ATHENS - Georgia’s interior defensive line just got a little thinner. Xzavier McLeod is no longer on the roster, removing one of the more experienced bodies from a group that was already expected to lean on rotation.
McLeod was absent from the roster on Georgiadogs.com. Dawgs247 reported that he had posted on social media last week that he was “done with football” and “retired.”
The departure closes the book on a two-year run in Athens after McLeod transferred in from South Carolina. Last season, he was on the field in all 14 games and started six of them. His production included 17 tackles, 6 quarterback pressures and 2 pass breakups.
His exit matters because Georgia had viewed him as a key piece inside, with expectations that he would line up next to Elijah Griffin on the interior. With McLeod gone, Jordan Hall is positioned to pick up more snaps, though he is coming off a knee injury from last season.
Kirby Smart addressed the state of the defensive front on Monday and made it clear this is still a work-in-progress unit. “They’re a very by-committee group,” Smart said.
“They bust their butt every day in practice. They compete.
They go against a big, physical offensive line. We’ve got a few more twitchy guys with JJ (Hanne) sliding in and playing a little more time inside.
We’ve got the size with Nnamdi (Ogboko) in there and Nasir Johnson playing. Both those guys have been good at run-stopping for us.
What we need is the twitch, the athleticism that EG [Elijah Griffin] and some of those guys to make us a better pass rush.”
Georgia also added to the position group in the 2026 recruiting class with defensive tackle Valdin Sone, and Smart said last week the freshman will have a role this season. “He’s created a role in terms of his twitch, his disruption.
He’s really athletic,” Smart said. “Maybe could get stronger and, you know, be able to hold the point better.
But when it comes to getting off blocks, running the ball, chasing the ball, he’s gonna make us better.”
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