3 biggest questions Georgia must address in spring practice
By John Buhler
2. Is Jalen Carter ready to be the guy in the middle of the defensive line?
What allowed Georgia to reach the promised land was that the Dawgs were unstoppable in the trenches. Guys like Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt all have the potential to go in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Staying behind is true junior Jalen Carter, who may be more talented than all of them. Is he ready to take over as the defensive line’s undisputed superstar?
The good news for Carter is not only did he get plenty of reps as a rotational player a season ago on a championship team, but Georgia should be especially strong in the back-seven of its defense. With Robert Beal and Nolan Smith returning to school, that makes the linebacking corps incredible, even after losing Nakobe Dean to the draft. However, the big winner is the secondary.
Georgia not only returns national title hero Kelee Ringo, but so does elite ballhawk Christopher Smith, former West Virginia transfer Tykee Smith and the savvy veteran William Poole. Yes, the back-end of this Georgia defense should be dominant, but Carter will be front and center in the trenches without the same supporting cast he played with a year ago. He has to step up big time.
This is not just about Carter’s SEC takeover, but also setting up his teammates to be successful.