So, Barrett Sallee asks what he considers to be the most pressing questions for each team this spring. Some are pretty obvious, like what Auburn, TAMU and LSU are going to do at the quarterback position. There’s also how does Tennessee shore up its defensive backfield, which looks like a pretty gaping hole for now. There’s also amusing — did you know Alabama has to replace Metchie and Williams?
Then, there’s Georgia.
Georgia
How deep can the defensive line be this season? The Bulldogs defense was historically dominant last season, but multiple key players from the national champs are gone — particularly along the defensive line. Jalen Carter, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound monster, should be the talk of the town after showing flashes of stardom last season alongside departed monster Jordan Davis. Carter has the skillset to be a top-tier NFL draft pick in 2023 and needs to step up in the middle of the defensive line. Devonte Wyatt, a 315-pound monster as well, is also off to the NFL after seven tackles for loss a year ago, which will put even more pressure on coach Kirby Smart to build the depth that championship-caliber teams need to win at an elite level.
Co-defensive coordinators Will Muschamp and Glenn Schumann have replaced Dan Lanning, who took the head coaching gig at Oregon in the offseason. Their first order of business will be developing talent up front.
Will the d-line be less experienced this season? Sure. Will it be less talented? If Carter’s better than last season’s starters — and that’s something many observers believe — that’s a much closer question. And Sallee seems to acknowledge that in the way he asks the question. If he’s wondering about depth, I’d say that’s a first world problem for a program that’s been recruiting the position at a lights-out level. I’d also say that he forgot to mention the lights-out job Tray Scott has done as the position coach there.