Tyrique Stevenson Set to Have Breakout Sophomore Campaign for Georgia
From the moment Tyrique Stevenson arrived on campus in Athens he began turning heads. His ability to play a variety of positions is something that was identified early on by Georgia defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning.
In August of 2019, just weeks before the start of his freshman season, Lanning said the following of the defensive back from Homestead, Florida:
"You go watch practice, you watch that guy for a little bit and you’re saying, ‘Holy moly we’ve got a ballplayer."
And what a ballplayer he's already shaping up to be. Last year as a true freshman, Stevenson played traditional corner, slot corner, linebacker, safety, and even lined up in the box and rushed the passer.
DB, Tyrique Stevenson
It's something that made his transition into college ball that much more difficult because not only was he learning to pick up the speed of the game, but he was asked to learn several different positions in a Kirby Smart designed defense which can become rather complex.
Bulldog Maven asked Stevenson about the learning curve after the SEC Championship Game:
"Me being versatile actually made things harder because they stuck me at multiple positions and as the year went on, I got more and more comfortable."
Stevenson played a limited roll on the Georgia defense early on in 2019, playing primarily on 3rd and long situations along with fellow freshman Nolan Smith and Travon Walker. But as he alluded to, he did get more and more comfortable as the season went on, and by the time the Auburn game rolled around, he was playing a pivotal role in the back end of that defense.
Here's a breakdown of all the things he was asked to do against Auburn:
Stevenson showed his innate ability to track the ball in coverage this past year, something many CBs struggle to do and finished the year with a mighty impressive stat. Of all true freshman CBs, he finished second in yards allowed per reception at 4.2 (min. 20 targets/150 snaps).
Not only is he known as a ballhawk, his physicality on the line of scrimmage often eliminated an option for the opposing QB while his speed made him a huge threat in the corner blitz. Although he finished the season with only 13 total tackles (9 solo) and a sack, look for him to have a monstrous sophomore year.
As he alluded to in the video above, Stevenson had never even sat through a film session or schematic meeting prior to arriving at Georgia. To say he went through a culture shock is a tad bit of an understatement. This is a kid that was always the best at "see ball, get ball" now, he's being asked to learn a complex playbook, something that took him a while to absorb.
By time Stevenson lines up for his first snap against Virginia in September, he will have spent a full 18 months in the Lanning and Smart system. Possessing the ability to play freely without second-guessing yet again. A player with his kind of instinctual abilities needs to play free to make the drastic impact they are capable of. And freedom and confidence within the system are exactly what he will have this year.
As for where he will be making an impact? Who knows. He could push for the starting spot at corner, he could push for the start at STAR, or even safety. All we do know is that number 7 will be on the field.
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