Kirby Smart unsure Georgia has fixed last season’s biggest prblem

The Georgia Bulldogs‘ defensive line struggled on numerous occasions across the 2025 season. The Dawgs finished last in the SEC in 2025 with 20 sacks, but were able to land former Auburn Tigers pass rusher Amaris Williams in the transfer portal as a major reinforcement, but Williams unfortunately suffered a torn ACL during spring practice and will now be sidelined for the 2026 season. 

Georgia’s defensive front will feature a promising mix of young and veteran talent in 2026 despite last season’s struggles. Williams’ injury serves as a brutal blow to Georgia’s defensive line and returning veterans such as Jordan Hall and Xavier McLeoud will need to step up in his absence. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart recently took a moment to comment on the Bulldogs’ defensive front, as Smart claims the group is not where they need to be with kickoff right around the corner. 

“I don’t know if I’ve seen that (progress in rushing the passer),” Smart said. “We didn’t have a sack fest out there. That was not what it was at all.

“We aren’t where we need to be in terms of pass rush because we’re missing some guys in terms of dealing with Amaris not being out there and some talent there. We’re having to do it in other ways, and we’ll have to do that probably all year in terms of the way we create pressure and how we go about it. To say that we’re where we need to be pass rush wise, I don’t know that we are.”

Georgia was ranked last in sacks throughout the SEC last season with just 20. The Dawgs will likely turn to standout sophomore Elijah Griffin in hopes of creating consistent pressure this season, and Griffin could dominate again after an excellent freshman season in 2025. Georgia will ultimately have to turn to a handful of defensive linemen in hopes of replicating Williams’ production, and Smart’s update in regard to where the defensive front currently stands is certainly concerning.

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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Kirby Smart unsure Georgia has fixed last season’s biggest prblem