Time To Step Up . . . .

After reading several articles about next years football team and what UGA fans can expect on the defensive side of the ball, of course many have some thoughts on what can and will be.

Choose not to talk so much about the players that we are losing, thinking about the young men we have coming back and those that will enter in February as recruits. Reminds me a lot of the military, watching the recruits on the grinder trying to learn how to march as one. Takes a while, but surprising how quickly most catch on when the company commander gets in your face. Lessons learned and remembered.

Todd Grantham seems to have that “company commander” attitude, think all of us have seen him doing some of the same things that Saban does. Miss an assignment, Grantham is in your face, makes no difference the play worked in our favor, means that someone else had to cover for your mistake.

I sincerely hope that we play a lot of young pups in Orlando that will have to play many positions that are being vacated after the bowl game.

Going out on a bit of a limb. Would not be surprised to see next years defense becoming equal to what this years team has accomplished. Many top athletes that will get their chance to show us why they were recruited. Appears to be a team that will have a lot of speed and believe it or not, depth. There will be those that step up and make us scratch our heads. Appears to me that the single biggest task for the defensive coaches will be getting the young pups to play as a unit. No doubt in my mind that the overall talent resides in Athens, again.

Believe that we will have many of the incoming freshmen redshirt for the 2013 season. No doubt there will be a few that will get playing time as freshmen.

Going to be a surprise to me if Grantham does not take over the defensive line coaching that Garner had for so many years. That was his coaching specialty when he was coaching the Dallas Cowboys. Who knows, maybe we see improvement along the defensive front that makes a difference in overall defensive play. Going to be watching for some of that in Orlando. Maybe we already have our defensive line coach . . . .

Chip Towers has a good article in the AJC about incoming talent that I found interesting. Think that Jonathan Taylor is going to be a huge gain for us on that defensive front. Also know that his high school buddy James DeLoach had several high fives from Grantham this season. There are some serious young men that are ready to step up in 2013, and will.

Buc, the way I feel about next year's D parallels the way I felt about this year's OL.

We have emerging athletes on D (some with experience....some) but feel it's going to be very tough learning/digesting/implementing CTG's scheme in the 1st half of the season. They may learn his system well but can they play "fast"....early.

Really don't like coming out of the box with Clemson and USC.....

Our offense had better be ready to outscore people the 1st half of the year as our D gets their collective feet wet (not unlike our OL this year).

By the latter part of the year the D should fine and next year, lights out again.

I'm concerned early.....

AM....PLEASE come back.

Johnathan Taylor might get some playing time in the bowl game next week.


John Jenkins is out will not play. (acadimcs)

wlayton, no doubt there is a parallel between last years offensive line at the beginning and the defensive line in 2013.

Correct me if I am wrong . . . . our defense on occasion in 2012 laid down on the job at several points in the season. Whether it tool the chastising of one of its members to wake folks up, whatever happened, there was a different brand of football played later on. As far as stopping Alabama's running game, easier said than done.

When I hear coaches saying to the returning group, both offense and defense, no job is secure, makes this old heart beat a bit faster. Really believe that while lacking experience, we will see more of the GATA attitude. This group of pups want to play, from my experience that speeds up the learning process. While we have a tough(er) schedule, not like those we are facing have everyone returning.

Could not be more on board with the AM returning. Don't care what is being said in other blogs, we don't have a quarterback that is as good or better than AM residing in Athens.

Still see those chirping about the Alabama game. Amazes me that these "know it alls" can criticize the last set of downs, and yet have nothing to say about the final score and the "positive" plays that had Saban walking up and down the sideline. That particular game was witnessed not only by the players on the field, those that will play in 2013 were there also.

Have better feelings about 2013 than many seasons I have anticipated over a long period of time. The 2013 pups catch on quick, might be a return match in Atlanta. Would like that. Did notice that Bama's quarterback is returning for his Senior year. Looking for the same in Athens.

BUMP (as you would say!!)

Moving into another year under the leadership of Grantham, wlayton feel he should now be coming into "his time". We know for a fact that Mark Richt has had a "hands off" policy with Grantham and the way he runs the defense. Recent statement by Richt that Mitchell would play offense has been the only crossing of paths that I have seen between the two. Offense and Defense both win, regardless of which side of the ball Malcolm Mitchell plays on.

You made a statement about being able to score a lot of points in 2013, guess that Richt saying publicly that Malcolm Mitchell would play offense proves that your statement is exactly where he is at also.

Name Greg Pyke keeps popping up. That cannot be by accident. That kind of talk hits the media, there is a coach or player or players that have their eyes on his accomplishments. Just the right size for Saban's offensive line. Maybe Will Friend is the answer.

As far as I know, Georgia not losing other coaches. That is a good sign.

One statement from 2012 Season that sticks with me . . . . Franklin from Vandy said Georgia is all that. He was not kissing butt.

No longer can we pass the blame to Willie (damn it). Tennessee folks can now do that. Ball is in our court. Grantham seems to like Dawson a lot, as do others.

Do have a question . . . . Anyone else think that Grantham will take over coaching the defensive line?

Still believe that Grantham was not comfortable with Garner, and vice-versa. Soon we will see how that plays out. Will Georgia suffer on the recruiting trail, hard to say. Do know that Garner had been on "our side" for many years and was responsible for a lot of talent residing in Athens.

One thought that comes to my mind is that Grantham is the coach that lured Jordan Jenkins to Athens and his competition was Kirby Smart and Nick Saban. Jenkins is the heir apparent to Jarvis Jones' area. Big shoes for a sophomore to fill, think that Jenkins is more than capable.

Like the makeup of this defense, like you and others have said, might take some time, however might end up being a huge surprise to all of us. Grantham, you ain't a first or second year defensive coordinator, show us what you are all about. 2013 would be a great time to start the reloading process.

Go Dawgs, coach 'em up!!