Glenn Schumann reveals keys to success for Georgia defense, impact of Will Muschamp

Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann knows that success is not about how much individual talent you have. So when he was asked to identify players who are standing out following Tuesday’s practice, he respectfully declined.

Instead, Schumann went into detail about the importance of developing team chemistry early in the year and how the Bulldogs have been stressing that fact throughout fall camp.

“I understand the question there, but we had 19 players play over 200 snaps on defense last year,” he said. “So I do think the team talk on defense is extremely important. You’re looking for as many people that can play winning football as possible. The individuals that stand out a lot of times, they’re gonna be guys that you can already identify. But the team talk is extremely important this time of year just because our only way to play to standard on defense here is to get that. Get the team and everybody playing at a high level, because last time I checked there’s 11 guys on defense at once.

“Everybody has to fit their gap properly in the run game. You run a pressure and everybody has to be in the right area. You sit there in coverage, certain guys have the flat and certain guys are responsible deep. So at the end of the day, the only way to actually be good on defense is to be a team. You’ll see great defensive players places sometimes where maybe you’re saying, ‘Hey, how did they have that guy and they weren’t overly successful on defense?’ Our guys, no matter who it’s been since we’ve been here, have taken pride in that aspect and we do as well as a staff.”

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Georgia’s defense was inarguably the best in the country this past season, holding opponents to just 10.2 points per game. The Bulldogs went on to claim their first national championship in more than 40 years as a result. However, as they enter 2022 the defense is going to look a lot different than it did a year ago.

Georgia saw a total of eight defensive players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft this offseason, including a record five in the first round. The Bulldogs also lost defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, who left to become the next head coach at Oregon. Now Glenn Schumann is tasked with keeping Georgia as one of the elite defenses in the country, but he’ll have help. The team also promoted Will Muschamp, who served as the special teams coordinator this past season and was previously a head coach at both Florida and South Carolina, to co-defensive coordinator.

“In terms of Will, since he’s been here last year and moving into this year, he brings a wealth of experience,” Schumann said. “He’s a great staff guy. We really enjoy working together. Not just him, but our whole defensive staff in general as much as we ever have. I think he brings camaraderie, professionalism, experience. He’s a great sounding board for ideas and for as much success as he’s had in his career, he’s extremely humble at the same time, which I think humility shows a lot about who a person is.”

Ultimately, there are still a lot of questions for this Georgia defense heading into 2022. But if they continue to develop as a team, Schumann has no doubt they will once again be among the best of the best.