Pete Fiutak of College Football News recently previewed the Georgia Bulldogs for the upcoming 2020 season and ranked UGA’s top-five defensive players.
Here’s how he ranked them:
1. S Richard LeCounte
LeCounte is one of America’s top ranked safety prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft. Through three seasons, two of which saw him as a full-time starter, LeCounte has racked up 150 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, six pass breakups, five fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. LeCounte has established himself as a playmaker on Georgia’s elite defense. Georgia had the top-ranked scoring defense in the nation last season. LeCounte does lose his partner in crime at the safety position, J.R. Reed, though. He’ll miss Reed, but now he’s ready to run the back-end of UGA’s defense. The former five-star recruit has forced a combined nine turnovers over the last two seasons. LeCounte recorded the second most interceptions in the SEC last season with four. He recovered the most fumbles (three) in the league as well. It’ll be a pleasure to watch his last season between the hedges.
2. LB Monty Rice
At No. 2 is Georgia senior linebacker Monty Rice. Out of Huntsville, Alabama, Rice is set to be a leader on one of the best defenses in America. Last season, Rice was named to the Associated Press All-SEC 2nd Team and was the co-winner of Georgia’s Vince Dooley Defensive MVP award. He played and started in all 14 games, was the team’s leading tackler with 89 total stops and also finished with 14 QB pressures.
3. DL Jordan Davis
Junior defensive tackle Jordan Davis has been outstanding for the Bulldogs in his first two seasons. Out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Davis freshman season saw him named to the FWAA Freshman All-America Team and the Coaches Freshman All-SEC Team. He Played in 11 of 14 games, starting in four, and finished with 25 total stops.
His sophomore season, 2019, her started eight of 14 games and finished the season with 18 total stops.
4. LB Azeez Ojulari
Redshirt sophomore Azeez Ojulari shined last year as a redshirt freshman. In 2019, Ojulari won two awards at the team’s post-season awards gala, the Defensive Most Improved (co-winner) and the Leon Farmer Strength & Conditioning Award.
He played in every game, starting in 13 and finished with 36 total stops, including a team-best 5.5 sacks and a team-high 34 QB pressures. He had 10 QB pressures in the Tennessee game. Ojulari was named one of three team captains for that Tennessee game, becoming the first freshman in the Smart era to earn that honor.
5. DE Malik Herring
Senior defensive lineman Malik Herring returns for one last season as a Georgia Bulldog.
Herring, a former four-star recruit out of Mary Persons High School in Forsyth, Georgia, looks to be a leader on one of college football’s best defenses in 2020.
Seeing as how Georgia rotates so many of its defensive lineman, it’s difficult to notice the individual impact these big guys have in the trenches.
Luckily we have Pro Football Focus (PFF) to analyze each player’s impact and assign him a player grade. According to PFF, Herring is considered the SEC’s top returning defensive lineman and the third-highest graded returning defender overall in the league.
In three years, Herring has appeared in 31 games. Last season, he accounted for 18 quarterback pressures, which was the third most on the team.
