ATHENS — You’ve got to give it to Devonte Wyatt. When it comes to his reasons for returning to Georgia for his second senior season, he isn’t wishy-washy about it.
“When we came back, really, we all just felt like we could do something together this year,” said Wyatt, referring to himself, nose guard Jordan Davis and defensive tackle Julian Rochester making that joint decision to remain at UGA. “Like, make history, go to the (College Football Playoff), win a national (championship). So, we decided to come back together and win it together.”
No tiptoeing around the end goal there.
Truthfully, it is Georgia’s defensive line that really sets it apart this year. That was on display Saturday during G-Day. It will be front and center when the Bulldogs enter into the 2021 season.
Wyatt recorded two tackles in the intrasquad game. Nothing eye-popping about that until you realize that both of them were sacks and both came against Georgia’s No. 1 offensive line. Then consider that his play was limited almost exclusively to the first half.
That was same for his cohorts Davis, Jalen Carter and Travon Walker.
“Defensively, I did think Jalen Carter and Devonte Wyatt were disruptive inside with some inside stunts that helped us,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart observed. “Got quick pressure a couple of times. But for every positive, there’s a flip side of that. We’ve got to protect better.”
Fortunately, blocking those guys will be Clemson’s problem in a few months. All spring, they’ve been the Georgia offense’s problem.
Just ask quarterback JT Daniels, who was sacked three times in the first half alone Saturday.
“That’s one thing you have to mention every time you talk about Georgia football, that defense gives you everything you can handle every down,” Daniels said afterward. “It starts with that front seven. It’s absolutely elite.”
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Davis, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound nose guard, gets the lion’s share of the attention on Georgia’s D-line. And for good reason. Because of his size and quickness, he’s an unavoidable blocker-gobbler who requires constant double-teaming in the center of the defense.
In turn, that frees up the Bulldogs’ other defensive linemen for one-on-one matchups while also giving the inside linebackers room to roam.
Wyatt has quietly feasted in that scenario. He led all the down linemen last season with 25 tackles, two sacks and 13 quarterback hurries.
None of this comes as a surprise for those who have followed Wyatt’s career since he committed to Georgia while at Decatur’s Towers High School. His track coach once entered him into a 100-meter sprint race just for the fun of it at a non-region meet. Wearing standard cross-fit tennis shoes, Wyatt won against a field of lithesome sprinters in spikes.
Wyatt was also a load on a basketball court, could dunk and do a standing back flip. The knock on him upon arrival at UGA was he was raw, lacking good fundamental technique and a strong understanding of defensive concepts.
Four years later, that’s not the case anymore.
Already a physical mismatch for most offensive lines, Wyatt and Georgia’s entire D-line group vow to take their craft to another level.
“We’re all working together, making sure we’re on the same page, running to the ball, wrapping up, really finishing,” Wyatt said. “We’re just trying to make each other better every day.”
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