Georgia nose guard Zion Logue said he will not be trying to be Jordan Davis when Georgia opens its season Saturday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Oregon.

Physically, it’s obviously an impossible task. Davis is some 50 pounds heavier, a fact Logue says sort of makes any comparison a waste of time.

They also have different personalities.

The gregarious Davis was always smiling, the life of every party. Logue prefers to chill and lead by his actions instead of his words.

Nevertheless, he understands why the comparisons, right or wrong, continue to be made. The junior from Tennessee is the one who will be stepping into Davis’ former position.

“Yeah, my body is a little bit different than his is. He’s a little bit wider and I’m a little slimmer,” Logue said. “But I still try to put a few of the things that he did into my game. There’s a difference, but technique-wise, and the way he was coached, it’s the same way.”

Bulldog center Sedrick Van Pran spent the previous two seasons going against Davis every day in practice.

This year, it’s been Logue on the opposite side.

During an earlier interview, Van Pran stated that he saw a lot of Davis in Logue. Although he clarified that statement this week, Van Pran said he’s seen Logue grow in other ways.

“The biggest place I think he’s grown is leadership. I’d say he’s probably the biggest leader and best leader that we have in that D-line group,” Van Pran said. “He’s pushed the guys around him, from summer conditioning to stadium runs, whatever it may have been. That guy was always in the front, helping me lead guys, so that’s somebody I see as one of the premiere leaders on this team and somebody I respect.”

Logue responded to Van Pran’s assertion by agreeing his teammate has him pegged correctly.

“I just try to lead by my actions and not really lead by my words, because we have guys who lead by words,” Logue said. “I try to be a different leader; do as I do and not what I say. I feel like guys follow me in that room, and that’s something that’s changed since spring.”

Smart cites Logue’s on-field consistency for helping to put himself in the position he’s in.

At 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, Logue earned the starting job at nose by proving to head coach Kirby Smart and position coach Tray Scott that, although he’s a different player than Davis, he’s able to maximize the talents he possesses.

That, Smart said, is a big deal.

“Zion is a guy that's been kind of a product of our environment—culture I might say. He's seen leaders before him. He certainly had a long way to go when he got here, but he never shied away from work. He's been very consistent in his work,” Smart said. “He's worked really hard to earn the opportunity he's gotten. He would be the first to tell you there are things he can do better. He's not the guy we played with last year, but he's a great leader. He makes up for what he may or may not have in complete talent with effort, toughness, all the things we think are quality leadership things, and he continues to do that.”

After averaging what he estimates was between 15 and 22 snaps last season, Logue believe he’s prepared for the added responsibility this fall.

He feels the entire defensive line is.

"I think I'm ready. I know I'm ready for it just like other guys in the room like Nazir (Stackhouse), Tyrion (Ingram-Dawkins), and guys like that,” Logue said. “I think it's a big challenge for us. We are still preparing, and I think we are all ready for it."