Georgia defensive line looking to develop depth with recent run of injuries
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s defensive line is one banged up group of Bulldogs. Entering fall camp, Warren Brinson, Jordan Hall and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins all found themselves on Kirby Smart’s injury list. While varying in degrees of severity (i.e. neither Brinson nor Hall was a participant in practice while Ingram-Dawkins was going through drills with the defensive linemen), it’s far from the desired news. Still, Smart is confident the group will be ready to roll on the whole when things kick into high gear.
“They have been here a long time. I’m pleased with where they are,” Smart said about Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse, two super-senior defensive linemen that return to Athens for their fifth-year in red and black. “Warren’s dealing with a little bit of a nagging injury that he’s dealt with, and he’ll push through that. Naz has been great. We’ve gotta get the young guys to play. You never have enough defensive linemen.”
The injury to Brinson is an issue with his Achilles tendon. Smart describing it as “nagging” feels like an indication it won’t be a long-term deal, but it does leave concern that he dealt with a similar issue in the spring according to his head coach.
Even if Brinson is in the fold, Hall’s tibia stress fracture puts pressure on someone like Christen Miller to perform at a high level. Then, to keep fresh legs on the field, guys like Xzavier McLeod, Jamaal Jarrett, Nasir Johnson and Jordan Thomas – among other options – could be called upon.
“We’ve got some big bodies in that room, but we’ve got some inexperienced big bodies. So it’s really important that we establish depth, especially that we’re looking at a potentially longer season,” Smart said. “We have, I wanna say, four or maybe five new guys that are first-year — with us, because that includes a portal transfer and four high school guys — that are 300 pounds or greater and haven’t played a snap for us. They will provide our depth in that room that when guys get injured, and guys get injured at that position, they’ve gotta be able to step up and play. That’s an area we’ve gotta continue to develop and grow. I mean, everybody does. Nobody has enough of them.”
Without a first-round talent like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis or Devonte Wyatt in the middle, Georgia’s defensive line seemed to struggle at times last season. Zion Logue was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, but the Bulldogs lacked a game-wrecking force.
Depth was also a concern, and as both Smart said and the activity in the transfer portal indicates, that’s the case around the country. UGA will have its depth tested early, and those that see the field in the opener will be challenged by Clemson.
After Georgia went eight years without a defensive tackle taken in the NFL Draft, Tray Scott earned his reputation – and a pay raise – in recent years by building a track record of Bulldog success in the draft. Now comes an opportunity for him to even further solidify his name as one of the top assistants in the country developing the Dawgs’ depth up front during fall camp.
