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Georgia has the two most electric defensive linemen since Jalen.
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Your daily podcast on the Georgia Bulldogs.
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Your team every day.
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What is up everybody?
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Welcome back to the Locked On Bulldogs Podcast.
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Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.
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Your team every day.
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So excited to have you back on a Monday.
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I'm so brought to you by our friends over at Mazda.
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Move and be moved more on Mazda in a moment.
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We got plenty to discuss.
2:31
There's plenty of topics surrounding at the Georgia football team that we'll get into.
2:36
Some offseason recruiting.
2:38
We're going to be going through looking at some different position groups and how we
2:41
feel like they stack up.
2:43
We're going to be talking about impact players.
2:45
There's plenty that we're going to get to between now and spring practice.
2:48
Also, the basketball team is coming up onto SEC tournament play beginning on Thursday
2:59
because your dogs get a buy in Nashville.
3:03
So that begins on Thursday.
3:05
We'll talk about basketball in the third segment.
3:10
So if you're a basketball fan that makes sure you stay till then.
3:13
But we're going to dive in to the defensive line today, the defensive front.
3:19
We've spent the last couple of time episodes talking about position groups that we feel
3:25
are maybe lacking in terms of the overall roster construction.
3:30
On the offensive side, we talked about the wide receiver room.
3:33
There's just not a lot of proven talent.
3:35
There's no Zachariah branch, at least that it appears from that outside perspective.
3:43
Maybe somebody elevates their play, maybe somebody rises to that occasion.
3:47
Maybe you see one of the young guys step up and become that.
3:50
But as of right now, there's really no proven weapons.
3:54
London Humphreys is by far the most experienced wide receiver that has the most production
4:01
And that's not saying a lot because he's not then an overly productive wide receiver.
4:07
Georgia loses Colby Young, Georgia loses Zachariah branch, et cetera, Dylan Bell, et cetera.
4:12
On the defensive side of the ball, we sent us to corners who, again, there's talented
4:18
players, especially at the top, Ellis Robinson, Demela Jones.
4:22
But once you get beyond them, some of the guys that looked like they were going to be
4:28
contributors this year left in the transfer portal.
4:31
And you have one incoming transfer from Oklahoma that I said I'm not particularly excited
4:37
about, but maybe he'll prove me wrong.
4:39
And then you have a bunch of young guys.
4:41
And so who is it that's going to step up and provide that depth and stability at the
4:47
Those are two position groups that we're a little concerned by.
4:50
The defensive line though, I thought it was time for a little bit of a lighter episode,
4:55
a little bit of a pick me up because oh, by the way, George is going to be good again
5:01
George is going to have a really good football team.
5:02
And sometimes if we're not too careful, we can spend a lot of time talking about position
5:06
groups that we're nervous about.
5:09
That's what the office is kind of all about.
5:11
But the defensive line is a position group that honestly I could not be more excited about.
5:20
And so let me start here.
5:22
Let's start with the known commodities that are returning for Georgia on this defensive
5:31
And it begins with Elijah Griffin, the absolute stud freshman had a more productive
5:38
freshman season than Jalen Carter did when he was a freshman in Athens, more disruptive
5:44
in the trenches than Jalen Carter.
5:48
And so that's at least a good starting point if you're looking.
5:54
Elijah Griffin is the whole package.
5:57
He can rush the passer.
5:59
He eats up space in the middle.
6:00
He takes out multiple blockers.
6:01
He's a guy that defenses have to plan around on the interior of the defensive line, which
6:05
is the single hardest place to plan around somebody, right?
6:11
If you have an edge defender, you put a tight end over there, you put a running back over
6:14
there, you're chipping, you're helping.
6:17
When you get a guy in the interior, this is what made, there's what made Jalen Carter
6:23
It's what even helped join Davis to become the household name of the dominant player
6:28
When you get a guy on the interior that's impossible to block, that guy, you can't help.
6:34
There's no help your guards in your centers.
6:37
They're just screwed in there.
6:38
They're going to get steamrolled.
6:40
Elijah Griffin is that dude.
6:43
And he returns to what I think will be anchor this Georgia defensive front.
6:49
But he is by no means alone.
6:51
And I would say next to him, Joseph Jonah, Jonah is those two guys are as talented of players
6:59
as we've had in Athens on the defensive line since Elijah Griffin.
7:04
I know Christian Miller was a great player and a damn good dog and wish him well at the
7:11
But Christian Miller was not as talented.
7:14
He did not have the raw athleticism and talent that Joseph Jonah, Jonah, and Elijah
7:22
I really expect a big year from Jonah, Jonah this year.
7:26
I really think this is the year where he leaps forward.
7:30
He'll be a red shirt sophomore, his third year in the program.
7:34
This is the year that I expect him to be again, he's going to get a lot more run this
7:39
He's going to be have more consistent time.
7:41
And I expect the reps and the continued development from Trace Scott, which you know he's
7:47
getting because Trace Scott is the goat.
7:52
I expect a big year from Joseph, Jonah, Jonah.
7:56
And if those were the two guys returning for Georgia and now we get it's where we get
8:01
into a little questionable scenario here because I'm going to go with veterans instead of
8:06
returning players because then you transition pretty seamlessly to Amarice Williams.
8:13
Another former five star player, this guy coming off the edge and he's an SEC veteran.
8:20
This is a guy that has logged plenty of snaps and has shown plenty of production albeit
8:25
at Auburn, not at Georgia.
8:28
Now you have these three guys who are all five stars, who are all overly talented, who
8:33
all have SEC experience under their belt at least one season and who have all shown
8:40
glimpses of crazy productivity.
8:44
We're talking about lining those three guys up on a down in and down out basis against
8:52
opposing defenses like it is an overwhelming amount of talent that Georgia is able to
9:01
field just in those three spots.
9:04
And then you solidify that talent with guys like Xavier McLeod, who although just a red
9:11
shirt junior this year feels like and a transfer, again, remember early in his career, Xavier
9:16
McLeod started at South Carolina, transferred over to Georgia, but feels like now he's been
9:21
here forever, he's a veteran, he's been in this trace got system, he knows what's going
9:25
on, you slide him in there, you slide a guy like Josh Horton, who I thought got valuable
9:31
playing time and experience last year as well, you slide him in there and oh by the way,
9:40
Jordan Hall is back, riddled with injuries throughout his career.
9:44
At this point, I had big hopes for Jordan Hall last off season.
9:48
And I think you started to see that play out before yet another injury.
9:51
I don't know what we're going to get from Jordan Hall this year.
9:54
I don't know if he will be able to come back, if he does come back to what level he will
10:00
be able to regain his form.
10:04
I don't think it's fair to put on him the expectations that once were, because of
10:09
all the injuries that have plagued him throughout his career, which is just again, you hate
10:14
to see that for any kid, for any teen, but Jordan Hall has gone through it, but he's
10:19
coming back and when he's healthy, when he's in there, he offers a stability and an anchor
10:25
on the interior of that defensive line that is second to none.
10:31
You look at those, what did I just list, five, six guys, all of whom are returning, all
10:38
of whom have shown themselves to be productive in the SEC, and many of whom are as talented
10:45
a defensive players as you're going to find in the country.
10:47
I'm just here to tell you, Jaylen Carter got drafted what eighth overall, eleventh overall,
10:54
I don't pay attention.
10:58
Because some questions about his character.
11:01
Jaylen Carter was the best defensive player in college football.
11:07
And Jaylen Carter is currently the best defensive player from that draft class in the NFL.
11:15
And I know that Elijah Griffin is that he's going to be the best defensive player in college
11:21
Maybe not next year, maybe the year after, because oh, by the way, he's only a true
11:25
sophomore this year.
11:26
But you look at the level of talent between those five guys, six guys, and that's just
11:36
the experienced returners.
11:39
Amarice Williams, as again, we talked to Jay Crane on here a week ago, as as effective
11:48
and gifted of a pass rusher as you're going to find in the entire SEC.
11:54
So you put him in Kirby's punch system.
11:56
You get him involved with Trace Scott and the development there.
12:03
The necessary fire under him and the sky really is the limit for this Georgia pass rush
12:10
for this Georgia defensive front.
12:12
I expect dominant things, but that's only the returners.
12:17
We still haven't gotten to some of the very exciting new names, new faces that we could
12:26
see in the rotation along the defensive front for the University of Georgia.
12:32
And we will talk about those when we come back right after these.
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All right, so we mentioned that if you just had the returners, you would be in a wealth
15:26
of riches Elijah Griffin, Joseph Jonah, a junior Xavier MacLeod, Josh Horton, Jordan
15:31
Hall, Jordan Hall coming back this off season was monumental for Georgia.
15:36
But those were the only guys that you had.
15:39
That would be great.
15:40
But then you go out in the transfer portal and you get the number one pass rusher edge
15:45
rusher in the portal in Amarice Williams from Auburn you take him right away from one
15:50
of your biggest rivals.
15:51
He was dominant against Georgia last year guys like Monroe Freeling who by the way is going
15:57
to be a top 15 pick in the NFL draft.
16:02
He couldn't block Amarice Williams in this game really struggled to contain him on the
16:08
So you go get him in the portal.
16:09
That's a newcomer, although an SEC veteran, we talked about him in the last segment.
16:13
That's a newcomer, a guy that's going to make this defensive front even better.
16:19
You lose Jordan Thomas in the transfer portal.
16:22
You lose Kristen Miller to the draft now Kristen Miller to the draft hurts.
16:25
But even if it was just the guys that I had talked about you talk about another year in
16:29
the program for Xavier MacLeod.
16:32
You talk about another year in the program for Josh Horton.
16:35
You talk about another year of experience for a guy like Joseph Jonah, Joni and Elijah
16:39
Griffin, Jordan Hall returning that alone offsets Kristen Miller leaving plus some.
16:49
But then you bring in a guy like Amarice Williams guys.
16:54
This defensive front for Georgia is going to be categorically leaps and bounds better
17:00
this year than it was last year, full stop, end of discussion.
17:06
And I haven't even gotten to some of the new faces that I think we're going to see.
17:12
Let's talk about Isaiah Gibson, former five star, kind of way to this turn.
17:17
We did see him get into the rotation occasionally.
17:22
But you talk about pairing him on the edge behind a guy like Joseph Jonah, Joni.
17:28
So you're spelling a five star elite pass rusher with another five star elite pass rusher
17:35
right behind him in Isaiah Gibson.
17:38
Let's talk about non day oboko because he got and very limited playing time last year.
17:45
He flashed and showed me a lot of things that I think give you a reason to be very excited
17:51
about him going into his red shirt sophomore season.
17:55
And then I remember I talked to coach Hayes like way back in August before the beginning
18:04
And he told me that one of the true freshmen he was watching out for was JJ Haney.
18:10
Now we didn't see a ton out of JJ Haney last year.
18:12
But coach, I have not forgotten what you said.
18:16
And I really think big body interior defensive lineman, a guy like JJ Haney has a chance
18:26
to step in this year and really solidify his place on this defensive front.
18:35
And so I mean you talk about Isaiah Gibson, JJ Haney, non day oboku, the newcomers and
18:43
I haven't even gotten to guys like bald and sewn who might be the best defensive lineman
18:52
in last year's recruiting class.
18:55
We haven't even gotten to some of the true freshmen who just just hang on just Kirby smart
19:02
have a problem playing true freshmen on the defensive front if they're good enough
19:08
Ask, ask Jalen Carter, is that an issue?
19:15
And so you might see some of these true freshmen, but the depth and the talent on the defensive
19:21
line is second to nobody in this country.
19:24
Georgia, I would say right now is in as good of a spot on the defensive line as they have
19:33
been in since 2021, better than 2022, do you hear what I'm saying?
19:42
As good of a spot as we have been in since 2021, better than 2022 in 2021, by the way,
19:50
Georgia lined up four across the front, all first round draft picks.
19:57
Now Jalen Carter didn't get drafted until a year later because he wasn't eligible.
20:02
But in 2021, all first round draft picks.
20:07
And I'm telling you that Georgia isn't as good of a spot as they've been since then.
20:13
That should tell you what I think about this Georgia defensive front.
20:18
Okay, we're going to come back.
20:20
I've got some things I want to discuss with you.
20:22
I'm just going to I'm not even going to bury the lead.
20:25
They are basketball related and you should care a great deal about what I'm going to
20:32
say unless you love the national media and you're also an idiot.
20:39
But I guess we'll find out I'll be right back.
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But first, let's talk about Mazda Mazda's moving the game forward moment for those who
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know that there's more that there's more to the score than what's on the screen.
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Just like Elijah Griffin is going to move the game forward for this Georgia defensive line.
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Get Georgia back to being the premier spot and destination for defensive lineman all
21:09
across the country.
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He reminds us what it takes to really raise the bar.
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It's that extra work off the field, dialing in every detail, getting that extra fire and
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grit and I never quit.
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Mazda puts the same passion and energy into every model highlights make the real what
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it took to get there makes it count.
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There's more to a Mazda because there's more to you.
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Oh, the Georgia basketball team friends when clicks not here just by the way, it takes
21:44
everything in me not to record full episodes of the Georgia basketball team.
21:47
So if you're not a fan of basketball content or you're not as much of a fan of basketball
21:53
content, just know it could have been a lot worse.
21:57
There could have been a lot more of it.
22:00
Let's talk about Georgia gets to win over Mississippi state.
22:08
Georgia gives up 40 points and to a single player and still cruises to victory scores over
22:17
a hundred in a win on the road in the SEC and that brings them for the regular season
22:23
as we close out the regular season that brings them to 22 and nine with a 10 and eight record
22:31
in conference play 10 and eight in the SEC that that's good enough ladies and gentlemen
22:37
for the seven seed in a 16 team tournament in Nashville.
22:45
Georgia is currently sitting at the seven seed.
22:50
So top half of the league is what we like to call that top half Georgia will play the
22:58
winner of Texas and Ole Miss in who play on Wednesday night and then if they're able
23:07
to win that game, they will play Alabama again, the number two seed in the quarter finals
23:14
of the SEC tournament, a team that Georgia just beat a few days ago, but we'll talk about
23:19
the SEC tournament and all of that in a minute.
23:22
I want to land here just in a reflective mindset.
23:27
Now I'm not going to go after everyone who begged Mike White to be fired.
23:33
By the way, you are the problem.
23:35
If you were begging for Mike White's job to be taken from him, you are the problem.
23:43
I'm not going to go after those people right now who I am going to go after is the
23:49
people that work for CBS.
23:54
The preseason SEC basketball pole.
24:02
So SEC basketball in the preseason, everybody's putting out their lists, everybody's putting
24:08
out their poles and I'm just going to take CBS as an example of it.
24:13
CBS has Georgia as the 14th best team in the SEC, 14 out of 16.
24:22
Georgia finishes the SEC seven spots higher than that.
24:27
Again, there are people who would like this man to be fired.
24:31
They thought like seven spots higher than where they were projected to finish and I just
24:39
want to give a special shout out to Isaac Trotter of CBS, who I don't know for some reason
24:46
was asked his opinion about SEC basketball and he found it.
24:51
He looked deep within himself and he decided that Georgia was the 16th best team, the dead
24:58
last worst team in the SEC.
25:01
That worst team in the SEC preseason projection just went 10 and 8 in conference play.
25:08
Just went 22 and 9 overall is a seventh seed in the SEC tournament in Nashville this week.
25:17
Mike White continues to exceed expectations with this roster.
25:22
Georgia lost their best player last year to the lottery of the NBA draft.
25:30
Let me just go over some recent history of when Georgia loses a lottery pick to the NBA
25:40
What happened to Georgia the next year after Anthony Edwards left?
25:44
Now they weren't great with Anthony Edwards.
25:46
They didn't even make the tournament with Anthony Edwards.
25:49
What happened the next year?
25:50
They fell off a cliff under Tom Kring lost everybody.
25:58
Prior to that, Contavius called well Pope.
26:01
We lose him to the lottery.
26:04
Great player for Georgia.
26:05
What happened the next year?
26:07
Georgia falls off significantly without him.
26:10
Georgia loses their best player to the NBA lottery, Aeson Newell, but not just that.
26:16
They lose their second best player to transfer to Yukon and they get not a little bit.
26:26
They get markedly better across the board.
26:31
They lose Aeson Newell.
26:32
The front court is better this year than it was last year, period.
26:39
They lose Silas Demory.
26:42
The back court is leaps and bounds better this year than it was last year.
26:51
What are we supposed to attribute that to?
26:56
That's incredible work in the portal, bringing in guys like Wilkinson, bringing in guys like
27:04
Cannon Ketchings, bringing in guys like Smurf Millender, like think about the work that
27:10
Mike White did in the portal.
27:14
I'm not talking about projections.
27:17
I'm not talking about what they were like ranking star rankings.
27:22
Tell me which team in the SEC had a better portal hall than Mike White in the University
27:33
Tell me who brought in more productive players than Jeremiah Wilkinson, Smurf Millender, Jordan
27:40
Ross, Cannon Ketchings.
27:44
Tell me who did better in the portal.
27:48
Across the country, across the SEC.
27:53
You attribute it to the offseason work in the portal and you attribute it to coaching.
27:57
Mike White completely changed the philosophy of this team preseason to match the skill set
28:04
of his personnel and Georgia was often running.
28:09
They're one of the most elite scoring teams in all of college basketball.
28:13
One of the best scoring Georgia basketball teams in history, if not the best scoring
28:19
team in the history of Georgia basketball.
28:24
That's all he's done.
28:29
That was consensus across the board.
28:31
You couldn't find a publication that was going to rank Georgia higher than preseason 14th.
28:36
You couldn't find a publication that was going to give Georgia a shot at the NCAA tournament.
28:42
Joe Lenardi would not have put Georgia on the next, next, next, next, next four out to
28:49
begin the season, not even under consideration.
28:54
And now you got Georgia locked into an NCAA tournament spot, a chance if they make it run
28:59
in Nashville to get all the way up to a seven seed in the NCAA tournament.
29:03
We'll talk about that later.
29:06
You've got a team that finished seventh in the SEC.
29:09
You've got a team that won 22 games in the regular season, lost single digit games in
29:14
the regular season.
29:17
And all of it because of Mike White.
29:20
Is Mike White the best coach in college basketball?
29:23
Is he as good a coach as Todd Golden at Florida?
29:29
Why it was Todd Golden?
29:32
Why was Florida able to get Todd Golden as because Georgia didn't offer him and they
29:35
could have had him?
29:38
You're able to get these coaches when you are, when you elevate yourself as a program.
29:44
Mike White right now is elevating Georgia as a program.
29:49
We are better now than we ever have been.
29:52
We are better now than we have been at least since the 80s, but probably, but possibly
30:02
Georgia is elevated as a program.
30:04
Georgia is not an overlooked destination for people in the portal.
30:10
Georgia has done more with less than any program in the SEC 14th preseason, seventh in actuality.
30:19
And this Georgia basketball team has still got more days in front of it.
30:23
Listen, come back for the rest of the week.
30:25
We're going to be talking about the football team on position groups when we talk about
30:29
players that we expect to perform players that we expect to let us down.
30:33
We'll be covering all of that and we'll be following along with the SEC tournament, talking
30:39
If you're a Mike White fan, if you're a basketball, if you're a college basketball fan,
30:41
if you're a Georgia basketball fan, make sure that you're tuned in for all of that.
30:45
Clint will be back in a few days, but until then, I'll see you guys next time.
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Get in the game with the college branded Venmo debit card, record team with every tap and
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earn up to 5% cash back with Venmo stash, a new rewards program from Venmo.
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No monthly fee, no minimum balance, just school pride and spending power.
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Get in the game and sign up for the Venmo debit card at Venmo.com slash college card.
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The Venmo master card is issued by the bank court bank NA, select schools available, Venmo
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stash terms and exclusions apply at Venmo.me slash stash terms, max $100 cash back
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When you want spring break to feel like, and a moment away from the kids to feel like,
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and your reward status to feel like, and now that nightcap in the lounge can feel like,
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it matters where you stay.
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With Hilton honors, earn the most valuable gold status faster, and unlock benefits at
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over 9,000 locations worldwide.
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Hilton, for this day.