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, we begin with the defensive line.

The Bulldogs graduated a trio of key personnel off their defensive line in Tyler Clark, Michael Barnett, and David Marshall, but from a numbers perspective, position coach Trey Scott shouldn’t have any trouble filling in the gaps.

Question is, how effective can the group be?

There’s definitely some talent. Malik Herring and Travon Walker give Georgia one of the more athletic combinations of defensive ends that you’ll see in the SEC. Together, Herring and Walker combined for 8.5 tackles, for losses of 37 yards and 26 quarterback pressures. With another year under their respective belts, those numbers could well increase this fall.

At nose, junior Jordan Davis is healthy and just needs to be consistent to become one of the better players at his position in the entire conference.

Behind him, junior Netori Johnson—who is expected to move back to the defensive line after practicing at offensive guard for the Sugar Bowl—and redshirt freshman Tymon Mitchell bring their own brand of athleticism to the position. Seniors Julian Rochester and Devonte Wyatt, who are expected to top the depth chart at defensive tackle, have also played in the middle before.

Freshman Nazir Stackhouse could also be one to watch.

Also, at tackle, redshirt freshmen Bill Norton and Zion Logue, along with freshman Warren Brinson will look to earn quality reps. But keep an eye on Jalen Carter. If you’re going to pick an impact newcomer to make a statement on the defensive line, Carter could be your man.

Short answer. Much more.

As a true freshman, Walker forced fans and opposing coaches alike to sit up and pay attention.

The sight of the 6-foot-5, 290-pounder flying down the field on kickoff coverage certainly did that—but it was the flashes he showed as a defensive end that excites head coach Kirby Smart.

Take last year’s win at Auburn, for example.

It was Walker’s sack of Bo Nix on Auburn’s final offensive play that preserved the Bulldogs’ 21-14 victory on the Plains.

“It’s what I’ve been saying to our guys: We’ve got to find more ways to play the guy. He’s probably one of our better overall football players,” Smart said after the game. “He’s playing on third down, he plays quite a bit, but we’ve got to find ways to use the kid. He’s talented, and we’ve got to do a better job as coaches of finding avenues to help us, because he’s extremely athletic.”

Walker finished the season on a high note, collecting 15 tackles, with 3.5 tackles for losses of 12 yards, including 2.5 sacks. One of those sacks occurred during Georgia’s Sugar Bowl win over Baylor, a game that also saw Walker make a season-high three tackles and recover a key fumble.

When it comes to creating inside havoc, Walker is one of the players Smart will be counting on to make that happen. Along with Herring, the duo should be fun to watch.

We touched on Carter earlier, but he bears further examination.

A native of Apopka, Fla., Carter attended the same high school as former Tampa Bay Bucs star Warren Sapp, and yes, there have been comparisons between the two.

At 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, Carter plays with the same brand of intense aggression as Sapp, and is versatile enough to play anywhere along the defensive line.

As a senior at Apopka High, Carter posted huge numbers for a defensive lineman, collecting 64 tackles to go along with 12 sacks. He’s also pretty doggone strong, placing second in the FHSAA Class 2A Heavyweight Division with a bench press of 395 pounds.

He later dominated the competition during the week of practice leading up to the Under Armour All-American game, and easily could have been a five-star in the final Rivals player ranking.

However Georgia coaches ultimately use Carter this fall, he’s got the potential to make a big impact his very first year on the team.