Skip to main content
Georgia

On3 ranks Georgia linebackers No. 2 nationally

On3 imageby: Jake Rowe05/09/23JakeMRowe
On3 image
Tony Walsh / UGA Sports Communications

Georgia has established a reputation as “Linebacker University” and On3’s latest position group rankings lend some credence to that notion. Jesse Simonton has the Bulldogs group, which includes the inside linebackers and not the EDGE defenders, No. 2 nationally.

It comes a day after UGA came in No. 1 in the defensive line/edge rankings. That combination would certainly place Georgia No. 1 nationally when it comes to the front seven. Clemson is the only team that ranks ahead in the linebacker category.

Penn State comes in at No. 3 followed by Michigan at No. 4 and LSU rounds out the top five. North Carolina, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Notre Dame, in that order, making up six through 10.

“Much like the defensive line/edge unit, the Bulldogs are loaded at inside linebacker — so much so that veteran Trezman Marshall transferred to star at Alabama this spring. 

“Jamon Dumas-Johnson was an All-American in 2022, while former 5-star recruit Smael Mondon had a strong first season as a full-time starter. 

“During the spring, another former 5-star signee Xavier Sorey became a factor in the rotation after mostly riding the bench the first few seasons in Athens.

“Georgia might also move Jalon Walker, who was a pass rush specialist at JACK as a freshman in 2022, inside and it signed 5-star freshman Raylen Wilson and Top 75 prospect CJ Allen in the 2023 — both of whom were on campus during the spring and elicited all sorts of buzz.”

Some of the depth Glenn Schumann has amassed at that spot might get tested in 2023. Mondon missed the G-Day spring scrimmage with a foot injury that required surgery. There’s a chance he might miss some time early in the season.

One player not mentioned by Simonton is E.J. Lightsey. The sophomore from Fitzgerald, Ga. had a massive spring, one big enough to earn him some first-team run in the spring scrimmage.

Sorey has shown flashes and was a part of the Bulldogs third-down package early last season. He was supplanted by Walker, who will be transitioning back to inside linebacker. Wilson and Allen began making noise almost as soon as they enrolled with Allen really turning heads as he helped the Georgia scout team during its playoff run.

Any one of these guys could be UGA’s next contender for the Butkus Award. Schumann has coached two of those, Roquan Smith and Nakobe Dean, since arriving at Georgia. He also helped Monty Rice become a finalist while both Tae Crowder and Dumas-Johnson were semifinalists.

You may also like