Georgia EDGE Marvin Jones Jr. undergoes surgery, will miss spring drills
One of the top signees from Georgia’s 2022 class will be sidelined for his first spring with the program. Sophomore outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. recently underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum according to persons with knowledge of the situation.
Those same sources tell DawgsHQ that Jones is expected to be ready by the start of preseason camp but he will miss spring drills, which start next month. That information builds upon DawgsHQ’s PLUS report on Jones’ situation earlier on Monday.
The American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) product played in 13 games as a true freshman, tallying four total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack. At 6-foot-5 252 pounds, Jones was ranked No. 20 overall in the 2022 class per the industry-generated, equally-weighted On3 Consensus. Those same rankings had him as the No. 4 EDGE in America and the No. 4 player in Florida.
“A fluid, coordinated pass rusher. Turns tight corners at high speeds and shows the flexibility to dip and bend around the edge. Uses his quick hands to swat and disengage from offensive tackles in pass rush situations. Capable of affecting passing lanes with his instincts and athleticism. Has shown the ability to be a strong pursuit defender when engaged. Comes from a high school program that broke the record for most former players taken in one NFL Draft. Had a stronger junior season than his senior season to date. Can continue to ramp up the physicality on a snap to snap basis. Younger for the class with a summer birthday and went from 215 to 245 pounds between his junior and senior year.” — On3 Scouting
With Jones absent, what now at EDGE?
It’s not exactly the best of developments for the Georgia defense heading into spring drills. Nolan Smith and Robert Beal have exited the program for the NFL Draft. MJ Sherman, who didn’t seem to have a place in UGA’s plans for the position, transferred to Nebraska last month. The Bulldogs are looking to build that position back up and Jones is expected to be a big part of that. Now he will be forced to play catchup when he is cleared.
With that said, there is a silver lining. Georgia inked three EDGE defenders in the 2023 class, all of whom enrolled early. Those three players, Damon Wilson, Gabriel Harris, and Samuel M’Pemba, are also ranked among the top 100 overall prospects in the country. Wilson is UGA’s highest-rated signee from the 2023 class at No. 20 overall.
Chaz Chambliss, who took on a bigger role when Nolan Smith got hurt a season ago, will likely be the No. 1 outside linebacker this spring. The Bulldogs also have Darris Smith, who served on special teams as a freshman, and C.J. Madden, who redshirted in 2022. The Bulldogs could also turn to rising sophomore Jalon Walker, who started the 2022 season at inside linebacker before moving to outside linebacker.
