Georgia’s search for a pass rush in 2026 took a hit this offseason when outside linebackers Amaris Williams and Chase Linton went down with injuries. But if Saturday was any clue, the Bulldogs may still have enough pieces to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
Georgia finished with three sacks in its Week 1 win over Tennessee State, matching its single-game high from last season. The opponent wasn’t exactly a stress test, but the way Georgia generated pressure - with veterans, newcomers, and a few players in between - gave the defense something to build on.
Kirby Smart said he feels good about the depth behind Williams and Linton.
"Those guys have kind of been that way for a while in terms of getting reps, growing," Smart said. "Q [Quintavuis Johnson] does a good job leading that group, helping them out.
Amaris is doing it in the meeting room, and Chase has been in there with them as well, done most of the camp. And all those guys are getting better: Khamari [Brooks], PJ [Dean], and Darren [Ikinnagbon].
Even Duncan Carpenter got to jump in there and get some reps Saturday and did a nice job."
Johnson didn’t make much noise in the opener, though the expectation is that the starting outside linebacker won’t have to be the centerpiece in Georgia’s biggest moments. The spotlight instead landed on Khamari Brooks and PJ Dean, who both made strong first impressions in a Georgia uniform.
Brooks finished with three tackles, tying him with six other Bulldogs for the team lead. Dean was the more disruptive force, posting two tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in his debut.
Those two giving Georgia real production would go a long way toward stabilizing a pass rush that still has more than one route to pressure. Defensive end Gabe Harris had only two tackles against Tennessee State, but he was in the quarterback’s face several times and looks poised for a big junior year. Inside linebacker Chris Cole also flashed, finishing with three tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass break-up and 0.5 sacks, which he shared with Dean.
Cole is shaping up as another Georgia linebacker who can be unleashed in obvious passing situations. It’s tempting to stack him up next to Quay Walker and Jalon Walker, but Smart pushed back on the idea that he’s just another version of those guys.
"He's probably a little faster and has a little more length than them. Probably doesn't have the density and the size that they have, but he's sideline-to-sideline faster," Smart said.
"He's really good on the edge just like Jalon was. Probably hasn't played as much inside 'backer as Quay has, but we don't really do many comparisons around here.
We kind of keep it to he's his own person. He's a tremendous leader, and he's one of the hardest workers, practice guys we've had."
Williams’ knee injury this spring already removed one option from the equation, and Linton remains "week-to-week" with a lower leg injury. That leaves Georgia leaning on the rest of the room, and after Week 1, there’s at least reason to believe the Bulldogs have enough answers waiting.
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