DEFENSIVE LINE
Trenton Thompson had quite the harrowing offseason, undergoing shoulder surgery and then dropping out of school for the spring semester after having a reaction to medication, but he is back and having a solid month, coach Kirby Smart said. The nation’s top overall prospect in the 2015 signing class racked up 56 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss last season as a sophomore, including three sacks in the 31-23 Liberty Bowl win over TCU that resulted in MVP honors. The microscope that was on freshman quarterback Jacob Eason overshadowed several of his classmates on the defensive front, as Julian Rochester (36 tackles), David Marshall (26) and Tyler Clark (21) all had solid debut seasons. Jonathan Ledbetter flourished at end late last season after returning from a six-game suspension, while senior John Atkins and junior DaQuan Hawkins-Mukle give the Bulldogs a pair of veterans in the interior.
LINEBACKERS
Experience abounds with the return of junior inside starters Roquan Smith and Natrez Patrick and senior outside starters Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter. Smith led Georgia last season with 95 tackles, including five lost-yardage stops, while Patrick tallied 59. Bellamy and Carter announced in December along with running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel that they would be returning for a final year, citing unfulfilled expectations as part of their motivation. Bellamy had nine lost-yardage stops last year, while Carter had six, including five sacks. Senior Reggie Carter gives Georgia instant experience should Smith or Patrick come out of the game, while Robert Beal is a freshman who has plenty of talent but was unable to joing the program until right after camp started.
SECONDARY