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Jalen Carter showing signs of maturity, growth in third year at Georgia

Palmber-Thombsby:Palmer Thombs•08/14/22•

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UGA defensive lineman Jalen Carter (Photo: Tony Walsh/UGA Sports Communications

Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter is one of the best players in the country from a pure football standpoint. At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Carter is widely considered to be a top prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. ESPN’s Bill Connelly described him as a player with linebacker skills but defensive line size. If that doesn’t tell you how good of a football player Carter is, I don’t know what will. But according to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Carter is now making steps in the right direction in other aspects of his game.

“He’s been the most mature he has.  He was overshadowed maturity wise by the other two (Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt), he wasn’t overshadowed tackle wise by any means. He is massive. He is as talented or more talented athletically than those two. A very different guy than those two, but he is matured,” Smart said. “His practice habits have actually improved this year. He is practicing with more consistency and he has to continue to do that. He is very mature. He can admit to you and be honest with you when he doesn’t give great effort. He’s like, ‘You’re right Coach, I didn’t do my best on that play’. But that happens much less often now. I think he knows that people’s eyes are on him, in terms of our other players and he knows he has to be a leader for our defense. I am proud of what he’s done. Most practices he’s given us a full day’s work. He competes not like a guy that has been there and done that. He competes like he’s hungry. That’s what we challenge him to do. He just has to do that every day, day in and day out, and then maybe affects somebody else with him.”

As Smart said, Carter oftentimes got overshadowed last season on a Georgia defensive line that produced three first round picks. Travon Walker went No. 1 overall. Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt followed suit, and all three have at some point told Carter that they believe he can be the best out of all of them. For somebody that made an All-SEC team last season, had 37 tackles, 33 quarterback pressures and finished top three on the team in both tackles for loss and pressures while also being one of 20 players nationally to block multiple placement kicks, the thought of him being even better should be scary.

“When you play defensive football you have to play at a certain level in terms of your effort, toughness, mentality – that competitive edge. So, the best version for him (Jalen Carter) or anyone else on the defense would be those traits,” Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said about his star player this past week. “Playing as hard as you possibly can with the toughness required and competing. You have to win your battles. That is what we expect of all our guys.”

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