before, the outside linebackers in a 4-3 defense were the "off-ball" linebackers. Those were the players tasked with covering and playing in space, while the middle linebacker assumed different duties.
But today, the staff has to seek versatility in each player at the position.
"The whole room knows that in order to be successful, you have to be able to blitz, you have to be able to cover, you have to be able to play in space, all those factors," Schumann said. "The more guys that can do those things, that can be good blitzers, can be good in coverage and playing in space, we have a lot of flexibility with what we can do defensively."
Many of Georgia's linebackers fit that mold. Smael Mondon's athleticism has already drawn rave reviews in preseason camp. Xavian Sorey and Jalon Walker are two other uber-athletic players who played off the edge some in high school.
But the player that has drawn attention as a top successor to last year's trio is Jamon Dumas-Johnson. The Maryland native known as "Pop" saw action in all but one game last season and is on the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker.
"He knows, 'I might have an increased role this year. What do I have to do in terms of my strength and conditioning to be able to play whatever role is asked of me for my team?'" Schumann said. "He’s a guy who loves football and works really hard. He’s an instinctive, physical player. We need to continue to see him grow."
Dumas-Johnson is joined by two other veterans challenging for playing time. Juniors Rian Davis and Trezman Marshall have opportunities ahead after having their careers dogged by injury to this point.
"I’m really excited for those guys," Schumann said. "They’re guys that have battled it out throughout their career. They’ve had some hardships, it’s part of the game. They’ve remained positive, they’ve remained focused and determined. To see them out there competing is awesome for me as a coach because you respect what they’ve done."
Nothing is set in stone, or even written in pen, yet at inside linebacker.
Schumann said the rest of fall camp, particularly the team's two scrimmages, will be about finding the best players on the defense. Those evaluations will in turn determine who sees the field and in which packages to start the season.
Until then, Schumann and the defensive staff will continue challenging each player to be the best version of themselves every day.
"The whole room understands what’s expected in terms of running the defense and the level of pressure that applies to you," Schumann said. "They’re all trying to answer it."
