Travon Walker: "A freak of nature"

Considering the amount of talent and depth on Georgia’s defensive front seven, standing out from the crowd is not always easy to do.

However, you won’t hear defensive end Travon Walker complain.

“Everyone is a great player, so it’s not going to be just one person who gets all the shine,” Walker said. “It’s an honor to be around all these guys, and where different ones are getting praise every week. That’s what's cool about this defense.”

Head coach Kirby Smart appreciates Walker’s modesty.

That being so, Smart, who isn’t prone to hyperbole, practically gushes when talking about the 6-foot-5, 275-pounder whose athleticism, he believes, places him among the best Smart has ever coached.

“He's a freak of nature when it comes to athletic ability for that size. I don't know how many years it will be before I coach a guy who's that big, who can run like that and has really good stamina, with great toughness and effort,” Smart said. “His stats may not be the best in the world, or they may not be what Azeez’s (Ojulari) were, but he's playing really well. He's playing really physical, a lot of snaps, and I'm really proud of what he's doing in terms of leadership for our team.”

Defensive back Latavious Brini puts it this way.

“Travon Walker is a dawg … Travon Walker is a dawg,” Brini said. “That’s one of the guys who's going to step up; he’s going to voice his opinion. I love Travon Walker.”

Walker appreciates the kind words and acknowledges that being a leader is a job he takes seriously.

“You can say that. In high school, I had that same mindset,” Walker said. “I’m just one of those guys who works hard every day. I have goals I want to achieve later in life.”

Statistically speaking, Smart is correct when it comes to his aforementioned statement on Walker.

Walker has a respectable 19 tackles, and is one of 13 Bulldogs with at least one sack (2.5 for losses of 16 yards). His 12 quarterback pressures also tie for third-most on the team.

“I think the more snaps I get, the more comfortable I become,” said Walker, who's no longer primarily a third-down performer. “Because I’ve been able to be out there on first down, on second, on third, its helped me become more consistent, and I’ve been able to learn from that.”

With Saturday’s game against Florida just three days away, Walker said he and the entire defense are looking forward to the challenge.

“They’ve got a pretty good team, even though it’s not really about their record,” Walker said. “There’s also a lot of guys on that team who are from Georgia, and were looking for the opportunity to play for Georgia. We’ve just got to go out there and do what we do every week.”

The fact the Bulldogs will be facing a team for which quarterbacks Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson are also the leading rushers for the Gators does not matter.

“For me, I like facing athletic quarterbacks,” Walker said. “We’ve played a lot of athletic quarterbacks this year. These guys are good, but it’s not something we haven’t done all year.”

Walker’s confidence isn't misplaced.

Georgia’s defense, which was predicted to be solid, has exceeded even the most positive expectations.

Walker admits playing with the group has been a lot of fun.

“It’s always business for sure, but I enjoy being with this group of guys, so I'm having a lot of fun,” Walker said. “The way we’ve all connected, the friendship we have with each other. I can definitely say I have a lot of fun being a part of this group.”