Jalen Carter Proves He Can Anchor The Interior
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter has had a solid start to the 2021 season, and he continued that on Saturday against Vanderbilt.
His counterpart, defensive tackle Jordan Davis, exited the game after the first quarter because there was no reason to keep the talented senior in the game. Georgia was up 21-0 just five minutes into the first quarter, which meant that No. 99's day was done.
His absence put the spotlight on Carter. Carter proved that he was more than ready for the attention and lived in the backfield for the majority of his snaps.
The Georgia coaching staff loves what he brings to the table and feels that he is a lock to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft if he enters. That being said, there was still room for improvement after his freshman season.
He put in effort over the offseason and came into camp in much better shape than he did a year ago. Carter is disrupting blocks more consistently now and had a few big tackles for loss early in the game.
Vanderbilt tried to solo-block him several times, which did not end well. On one particular play, Carter tossed Vanderbilt's guard like a rag doll and delivered a jarring hit to the running back to finish the play quickly.
Carter has all of the tools necessary to become an All-American in the near future. His size, power, and football IQ enable him to make plays all over the field. Carter also has an uncommon motor, as he always finds a way to be around the ball.
Moving forward, Georgia needs Carter to come into his own. He was one of the best true freshmen in the SEC last season, and he now has the chance to become one of the best interior defensive linemen in the conference.
Today he proved that he is more than capable of anchoring the interior. He won't have to for another season, as Davis will be alongside him, but knowing that Carter can be a No. 1 is encouraging.
Modern offenses can counter various things, but one thing that consistently destroys an offense is a stout interior defensive line. Georgia has two defensive tackles that can win all by themselves, and when you put them together, that spells bad news for Georgia's opponents.
The most impressive thing about Carter's performance against Vanderbilt was how much attention he commanded. After a few big plays, the Commodores began to key in on him, leaving the rest of Georgia's defensive linemen free to wreak havoc.
