Today we examine Georgia's defensive tackles, where sophomore Jordan Hall hopes to take that next step.
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Kirby Smart wants "havoc makers" as part of Georgia's defensive line.
That's a role sophomore Jordan Hall hopes to fill.
As a former five-star, many thought Hall would jump right in and give Smart exactly that. But as most true freshmen soon learn, that's not an easy task for first-time players in the SEC.
However, it wasn't for the lack of effort.
With Smart, effort is everything, so when Warren Brinson went down with an injury last year, Hall stepped in and more than held his own.
“With Warren’s injury, he’s been getting more snaps, and I can see the benefit of going against our offensive line like he has,” Smart said last year. “You know, we’re a little thin on the defensive line—thinner than we’ve ever been. He’s been a big part of getting better and growing up on that side of the ball.”
The Bulldogs are counting on Hall to continue that upward trend.
Even with Brinson deciding to take advantage of his Covid year and come back for one final season, defensive tackle is one of those spots where you need all the help you can get, and Hall has the potential to be one of its key contributors.
Although his final PFF grade was a mere 59.1, Hall played much better in the second half.
After Brinson went down, Hall played arguably his best game at Tennessee, recording a season-high four tackles in the Bulldogs' win over the Volunteers.
More is expected this fall.
In a recent interview on The Players Lounge, Hall spoke about being a more well-rounded defensive lineman, not only becoming a better pass rusher and but also improving his work against the run.
If Hall's play does see a jump it will give Georgia's defensive front a huge boost. Still, he won't have to do it alone.
The Bulldogs also plan to lean heavily on Brinson's experience, along with a host of newcomers, a list that includes early enrollees listed as defensive tackles on Georgia's spring roster: Nasir Johnson, Nnamdi Ogboko, and Jordan Thomas.
Georgia also went out and brought in South Carolina transfer Xzavier McLeod.
A former four-star, McLeod redshirted after playing in just four games for the Gamecocks, making one tackle with an interception against Furman.
We didn't mention returnee Christen Miller, who can also play tackle, but we'll go more in-depth on him when we preview nose tackle.
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