Freshman Faces: Chaz Chambliss

Since arriving at Georgia, head coach Kirby Smart has recruited high-character players off the field and freshman linebacker Chaz Chambliss epitomizes that.

Chambliss played high-school football for the Carrollton Trojans in a town just two hours away from Athens. He committed to the Bulldogs in the summer leading up to his senior year and never wavered in the time leading up to early national signing day.

Coming into college, Chambliss needed to put some serious work in. He is a tweener of sorts, too big to play inside linebacker, but not quite the athlete that most of Georgia’s outside linebackers are.

Defensive coordinator Dan Lanning recruited him to play outside linebacker for Georgia. Chambliss spent the summer learning the SAM spot, which means he will be lining up on the strong side of the formation in college.

His limited athletic profile means that Chambliss had to separate himself from the other freshmen. He was 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds in high school, but what he may lack in top-end athleticism, he makes up for in power and work ethic.

He enrolled early and spent a large portion of the spring in the weight room. The staff came away impressed with how Chambliss improved his body during the offseason, as he quickly became one of the hardest working players on the roster.

Chambliss is a very quick learner and is detail-oriented in his approach to the game. He was able to get some run with the second-team defense during spring practices.

The biggest takeaway from Chambliss' spring is the impact he has had in the locker room. He holds others accountable and has been a leader in spring drills on multiple occasions.

Chambliss may only develop into a situational role player this season, but his impact on the locker room is profound. In college football, leaders are needed that will hold themselves to a high standard and make others match their level of intensity.

Smart was very impressed with what he saw from Chambliss from the moment he arrived on campus. In February, Smart singled out Chambliss and remarked:

"[Chaz] has been a wonderful addition. He’s here, working out now. He’s such a hard worker. Anytime you build guys into your program. these hard-working, high-character guys, they improve your overall team.”

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