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Roquan Smith has moved on to the NFL, leaving a huge void that Georgia must fill on its defense.

So how will the Bulldogs replace last season’s top defender?

“Obviously (Roquan) is a great player, but it’s next man up,” defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. “So we’ll rally and we’ll develop the guys that we have and we’ll see what the identity of this defense is this year.”

Smith, the No. 8 overall pick in April's NFL draft, had 137 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2017 and won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. Among the replacements for Smith include Natrez Patrick, Juwan Taylor, Monty Rice and Tae Crowder.

» BradleyCutting to the chase - Can Georgia go 12-0? (I vote yea)

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Georgia State dropped to 1-10 on the season with its eighth straight loss, falling 31-19 to Troy on Saturday.

Credit: Stan Awtrey

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Tracy Woodard from InTown Cares (left) and Lauren Hopper from Mercy Care organization work with residents at the Copperton Street encampment in August 2024. 
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