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Tyson feels at home

DeAngelo Tyson believes he has finally found his comfort zone at defensive end after filling in at nose last year for defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
Credit the arrival of Johnathan Jenkins and the spring emergence of Kwame Geathers for that.
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"I was excited (about the move to DE), but last year we lost three seniors so it's all about depth if you want to have a good defensive line," Tyson said recently. "Adding him (Jenkins) to our depth is a good thing. Everybody talks about the nose. To me, it's all about depth."
Finding enough depth remains a top priority when you're talking about the defensive line.
The Bulldogs weren't exactly deep at the position last year and enter the 2011 campaign minus three players who saw their fair share of minutes - Demarcus Dobbs, Kiante Tripp and Brandon Wood.
So even with the arrival of Jenkins, depth will again be an area of concern, particularly since Justin Anderson moved to the offensive line and Derrick Lott is still recovering from the scooter accident he suffered several weeks ago.
Tyson knows it will be imperative that all available hands be able to carry their weight.
"When game time comes people get winded and you just can't play the first string; you've got to have enough guys to come in and give those first string people a break," Tyson said. "We've got Jenkins and we've got Kwame at nose. We've got Mike Thornton and Garrison (Smith) learning what to do. We've got to get everybody playing; if we can do that it will be an advantage for everybody."
But make no mistake.
Having Jenkins and Geathers anchor the defensive line at nose will be imperative to the Bulldogs on a number of fronts - from stopping the run which the team struggled doing last fall, to help get more of a push from the defensive interior, something that was virtually non-existent for Georgia in 2010.
"Coaches have told us we needed to win more one-on-ones this year. We've been working hard at pass rushing," Tyson said. "I think we've been doing a good job with that as we do our drills, our one-on-one and pass rush drills against the offensive line."
At 350 pounds apiece, Geathers and Jenkins will certainly bring plenty of beef to a position that Tyson played last fall at 295.
Although Tyson said it's possible to play nose with a "smaller" frame, he believes having two players with the bulk of Jenkins and Geathers will make the rest of the line's job much easier.
"Nose is tough, taking all those double team and triple teams. You're getting beat on the whole game, so it's pretty tough," he said. "It's possible (to play at 295) but you've got to have the right attitude. You can't be like 'Oh, man, I've got to play nose.' You should be happy you're playing nose because the team needs you to play nose. If you're a team player you'll do anything to help the team. (Tyson) playing nose last year was helping the team so I'm glad I got that experience, and if I had to play nose again, I'd do it."
Head coach Mark Richt says Jenkins' impending arrival has helped spur Geathers to improve.
"I would think so, yeah," Richt said. "I think the class that we signed in general is helping motivate the guys we have right now to try to keep them at bay."
Tyson noticed a change in Geathers' performance as well.
"I think Kwame is more motivated now. He's progressing, working hard; he wants to learn and he wants to be taught what to do," Tyson said. "If anybody has the right attitude, good things are going to happen and I think Kwame has the right attitude for good things to happen to him."
As for Tyson, he's undergone some changes of his own.
Thanks to the off-season strength program, Tyson has added 10 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame and now weighs a trim 305.
As for that move to defensive end, he's got no complaints about that, either.
UGASports provides unparalleled Georgia Bulldog team and recruiting news. With fall camp only days away, the current player and future prospect updates are coming fast and furious. As we near the kickoff for the 2011 season, UGASports is experiencing a record high number of subscribers. And now, for a limited time, you too can see why the most passionate fans in the Bulldog Nation turn to the industry leader for breaking news and in-depth analysis. Take advantage of our seven day free trial offer now by clicking hereClick "Since I played nose last year, I really didn't have to worry about end, but now I'm learning more than I did last year about end," he said. "These past few days have just been about me learning and it's been a good couple of days."Here to view this Link..
Anthony Dasher is the managing editor for UGASports
and he can be reached via email at dash@ugasports.com.
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