Kirby Smart gives candid take on linebacker group

Coming off a national championship, Georgia must replace a large portion of its defense during spring practice, including all their inside linebackers. After losing Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, Channing Tindall and John Staton IV to graduation and the NFL Draft, a whole new group of players must adjust to the spotlight.

After a spring practice, Georgia coach Kirby Smart provided a candid response about the standout linebackers from the new group.

“We’re just really young,” said Smart. “We don’t – you say stand out- there’s nobody that stands out, not compared to what just left that room. Nobody like that. There’s guys filling a role, there’s a difference. There’s a standard at Georgia when you play inside ‘backer and outside ‘backer. We’re probably not playing to that standard right now.

“But it’s not because they’re not trying hard enough and not because they’re not talented enough. It’s because they don’t have the experience and the reps. We’re catching up on that everyday as fast as we can. (Xavian) Sorey’s taken a lot of reps and he’s got a long way to go. Jalon Walker’s taken a lot of reps and he’s got a long way to go.

In addition to Sorey and Walker, Georgia has linebackers Smael Mondon, Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Rian Davis returning with a chance to emerge in the starting lineup.

Kirby Smart on emerging linebacker

Kirby Smart previously revealed the nickname given to Jamon Dumas-Johnson, one of those with a chance to make the starting lineup, along with the improvements he has seen so far this year.

“I almost didn’t know who you were talking about, because he goes by Pop for us,” said Smart. “Pop’s done a good job, he’s getting opportunity, that’s the biggest thing. You could make the case that he’s probably where all those guys were – Quay (Walker), Channing (Tindall), Nakobe (Dean) it was their second year – when really he’s still in his first year if you really want to look at it in the gran scheme of things.

“This is a young man who didn’t play football his senior year due to COVID. So he came in a little heavy, he’ll be the first to tell you he was too heavy when he first got here. He had not played a season, so he was rusty, but he helped on special teams, played some time in games when we had leads. But he’s trying to take on a leadership role. There’s a real big void, and this common theme you’ll here is there’s a void there because of all the guys who left, and also the guys injured.”