ATHENS, Ga. - John Atkins misses the old guys, but he loves the new guys.
As soon as Georgia's 24-17 victory over Penn State in January's TaxSlayer Bowl was complete, Atkins became the veteran of the defensive front. Moving on were Sterling Bailey, Josh Dawson, James DeLoach and Chris Mayes, leaving the 6-foot-4, 315-pounder from Thomson, Ga., heading the team's youngest position group.
"It has been very different this year, because I was used to being the youngest guy in the room," a smiling Atkins said. "Now, being the oldest - I just didn't think I would ever be the oldest guy in the room."
Atkins, a redshirt junior, has played in all 10 games this season for the 6-4 Bulldogs and has started six of the last seven. He has compiled 16 tackles, including one for a loss, and has batted down two passes at the line of scrimmage.
His value to the team, however, may be better judged by the fact Georgia's defensive front has become quite formidable entering Saturday's game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
"John is the veteran and the leader of that group," first-year Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. "He's a tough kid, and his role has increased tremendously because of the loss of those body types. He's the one guy who I say can play block protection and can strike blockers. We've used him a lot this year.
"You would like to have a rotation, but he's kind of the better guy at stopping the run. He's improved his stamina. Certainly he's a valuable asset for us, and he's the unsung hero of that group because he doesn't get a lot of stats."
Sophomore defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, the top-rated prospect nationally in the 2015 signing class, is the star of Georgia's front with 39 tackles and six tackles for loss. Sophomore defensive tackle DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle has been effective when healthy, and sophomore end Jonathan Ledbetter is making up for lost time following a six-game suspension, racking up 19 tackles and two lost-yardage stops in the last four games.
Then there are the freshmen. Tyler Clark, David Marshall and Julian Rochester were all tabbed four-star prospects by at least one recruiting service this past winter and have made their presence felt, with all three making lost-yardage stops in the 27-24 win at Kentucky earlier this month.
"They came in here with their ears pinned back and ready to go," Atkins said. "They've been getting better every week and have grown up a lot."
Georgia's defensive front has led the charge in stopping the run, with the Bulldogs allowing just 119.1 rushing yards per game. Auburn rushed for 127 yards last Saturday and didn't have the services of top tailback Kamryn Pettway, but the Tigers entered averaging 299.8 per contest.
Last year's Bulldogs allowed 149.5 rushing yards per game and did conclude their regular season against the triple-option tandem of Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech, but this year's defensive front is more than holding its own, with the play and leadership of Atkins factoring into that.
"He's handled this year well," junior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter said. "He's doing a great job of leading the young guys, and he gives them a great role model to look up to."
Said Atkins: "I'm the oldest guy here now, so I can't have a bad practice. I try to tell the younger guys that everything will come into place if you just keep working."
Odds and ends
Smart confirmed after Tuesday's practice that the Bulldogs would wear black jerseys Saturday for the first time since a 2008 loss to Alabama, when Smart was in his first season as the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator.... Sophomore receiver Michael Chigbu may need fluid drained from his knee, according to Smart, so he is questionable for Saturday.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.