Defensive Players Looking to Take the Next Step This Spring

Who are the defensive players looking to take the next step in spring practice?

Georgia, like the rest of college football, has seen a tremendous amount of roster turnover in just the last two months. Whether it was via the NFL Draft or the Transfer Portal, Georgia saw a quarter of their scholarship players from the 2021 National Title winning roster depart. 

Needless to say, there's some replacing to do. 

Key players from last season's star-studded defense will need replacing, none being bigger than Butkus Award-winning linebacker Nakobe Dean and the winner of the Outland Trophy, Jordan Davis. Both Dean and Davis are among what could be four total Bulldogs who could become first-round picks come this April. 

The attrition suffered this season is not something unique to Georgia historically; most championship teams, Alabama specifically, go through this every season; look no further than a year ago when the Tide saw eight players go in the top 50 picks of the NFL Draft last April. 

That high roster turnover did not stop them from getting back to the national championship game this past January. Spring practice played a big part in that preparation for the 2021 season, as it did for Georgia. This season will be no different as Georgia will feature multiple players looking to take the next step. 

Jamon Dumas-Johnson

Replacing Nakobe Dean will not be easy for any of the inside linebackers on Georgia's roster. That being said, many are already looking forward to seeing sophomore linebacker Jamon Dumas Johnson take the reins of Georgia's linebacking core in 2022. 

After spending the 2021 season playing behind the likes of three veteran linebackers, Dumas-Johnson still showed out when given the opportunity late in games when Georgia boasted a big lead over its opponent. At 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, he is another "Standard-sized" linebacker on Georgia's roster, but everything else about him screams a star in the making. 

Dumas-Johnson's nose for the football translated from his high school tape straight to the collegiate level as he recorded 21 tackles, three sacks, and one interception in his true freshman season. 

Kamari Lassiter 

You should already notice a trend that is developing so far; the first two names on this are sophomores, coming off freshmen campaigns where they contributed in reserve roles, despite that our Brooks Austin came away impressed with cornerback Kamari Lassiter after turning on his tape from this past season. 

"In his freshman season, Lassiter played in all 15 games and did he ever flash on tape. Most will remember his diving interception in Nashville against Vanderbilt, though it was more than that. On tape, Lassiter combines an explosive nature about himself paired with an elite sense of awareness for the football. The instinctual nature of a cornerback like Derion Kendrick, on a physical profile that projects as a first-round caliber athlete, Lassiter has the pedigree and freshman tape to be a breakout star for Georgia in 2022."

- Brooks Austin

Zion Logue 

After playing in all 15 games for Georgia as a rotational piece at defensive tackle, Zion Logue looks primed to take over as a mainstay in the rotation at defensive tackle. Coming off the losses of DeVonte Wyatt and Jordan Davis, Logue could be one of the potential replacements for Wyatt at defensive tackle as he would be playing alongside Jalen Carter. 

Brooks Austin had this to say about Zion Logue: 

"Logue is next up. When you watch that 2021 defense, it's impossible to take your eyes off the front seven, particularly that interior defensive line. From B gap to B gap, they were far and away the best defense Collge Football had to offer. If they are going to manage to meet expectations in 2022, they'll need Logue to take the step he's physically capable of making. He flashed in spurts a year ago, now it's his time to get the bulk of the reps. 

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