As we continue our summer series taking a closer look at Georgia’s returning players, we turn our attention to a player often overlooked, but one who could see reps on both sides of the ball: Walter Grant.
With all the influx of talent at outside linebacker, Grant’s name sometimes gets glossed over when we're talking about players expected to contribute at the position this fall. This despite starting eight of 14 games he played last year.
Although it’s certainly possible that Grant ultimately could be passed by others, he’s definitely considered an integral part of the position—even as he's gotten looks at running back on offense during the spring.
Walter Grant
Height: 6-4
Weight: 245
Class: Junior
Note: All eight of his starts came at Sam linebacker.
Impact thus far
Grant was considered “raw” by many when he first signed with Georgia, but that hasn’t kept him from playing in all 29 games of his college career.
After collecting nine tackles as a freshman, Grant upped that total to 21 last fall, including one tackle for loss, coming against Georgia Tech.
His season high in tackles was four against Missouri.
In the spring, Grant surprised reporters when he was spotted taking reps at running back.
They probably shouldn’t have been shocked. As a senior at Cairo High, Grant rushed 82 times for 512 yards and seven touchdowns. Based on what we’ve been told, he showed enough that he’ll be considered as a short-yardage option should the need arise this fall.
What they're saying
Strengths
As you might suspect by the fact that he worked out at running back in the spring, Grant is a versatile player.
Last year, Grant even lined up at Star a few times on defense, where his prowess to date has been against the run.
What he's working on
Grant probably needs to get a little bit stronger to take on the kind of tackles he’ll see weekly in the SEC.
That would go a long way to help him improve his pass-rushing skills, which to date are the only area where he’s yet to really excel.
Still, we’re talking about a very good player, someone who goes hard every snap and will be a key player on defense this fall.
Outlook
Whether or not Grant starts at Sam linebacker remains to be seen, but he’s going to play a lot.
He’s someone capable of lining up in different spots on the field, and no doubt defensive coordinator Dan Lanning will attempt to take advantage of that aspect whenever he can.
Yes, he’ll likely get a look or two at Star as well.
Georgia has an excellent mix of players at outside linebacker, and Grant figures to be an integral part of what the Bulldogs will do.
