Georgia Football Relying on Inexperienced Edge Rushers in the Thick of SEC Play

One of the Georgia Bulldogs’ biggest issues last season was generating sacks and creating havoc in the backfield for opposing quarterbacks. Most of the sack production came from a bevy of inside linebackers who play hybrid roles in addition to pressuring through the A-Gap.

Kirby Smart was questioned many times this offseason about how they were going to improve on 20 sacks in 14 games last year. The question loomed into the season. The Dawgs only brought in one player via the transfer portal that was supposed to help the problem.

Former five-star edge rusher Amaris Williams from Auburn was Georgia’s top snag in the transfer portal and was projected to start for the Dawgs. He tore his ACL during spring practice. So, Georgia was back to where it was. Williams cou;d return later on, but the latest reports are that he is doing very limited things physically.

Despite losing their best acquisition, Georgia has sacked the quarterback 22 times in seven games. They surpassed last year’s total in half the time. A few true freshmen have helped with those numbers. They have even helped into SEC play.

PJ Dean was the first freshman to make an impact, getting a sack and a half in the season opener. Khamari Brooks got early playing time as well. He doesn’t have a sack yet, but he has been in the backfield plenty of times and has 10 total tackles.

Recently, it has been Anthony Lonon Jr. that has made an impact as a true freshman. He sacked Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown once and now has two on the season. He got significant playing time in Georgia’s last outing.

Smart is pleased with his growth.

“I’ve loved Anthony since high school. He's a really hard worker. I played with his dad here. He’s a humble kid who just goes out and gives a full day's work. I mean, he's a good athlete. He's more athletic for his size than most people. He has twitch. He has leverage. He's gonna get better because he's gonna stay humble and keep working. But I'm really pleased with this progress,” Smart said.

London Jr. is a little undersized for his position, but his speed has made up for it.

A trio of true freshmen have been instant-impact players for Georgia at the edge rusher position. This is a position that had a depth and a talent question heading into the year. They have helped ease away those concerned and helped get Goertiga’s production back to where the coaches want it to be.

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