Kirby Smart on Georgia DT Jordan Davis: 'I've never had one like him'

Jordan Davis has emerged as a star on Georgia’s defensive front. On the season, Davis has 20 tackles and two sacks, and he rates incredibly high against the run. He has established himself as one of the top interior defensive lineman in all of college football.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows how lucky he is to have Davis and his talent on his defense. The defense has been historically dominant this season at Georgia. Georgia leads the nation by nearly an eight point margin in allowing just 6.6 points per game. The Bulldogs also allow 74.6 rushing yards, 151 passing yards, and 225.6 total yards per game, all of which are the second best total in the nation.

With Davis, Smart gave him incredibly high praise, going as far to say that he has never had anyone like him at Georgia.

“I’ve never had one like him,” Smart said via ESPN’s Chris Low. “Even Terrence Cody [at Alabama] was different. Cody had a sloppier body, but Jordan doesn’t have a lot of body fat. He’s 6-6, and we tell him that if he’s in the 340s, he’s dangerous.”

Davis is part of a dominant defense, especially up front. But it’s not just Davis that makes great impacts on the line for Georgia.

“That’s where it starts, where you build any defense, in the D-line and across the front,” Smart told ESPN. “And you have to be committed to playing and developing a lot of those guys, because with the number of snaps and pace of play now with everybody going fast, you’ve got to keep guys fresh.”

Could Davis get Heisman consideration?

Earlier in the year, ESPN College GameDay analyst David Pollack said that Davis would be in the discussion to win the Heisman Trophy this season. Charles Woodson is the only defensive player to ever take home the award, but he also played on offense and special teams.

“To me, I would have him in the Heisman discussion,” Pollack said. “Like, the most dominant player that I’ve seen in College Football. You don’t move him, he anchors the line… He’s physical, he’s developed even more as a pass-rusher.” 

Smart has been praising Davis all season. Earlier in the season, Smart made an incredible comparison when talking about the impact of Davis on Georgia’s defense.

“Godzilla like,” Smart said. “He’s impactful, an immovable object… He’s been impactful in stopping the run and allowing us to play alternative coverages that you can’t do sometimes when people can run the ball.

“He buys into staying healthy and keeping his weight down,” said Smart. “He’s a really good player and he’s bought into that, he understands it’s important. The young man is under a tremendous microscope in terms of media – for a d-lineman – maybe not for a quarterback. He does everything he can to the best of his ability, he works hard for us.”