Georgia’s defensive line took an unexpected hit when Xzavier McLeod stepped away at the start of fall camp, but the opening he left behind may be the best path to a breakout for Jordan Hall.
McLeod was supposed to be a major part of the middle of Georgia’s defense again in 2026, so his retirement in the middle of the Bulldogs’ first game week changed the picture quickly. The reason for his departure still isn’t fully clear, but Georgia has already moved into the next phase: figuring out who can absorb those interior snaps.
Hall is one of the obvious names. He’s a junior with real star power when healthy, and that’s the catch.
A knee injury ended his 2025 season after the Florida game and kept him out of spring camp. Before that, stress fractures in both legs cut short his 2024 season.
The talent has never been the issue. Staying on the field has.
That talent is easy to see in the recruiting pedigree alone. Hall was a five-star prospect, ranked No. 12 overall in the country and No. 2 among defensive linemen. He brings burst, length and the kind of explosiveness that lets him knife into gaps and finish plays.
There’s already some evidence Georgia plans to lean on him more. Hall was reportedly getting work with the starters before McLeod’s departure became public, and that usage should only grow now. On Monday, Kirby Smart described the interior group as a “by committee” unit.
“They're a very by committee group. They bust their butt every day in practice,” he said.
“They compete. They go against a big physical offensive line… What we need is the twitch, the athleticism, the brains and some of those guys to make us a better pass rush.”
Elijah Griffin is another name to watch on the other tackle spot. The sophomore has been drawing plenty of buzz in camp, and it makes sense.
He’s another former five-star recruit, but unlike Hall, he doesn’t come with the same injury history. He also appears to offer more immediate pass-rush juice.
That’s where this could get interesting for Georgia. Hall doesn’t need to be the lone force inside; he just needs to be healthy enough to take advantage of the attention Griffin could command. If Griffin starts forcing double-teams, Hall may get the cleaner one-on-one chances that let him wreck plays in the middle.
That kind of interior disruption is exactly what Georgia could use. Christen Miller and McLeod were solid against the run last season, but they didn’t bring much as pass rushers. Hall and Griffin have a chance to change that.
And if they do, the Bulldogs’ defense gets a different edge altogether. Interior pressure is hard to survive because it comes straight at the quarterback, right through the heart of the pocket. Georgia didn’t get enough of that in 2025.
Now the door is open for Hall to change that - if he can finally put together a healthy season.
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Smart has long made it clear that recruiting is about more than talent, and respect remains a trait he keeps coming back to when he talks about the kind of roster Georgia needs. He draws ideas from across the sports world and different philosophies, but the through line is unchanged, he is still pushing to bring glory to his alma mater while coaching with the same urgency that defined him long before the trophies arrived. [Read more 🡒]