Rochester's biggest gain has been due to his loss

When it comes to the reason he was able to become such an integral part of Georgia’s defensive line, freshman Julian Rochester said the answer is simple.

He got in better shape.

“The key for me was coming in early (as an early enrollee) and getting my weight down,” Rochester said. “That, and listening to what Coach (Tracy) Rocker was trying to get us to do and listen to what Coach (Kirby) Smart had in mind. Everything seemed to work to perfection.”

For the most part, it did.

After reporting to Athens at 340 pounds, Rochester said he’s since gotten his weight down to a svelte 309, and the results on the field have shown.

Of Georgia’s down linemen, Rochester finished second to Trenton Thompson in tackles with 34 and helped solidify the Bulldogs’ defensive front.

But losing the weight wasn’t easy.

Rochester said it took him five months to finally get his weight in order, and that meant cutting out late-night snacks

“They just wanted me to drink water and other fluids,” Rochester said. “It wasn’t easy, but I did it.”

Of course, Rochester hasn’t been the only freshman making his mark on the defensive line.

Tyler Clark, David Marshall and Michail Carter have also made their respective impacts for the Bulldogs. Each played big roles for the defensive line, helping to make a position that was initially thought a liability into what should be one of next year’s strengths.

“We talk about that all the time,” Rochester said. “We talked about coming in, putting our foot down and doing whatever we could do. We’ve all been contributing.”