Damon Wilson working, growing at rate of Georgia linebacker greats

ATHENS, Ga. — Expectations are high for former five-star Damon Wilson entering his second season at Georgia, and Kirby Smart didn’t do anything to pump the brakes on them this week. In speaking about Wilson, Smart said he’s right where he needs to be to help the Bulldogs this season, mentioning him in the same vein as a couple of players that have made an impact on the edge over the years.

“He’s getting better. Have I seen the jump that I want to have? He’s right where he needs to be and is supposed to be. He’s not ahead of schedule and he’s not behind. He’s growing at a rate that I’ve seen a lot of outside backers grow, whether it was Nolan (Smith), Azeez (Ojulari), all these guys that have come through here,” Smart said. “He’s gotten better each and every year. He’s improving his run strength ability, his ability to hold up against big tackles and stop the run, being violent and twitchy. He’s always been a really good rusher. He gives extremely, he gives great effort. I’m proud of those things. He’s got to become a more consistent first and second down player, which he’s doing. He’s a work in progress, but he’s growing at that. He’s going to be able to help us this year.”

During his first year on campus, Wilson saw the field in 12 of 13 games. He missed the Orange Bowl due to a minor knee injury that required a small surgery but has returned to action for Georgia’s spring practices – 10 in total so far.

Wilson was credited with four tackles on the season including half a sack against Florida. It was in pass-rush situations that the Venice (Fla.) product saw his snaps last season, and while it’s a skill that he’ll still bring this year, added weight should be able to help him improve against the run as well.

“You know, I think physically he’s grown a lot this offseason. Last year he weighed 230 — this year he’s weighing 240. He’s putting more muscle on his frame,” fellow outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss said of Wilson. “Obviously that allows him to do more stuff in the run game, being able to set more edges. Mentally he’s been able to take what we do as a defense and expand his mind to not just his pass rush but also coverage and in the run game doing stunts.”

In looking at the jump of the players Smart mentioned Wilson with, both Smith and Ojulari made major strides from year one to year two. In the case of Smith, he upped his tackle total in four fewer games during the 2020 COVID season while managing to match his sack and tackle for loss numbers from the year before. Smith was the nation’s No. 1 player coming out of high school, so he was on the field quite a bit as a freshman. Meanwhile, Ojulari took a redshirt and developed, showcasing his skills briefly in the bowl game. His breakout came in 2019 with a team-high 5.5 sacks on the nation’s top scoring defense that season before an even more impressive 2020 campaign.

Both Smith and Ojulari would go on to be top-50 picks in the NFL Draft, and Wilson certainly hopes he can accomplish something like that too down the road. There’s definitely belief he is capable within Georgia’s program and excitement to see what he can do in 2024.

“The sky’s the limit for him and a lot of people,” safety Dan Jackson said about Wilson. “We’ve got a great group of guys up front. They’re going to battle and continue to battle every day. I’m looking forward to getting out there and starting the season.”

“Damon is growing as a leader and as a successful young man,” inside linebacker Jalon Walker added. “He brings a lot of energy. He brings a great heart to the outside backer room, great athlete. I just can’t wait to watch him grow throughout the spring still.”

Georgia has five sessions left during spring drills including a couple of scrimmages. The second of the two remaining will act as UGA’s annual G-Day spring game and an opportunity for folks to see the Bulldogs in action at Sanford Stadium on April 13th (1:00 p.m. ET, SECN+).