Georgia's Defensive MVP From the 2023 Season
Capping off their 13-1 record, the Georgia Bulldogs defense was a force to be reckoned with yet again. Georgia's 2023 season could be defined in many ways, but their defense was solid, going against some of the SEC's most fearsome offensive minds. The nation's ninth-rated defense bolsters loads of talent that could be up for the MVP from this year.
A defensive MVP would be hard to crown, looking at this team from afar. It would be easy to turn to the freshman linebacker who stepped up big time without an injured Jamon Dumas-Johnson. After the freshman season, CJ Allen just completed, he could rightfully deserve the award. Allen got his first taste of starting experience against the Ole Miss Rebels and a very good running back in Quinshon Judkins. Allen shut them down, leading the team in tackles with nine total and a sack, and added a tackle for loss to his ledger. Then, against Georgia Tech, Allen was tied with Smael Mondon for the team lead in tackles from that game, with eight total, while he had five solo and Mondon had three solo. Finishing the season fifth on the team in tackles, with 41 total, Allen joined some elite Dawg company but isn't taking home the MVP this season.
If not Allen, could it be someone from the fearsome secondary who locked down the backend of this defense? Javon Bullard, Malaki Starks, and Kamari Lassiter all have strong cases about why they deserve this year's MVP award. Bullard was third on the team in tackles, with 56 total, while also intercepting two passes. He was a great counterpart to the All-American safety in Starks, the team's fourth-leading tackler, with 52 total and three passes intercepted. But Kamari Lassiter made one of the stronger cases when the potential first-round draft pick was playing man coverage against one of the nation's best receivers, Luther Burden III from Missouri, who was held to two catches for 14 yards with Lassiter covering him. Finishing off the season as the team's sixth-leading tackler with 37 total and half a sack, Lassiter isn't the one to win this MVP award either.
Georgia STAR, #23 Tykee Smith, dawned savage pads after an interception during the 37-20 victory over Vanderbilt.
One of the more challenging positions in Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann's defense is the STAR position. Being asked to cover a variety of offensive weapons while also being tasked to convert in blitz packages and run defense, Tykee Smith had his hands full this year. Smith led the team in every defensive category aside from sacks, which he ranks fourth on the team with two. Smith battled through an injury-plagued career in Athens to burst through and show his old form that he was at West Virginia. Smith led the team in tackles, with 70 total, and he also led the team in interceptions with four, which ranked him 14th in the nation in that category. He finished ten games with over five tackles, including a ten-tackle performance in Georgia's win over Tennessee in Neyland Stadium. Tykee Smith was another unexpected star from this year's team, pun unintended. Schumann's STAR will take home the MVP award as he goes to the NFL.
The Bulldogs had one of the NCAA's best defenses again this season but had a cohesive unit rather than multiple big-time stars shining at once. Georgia will have to replace a multitude of these pieces, as it seems they have to do annually, but have plenty of great players ready to step up and take the reigns.
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