Texas Longhorns vs. Georgia Week 7 Preview: Bulldogs Defensive Players to Watch

The Georgia Bulldogs return three crucial players on defense that will look to give the Texas Longhorns offense trouble in every aspect.

Sep 28, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) reaches for a pass against Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Malaki Starks (24) during the third quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

What makes the Georgia Bulldogs such a complete team is their ability to execute on both sides of the ball, but their defense might just be the better half.

ESPN reporter Adam Rittenberg ranked Georgia's 2023 and 2024 defense No. 1 in college football during the preseason, adding that even though the Bulldogs saw multiple departures to the NFL Draft after last season, they've been able to grow and replenish with an arguably more impressive lineup.

During the 2023 season, Georgia outscored their opponents with a combined 562-219 in total scoring, finishing out the year by holding then-No. 6 ranked Florida State to only three points in the Orange Bowl.

This year, the Bulldogs have slowly began to slip up, allowing 17 points per game and 103 points total so far. However, there is still plenty of football to be played, and Texas has caught Georgia in the midst of a trying time, which can only mean that it will look to bring its best game of the season to Austin.

Regardless, the program returned six starters on defense, including its three top performers, and has acquired the nation's No. 1 recruiting class, making for an extremely tough hurdle to overcome for the Longhorns. Here are three players who look to keep Texas' scoring at an all-time low.

1. DB Malaki Starks

Decorated with honors throughout his 2023 season, Starks was a huge win for the Bulldogs in terms of returning players, coming back for his third year with Georgia as a defensive back. Starks was a consensus First Team All-American athlete and was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski and Jim Thorpe Award, to name a few of his selections. Starks finished his sophomore year with 52 tackles, including 31 solo, and led the team in interceptions with three for a combined 47 return yards.

Now he returns as the Bulldogs lead tackler, having 21 solo and 11 assisted for a total of 32 tackles in all six games he's started in. Starks kicked off his junior campaign with a diving interception and a quarterback hurry versus Clemson in the season opener, and was named the Jim Thorpe Award National DB of the Week.

He also made major strides for his team in their hard-fought battle against Alabama in week four, recording two tackles for loss, eliminating 10 yards from the Crimson Tide offense, and eight total tackles.

2. DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

If anyone has to be named for being one of the most impactful defensive players for Georgia this year, it's the six-foot-five-inch redshirt junior that is Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.

After only having eight appearances last season, garnering eight total tackles and one sack, Ingram-Dawkins has come around with full force for the Bulldogs in his fourth year with the program. He's already seen game time in all six matchups and has accumulated 12 total tackles, eight of them being for a loss of 28 yards, and three sacks for a loss of 18 yards.

3. DB Dan Jackson

Hanging onto his sixth year with the Bulldogs, his fourth seeing the field, Jackson has emerged as a consistently dominant presence for the Georgia secondary.

Jackson has already gathered more total tackles within his first six games of this season than he did in the 11 he played in 2023. He has registered 25 solo tackles out of a total of 31, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Against Alabama, Jackson made 10 tackles, a season best, and caught an interception.

Although his statistics may not reach double digits yet, Jackson has recovered one fumble alongside two pass break ups and one blocked kick, serving as a player who has made multiple efforts to disrupt the rhythm of his opponents.