30 college football players with the biggest shoes to fill in 2018

Shoes to Fill: Roquan Smith

The Georgia offense was outstanding in 2017, but the defense was the biggest reasons for the Bulldogs’ success. Georgia fielded a veteran unit that held opponents to 294.9 total yards of offense per game, and 4.69 yards per play last season, which ranked No. 6 and No. 10 nationally. The biggest star was Roquan Smith, who earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and won the Butkus Award given to the nation’s top linebacker.

Smith recorded 137 total tackles last season, which led the SEC and ranked seventh in the country. He was also responsible for 14 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups. Though undersized at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, Smith’s production was good enough to get him to jump to the NFL after his junior season. And because he has a highlight reel full of tackles that stopped ball carriers in their tracks – often at the most important points in games, including the playoffs – Smith shouldn’t have to wait very long to hear his name called.

Of course, replacing such a talented linebacker will be difficult. Monty Rice, who tallied 22 tackles and two tackles for loss in eight games as a true freshman in 2017, will have the first opportunity.

Rice signed with Georgia out of Madison, Alabama, where he was a four-star prospect ranked No. 334 overall and No. 18 nationally among inside linebacker recruits. Though several of his teammates in the linebacker corps were more highly touted as preps, and Rice is listed behind Smith’s backup, Natrez Patrick (who has been plagued by legal trouble and was suspended four games last season), on the depth chart at middle linebacker, Rice has a good chance of winning the job.