Georgia Football: Is 2019 the year Bulldogs win national title?

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 01: Kirby Smart, head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs talks with Richard LeCounte #2 of the Georgia Bulldogs during the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 01, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

A defense with some big names to replace

Under Kirby Smart, everyone expects the Georgia defense to be nothing short of elite. He’s one of the best defensive minds in the game, and he takes pride in taking away the other team’s best skill. However, this will be a tough year for the Bulldogs on defense.

Georgia lost plenty of top players on defense last year. The best was clearly Deandre Baker at corner. Corner is a key position in Smart’s defensive scheme, and it takes a lockdown player to keep up with the passing offenses in the SEC.

Another top player was D’Andre Walker. The Bulldogs are going to need a new pass rusher to get the sacks in 2019. No one had more than two sacks except Walker. Without him affecting the pocket, top quarterbacks will have plenty of time to get the ball out. You have to either top the passing game from the pocket or the route, and both of those plans will be weaker without these top players.

Of course, Georgia does recruit well, so there are always players in the pipeline.

One new player to keep an eye on is Nolan Smith at linebacker. He was a hot commodity in the recruiting process, and the Bulldogs were ecstatic to land him in their class. He will likely play a big role early in the year.

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