The Most Important Defensive Player for Georgia Football in 2025

The most important defensive player for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2025.

Georgia linebacker Gabe Harris (29) celebrates after making a stop on fourth down during the second half of a NCAA college football game against Ball State in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. Georgia won 45-3. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

The most important defensive player for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2025.

The Georgia Bulldogs went yet another offseason with a multitude of defensive players being selected in the NFL draft. Three more first-rounders were added to the tally, along with a handful of other players selected in the others. Needless to say, Georgia has some big names to replace on defense this year.

Jalon Walker was Georgia's best playmaker on defense last year, Mykel Williams was as reliable as anyone despite not being 100 percent healthy and Malaki Starks played multiple positions and was all over the field. Williams and Walker no longer being on the roster, though, is a reason why Gabe Harris is the most important player on defense this year.

It wasn't just Walker and Williams that Georgia lost in the pass rush department. Damon Wilson transferred to Missouri, Chaz Chambliss, the team's leader in sacks, is in the NFL now, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins is no longer there and Warren Brinson was also drafted. It resulted in Georgia's EDGE room losing depth rather quickly and Harris remains a big name to help fill the void.

The Bulldogs did add former Army linebacker Elo Modozie to the roster this offseason on top of adding freshmen Darren Ikinnagbon and Isaiah Gibson. Quintavious Johnson and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye are both entering their second year on the team. Harris is the veteran guy in the room, though.

Last season, Harris tallied 14 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. He has shown the ability to get after the passer and create havoc in the backfield. This season, though, Georgia will need him to do it on a bigger scale and he will be called upon a lot more in 2025.

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