Having talented players manning each starting position is obviously key to having a successful team. But what about the rest of the depth chart? Kirby Smart will tell you that championship-caliber teams go only as far as their depth will allow. Over the next few days, UGASports will go over the Bulldogs’ roster, taking a look at the backup options for each group. Today, let's take a look at the inside linebackers.

Senior Monty Rice is the veteran presence and the unquestioned leader of Georgia’s inside linebacker corps, but even he’s in for some changes this fall.

Rice is expected to slide over from Will to Mike, with sophomore Nakobe Dean taking over on the weakside.

Dean sprained an ankle prior to last season, but as the season wore on, he showed the progress that many predicted for the top-50 player who signed with the Bulldogs two seasons ago.

Behind both Rice and Dean, there are a couple of key names to watch.

We’ll start with junior Channing Tindall, who mysteriously vanished from the game plan a year ago. It was thought Tindall would play a vital role, but his reps were few and far between, leaving some to wonder what his future with the program might be.

Fortunately, there’s no need for concern. Whatever issues were holding Tindall back are apparently no cause for alarm, as the athletic South Carolina native still figures into the plans, likely at Will linebacker along with Dean.

Junior Quay Walker gives the Bulldogs another thumper behind Rice. He played extremely well toward the end of last year.

Sophomore Trezman Marshall and senior Nate McBride appear primed for backup duty at Will, with Rian Davis ready to make a push at Mike after redshirting to recuperate from the ACL he tore his senior year in high school.

Tindall was a mystery to most, simply because he didn’t receive the opportunities many expected after a strong freshman season in 2018.

During his freshman campaign, Tindall made 17 tackles, recorded two sacks, two additional tackles for loss and four quarterback pressures. One of his sacks came in the SEC Championship again Alabama, resulting in a 10-yard loss and an intentional grounding penalty.

Last year, however, Tindall appeared in just 11 of the team’s 14 games, finishing with just nine stops.

But don’t count Tindall out just yet.

He’s still one of the most athletic players Georgia has at linebacker. Now in his third year as a member of the program, he should be ready to make that next step.

Tindall will get his opportunities. It will be up to him to take advantage.

... Quay Walker.

At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, the former Crisp County performer epitomizes the “thumper”-style player Kirby Smart likes to have at Mike linebacker. After last year’s strong finish, he should be in line for considerable playing time.

A co-winner of the Defensive Most Improved Player Award, Walker finished with 23 total stops and 3.5 tackles for loss (including 2.5 sacks).

Assuming Walker continues his trajectory, Georgia could have quite the trio with him joining Rice and Dean in the rotation.

The defensive line

Outside Linebacker