GA News: OnlineAthens - Return of Jonathan Ledbetter from suspension gives Bulldogs player tha

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From OnlineAthens.com
October 11th, 2016 01:06 PM

Jonathan Ledbetter’s suspension is over after six games, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday, confirming what was expected.
Ledbetter’s Bulldog teammates say they can notice the difference in the sophomore defensive lineman’s mood lately heading into his season debut Saturday at home against Vanderbilt.
“He seems like he has a lot more glow to him,” said outside linebacker Chuks Amaechi, who spoke with Ledbetter on Monday.
“I think he’s pumped,” inside linebacker Natrez Patrick said. “He’s been at it for a long time. He’s been getting scout team player of the week every week so he’s definitely been pushing. I think he’s ready.”
Smart said Ledbetter actually got the honors as many as four times.
“So it wasn’t like he was just over there on a knee,” Smart said. “He was taking a lot of reps. He was disruptive to them on the scout team in order to give us all these looks of the hard players we’ve been having to block. He’s been the guy that would go in there and play those positions.”
Ledbetter’s suspension length followed athletic association policy for two arrests on alcohol related charges.
The charges on the first arrest for underage possession and using a fake ID were later dropped but he was later arrested for DUI.
Smart said while Ledbetter is expected to play Saturday, his role remains to be determined but he will be worked into the line rotation.
“How much he’ll play, I don’t know,” Smart said. “He’s handled everything we’ve asked him to do very well. He has worked really hard. The best thing he’s done is made our offense better, being over there competing against them. …He was taking a lot of reps. He was disruptive to them on the scout team in order to give us all these looks of the hard players we’ve been having to block. He’s been the guy that would go in there and play those positions. We’re excited to have him back. We’ll work him into the rotation. How much he’ll play will depend on how he practices this week, and he’s been told that. We’re looking forward to having him back.”
The 6-foot-4, 269-pound Ledbetter had four tackles last season out of Tucker, but the Bulldogs are in need of players with his body type in the 250 to 290 range, Smart said.
“Jonathan falls in that mold,” Smart said. “He’s a guy that can play ‘three technique’ if he has to. He can play outside if he needs to. He’s played outside backer before. He does a lot of things. He’s more in the mold of (freshman) David Marshall, just a year older. It gives us some more flexibility there.”
And that can benefit other players.
“It’s a lot more rest for the rest of the D-line, a lot more tempo with a lot more players,” Amaechi said.



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