Georgia working to find expanded roles for Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s defense is full of talent with five-stars and top-end four-stars all over the field. Among the most talented players are Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker, but they’re also possibly the hardest puzzle pieces for defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann to place every Saturday.

Williams and Walker are versatile. They can do different things than most at their size can. It’s what makes them special, but because they don’t fit in a box, it can be challenging to best utilize their unique skillsets.

“The kind of style of defense that we play — the different personnel groupings, the packages, the way that we rotate and mix and match based on our opponent and the situation in a game — I think it gives us the opportunity to dual train guys like Mykel, guys like Jalon, guys like Gabe Harris. There’s a lot of guys in the secondary — there’s guys that play safety and STAR. We do this a lot in practice,” Schumann told reporters. “On game day their role is based on what we think is best to win the game.”

Williams and Walker were key pieces for Georgia’s defense last season. In fact, they’ve been key pieces each of their two years on campus, representing the team’s sack leaders from 2022 (Williams – 4.5) and 2023 (Walker – 5.0).

Ahead of the Orange Bowl, the two were on center stage for their versatility. Word began to spread that Williams would begin working more as an outside linebacker instead of a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. His days of playing in the 5-technique aren’t done by any means, but the Bulldogs want to utilize his pass rush ability the best they can this season to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The same goes for Walker. Recruited as an inside linebacker and trained there the majority of his time on campus to best position him for a future in the NFL, Walker described himself as an “HLB.” He knows he’s listed as an inside linebacker but is somebody who possesses lots of the traits of an outside linebacker too.

“With Jalon, we have to expand his role because he’s a talented player, and the best way to expand his role is to continue to develop him as a hybrid player and maximize his opportunities to do what he does best,” Schumann said. “He’s actually really improved in both areas, and the way he’s attacked practice both from an effort and a leadership standpoint has been really impressive, so I’m excited about where he’s going.”

Schumann understands that with both Williams and Walker, there’s a balancing act that’s needed. What’s best for them as individuals? What’s best for the team? Those are questions that must get asked with every player that steps foot in Georgia’s locker room, and sometimes, the answers are the same. However, when they’re different, it creates a challenge for the coaches.

“I think we have a responsibility in two ways in everything we do. One, to do what’s best for this team and this defense to be successful as a unit because those guys are about the collective goals. It’s part of why they came here: the connection and the ability to contend and compete for championships and play great defense,” Schumann said. “Two, we have a responsibility for each player to put them in the best position to have a career in football if their ability gives them the opportunity to do that.”

“As these guys have matured and grown and been able to go through this learning process multiple times, they can take on more, and it makes it easier to play them in a variety of roles,” he added. “Guys that can do multiple things, you obviously want to find ways to highlight them for them to be productive.”

Georgia held its first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday, wrapping up its tenth day of preseason practice. The Bulldogs have 21 days to go until they kickoff on August 31st against Clemson (12:00 p.m. ET, ABC).