Georgia Bulldogs UGA logoLeonard Floyd excelled in the old Georgia defense and appears to be thriving in the new one as well.
Floyd finished last season with a flurry as an outside linebacker, collecting a sack and a forced fumble against Kentucky, six tackles against Georgia Tech and eight against Nebraska in the Gator Bowl. He was named to the Southeastern Conference all-freshman team and is being used under new coordinator Jeremy Pruitt as both a defensive end and a strongside linebacker.
“It’s a harder role, because I’m in the trenches more and in a three-point stance more than I was last year,” Floyd told reporters following Thursday’s two-hour practice. “Yet I don’t have to think as much. All I have to think about is rushing the quarterback.”
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound sophomore from Eastman, Ga., was a pleasant surprise on a defense last season that endured its share of youthful miscues. He started eight of the 13 games and racked up 55 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Floyd has received praise throughout this spring and had four tackles in last Saturday’s scrimmage.