Defensive players to watch vs. Tennessee

Georgia is already in mid-season form on defense. The Bulldogs play Tennessee and its improved offense this Saturday.

Georgia football and its elite defense roll into week three with a 2-0 record. The opponent this week is the Tennessee Volunteers who possess the nation's second-longest active winning streak.

The Volunteers will test Georgia's defense at times, but can they do it enough times to win? Not if these players have anything to say about it.

Monty Rice and Nakobe Dean - Linebackers

Georgia isn't a good matchup for Tennessee. Monty Rice and Nakobe Dean are a big reason why. Rice and Dean are the answer for many of the things Tennessee's offense will want to do against the Bulldogs.

Tennessee is a good run blocking team, and its two leading rushers have combined for 321 yards through two games. The Volunteers are going to win some battles against the Bulldogs at the line of scrimmage. It'll be up to the linebackers to clean up the plays and keep Tennessee's running backs from breaking off big runs. If two linebackers in the SEC can handle that task, it's Rice and Dean.

Both will be needed in the passing game as well. Of Georgia's first three opponents, Tennessee probably has the weakest receiving corps. Josh Palmer is the only standout receiver, and he's far from the best primary target the Bulldogs will play this year. Tennessee will throw Rice and Dean's way a lot with its outside targets covered by Georgia's defensive backfield.

Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell - Cornerbacks

Again, Palmer is far from the best primary receiver on Georgia's schedule, and he's going against Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell, two of the best cornerbacks in the nation. You can watch Stokes and Campbell, but they're not going to do too much besides blanket Palmer and any other receiver they're assigned to.

Malik Herring and Jordan Davis - Defensive Linemen

Tennessee's offensive line will win some battles against Georgia's defensive line, but Jordan Davis and Malik Herring will ensure the Bulldogs win the majority of those battles.

Davis is just a monster. It's unfair to have to block a 6-6, 330 lbs. super athlete, but that's what Tennessee has to do. He demands to be double-teamed, but he can and will shed blocks. Herring is a run-stopper. Since becoming a key cog in Georgia's defense in 2018, he's improved the rest of his game, but his run-stopping ability is what made him a cog in the first place.

Travon Walker and Jalen Carter - Defensive Line

With the way that Tennessee chooses to continue to play additional offensive linemen in their formations, we expect Georgia to potentially counter with additional defensive linemen or two in the formation. That would mean either Travon Walker or Jalen Carter will enter the game to help stop the run-heavy attack from Tennessee. 

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