In our What We Learned series, we take a closer glimpse at a player who looks to have parlayed a successful spring into becoming an important part of the rotation at inside linebacker.
Say hello to Xavian Sorey.
What We Learned: Xavian Sorey
The biggest lesson we’ve learned about Sorey is after two years on the roster, he’s starting to show the consistency needed to become an important part of the rotation at mac linebacker.
There’s never been a question about Sorey’s athleticism. The question has always been whether or not he could find a consistent role.
Sorey, listed at 214 pounds, is not the biggest at his position on Georgia’s roster.
To overcome that, Sorey has worked hard to hone his craft and begin to excel at the details needed to perform at the level Kirby Smart and position coach Glenn Schumann require.
When asked about Sorey this spring, Smart compared Sorey to another “smallish” inside linebacker, current Miami Dolphin Channing Tindall.
“I’ve got enough football awareness and football experience that kids that do that, it takes them a little while,” Smart said. “Channing went through that a little bit, where you don’t play at the second level a lot, and you’ve got to key and diagnose. He has tools that some guys on our team don’t have. We’ve tried to utilize those, and we’ll continue to, but he’s developing and he’s rolling in with those guys and playing well.”
Where Sorey fits in
Sorey was originally an outside linebacker before he was moved to the inside the second half of last season.
During G-Day, he started opposite Jamon Dumas-Johnson at Mac linebacker for the first team defense on the Black squad.
Although this was due to the fact Smael Mondon was not dressed out recovering from his toe injury, Sorey did not receive the nod because there was no one else to play.
Quite the contrary.
Although Smart will tell you Sorey is “not there yet,” his ability is one of the reasons Jalon Walker was allowed to begin cross-training at outside linebacker.
There’s still plenty of depth.
Freshmen Raylen Wilson and CJ Allen took advantage of the spring to show Schumann they’re not far off. Their progress, along with Sorey, helped convince Rian Davis to place his name in the transfer portal after Trezman Marshall did so earlier this year.
What to expect
Sorey previously received the vast majority of his reps on special teams where he was used primarily on Georgia’s kickoff and punt return units.
He’ll be on the field for the defense much more this fall.
While Dumas-Johnson and Mondon are the incumbents, Smart and Schumann will attempt to find ways to get Sorey’s unique skill set on the field when he’s able to have the biggest impact.
Might that be third down as an extra pass rusher, or other obvious passing situations? That would seem to be the call, but we’ll see.
Whatever is decided, Sorey seems to have earned the confidence of his coaches to play a bigger role. It will be up to him to take advantage.
Quoting Kirby Smart
“He’s rotated in with the ones. He’s shown some exceptional acceleration in flashes. Consistency is the biggest thing with him. There might be a mental lapse every now and then, and he’ll be the first to admit that. When he gets it right, he can be really good.” – Kirby Smart
