Clemson quarterback Cole Stoudt is sacked by Georgia linebacker Amarlo Herrera (52) in their game on Aug. 30, 2014, in Athens, Ga.Amarlo Herrera was the starting Georgia linebacker who wasn’t getting a lot of attention entering last Saturday’s opener against Clemson.
Fellow inside linebacker Ramik Wilson had gained preseason All-America honors after leading the Southeastern Conference in tackles last season, while outside linebackers Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins were appearing on some of those “breakout player” lists. Herrera, who finished second in the SEC a year ago with 112 tackles, kept to himself under the radar.
“I don’t care. All of that is just clutter,” Herrera said before the opener. “I don’t pay attention to that, because there can be guys on those lists who wind up not doing much of anything. I’m not worried about all that.”
Obviously not.
In last week’s 45-21 thumping of the Tigers, the 6-foot-2, 231-pound senior from College Park, Ga., amassed 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Named Monday night as the inaugural SEC defensive player of the week for the 2014 season, Herrera holds the early league lead in tackles and tackles for loss and is tied at the top in sacks.