Blueprints for Success: Jalen Carter

The best overall athlete on Georgia’s defensive line is looking to make a bigger impact in 2021.

Jalen Carter was a five-star defensive lineman out of Apopka, Fla., in the 2020 recruiting class. Expectations were high for the football and basketball standout; the latter made a name for himself throwing down dunks looking like Zion Williamson.

As a true freshman, Carter was one of the most dominant players on the field in 2020. At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, he brings the typical frame of an SEC interior lineman. In Year 1, Carter was asked to fill in for an injured Jordan Davis, who missed two games due to an elbow injury suffered against Kentucky. Carter’s athleticism was on display, whether as a pass-catcher on the goal line or filling up gaps and stopping the run.

Stepping into the shoes of starting nose guard Jordan Davis is never easy after Davis created a disruptive career in the run game, and his continued presence is felt as a pass rusher, taking on double teams allowing his teammates to get more one-on- one opportunities.

Carter still has some work to do in the pass-rushing department; finding more ways to get to the quarterback will set him apart from the rest of the defensive linemen in the country. Particularly, Carter still has some work to do when converting from run to pass; Carter was slow to disengage off his block and find the football. Nevertheless, despite the rawness that the true freshman showed in 2020, a source told SI Dawgs Daily that “he’s a first-round pick, without a doubt. It’s a matter of how high.” Obviously, that is a huge projection for the sophomore lineman whose career is just getting started between the hedges.

Tape Study from Dawgs Daily's Brooks Austin

Carter is positionally limitless as Georgia used him as a 3-technique, shade technique, a 0-tech (nose), and even a 4I technique at times. Carter will see time as a defensive tackle playing as a 3-technique when next to Jordan Davis while playing as a 0-technique when filling in for Davis. The potential pairing of Davis and Carter could be dominant on early downs in the run game as those two know how to shut down a running game, while Devonte Wyatt will see the majority of the snaps on passing downs. Wyatt is a high-energy lineman who does the little things that go unnoticed up front for Georgia, much like Carter did as a freshman.

With both Davis and Wyatt returning to Athens for one more season before pursuing a career in the NFL, it means the number of potential snaps for Carter is decreased. But following the spring, it has been hinted at by some of his teammates that we could see more of Carter as a defensive end. Offensive lineman Justin Shaffer said, “He has the ability to play everywhere on the D-line because he’s so athletic and strong.” Shaffer added that Carter’s first step gives him great ability to get off the ball faster than his opponent. This first step is second to none as it creates chaos in the backfield and often leads to plays being blown up. 

The blueprint for success for the sophomore is being versatile in his positioning along the defensive line. Versatility has been something that has even seen the rise of fellow teammate Travon Walker. Carter can take advantage of an extra year of learning and development behind Davis and Wyatt by playing multiple roles for the Dawgs' front seven in 2021 before transitioning into a mainstay on the defensive line. 

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