The Georgia Bulldogs defense proved formidable once more, capping up a 13-1 campaign. There are numerous ways to characterize
Georgia’s 2023 campaign, but its defense held up well against some of the SEC’s most formidable offensive thinkers. The ninth-ranked
defense in the country supports a wealth of talent that may contend for this year’s MVP.
It would be difficult to name a defensive MVP when observing this club from a distance. It would be simple to go to the rookie
linebacker, who impressed greatly in Jamon Dumas-Johnson’s absence. CJ Allen, who recently finished his freshman season, is
deserving of the prize. Quinshon Judkins, a talented running back at Ole Miss, provided Allen with his first taste of starting action.
Allen shut them down, recording a tackle for loss in addition to leading the team with nine total tackles, including a sack. Then, with
eight total tackles in the game against Georgia Tech—five solo, and three by Smael Mondon—Allen and Mondon were tied for the team
lead.
If not Allen, then who may have secured this defense’s back end from the formidable secondary? Malaki Starks, Kamari Lassiter, and
Javon Bullard all make compelling arguments for why they should win MVP this year. With 56 total tackles, Bullard ranked third on
the team. He also had two pass interceptions. With 52 total tackles and three interceptions, Starks, the team’s fourth-leading safety
and All-American, was a terrific foil for him. However, Kamari Lassiter presented one of the most compelling arguments when Luther
Burden III of Missouri, one of the top receivers in the country, was playing man coverage and Lassiter restricted him to two receptions
for 14 yards. concluding the season as
The STAR position is one of the trickier positions according to Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann’s defense. Being challenged to
defend a multitude of offensive weapons while also being tasked to convert in blitz packages and run defense, Tykee Smith had his
hands full this year. With the exception of sacks, where he is fourth on the team with two, Smith topped the team in every defensive
metric. Smith pushed through an injury-plagued career in Athens to bust through and exhibit his old form that he was at West
Virginia. Smith led the team in interceptions with four, ranking him 14th in the country, and led the team in tackles with 70 overall.
After ten games, he had more than five tackles.
This season, the Bulldogs’ defense was among the best in the NCAA once more, but this time around, it was a cohesive team rather
than a number of big-time talents playing at once. Although it seems that Georgia must replace many of these superstars every year,
there are plenty of excellent players who are prepared to step up and take the lead.
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