From OnlineAthens.com
April 5th, 2016 04:24 PM
Tracy Rocker’s defensive line group continues to get smaller, but it certainly isn’t making the Bulldogs’ third-year Georgia assistant coach take it any easier on his guys.
Even with sophomore DaQuan Hawkins out with a knee injury sustained in Saturday’s scrimmage, Rocker kept on the players at his position throughout the allotted time for the media in Tuesday’s practice.
Coach Kirby Smart said after practice that Hawkins may miss the rest of spring practices, which runs through April 16 with the G-Day game.
“It’s not as bad as Michael Barnett’s but very similar,” Smart said. “So we don’t know if we’ll get him back or not for the spring game. Now with Barnett and DaQuan Hawkins out, you can see the cupboard’s getting bare on the D-line. It’s getting tougher and tougher for us.”
The 6-foot-4, 302-pound Hawkins started two games last season and had three tackles and one quarterback pressure,
Barnett has been out with an MCL injury from earlier in the spring. Smart said both Barnett and Hawkins would be able to play in two or three weeks if there was a game.
Defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter (one game) and Chauncey Rivers (three games) will serve suspensions at the start of the season.
The top three defensive linemen working Tuesday were John Atkins, Trenton Thompson and freshman Julian Rochester. An unhappy Rocker sent the entire line to another practice field and back when they didn’t go through a drill line the way he wanted and voiced displeasure with Atkins and Thompson who were gassed when they returned.
“I did think the guys challenged each other and they really competed out there on the field today,” Smart said.
With the injuries at the position, walk-on offensive tackle Alex Essex was working Tuesday with the defensive line and that, Smart said, gave Georgia seven at the position.
“We’re trying to improve it in the fall,” Smart said.
Incoming freshmen Michail Carter, Tyler Clark and David Marshall will join the mix then to provide needed depth.
“Those guys are going to have to really get after it and be able to play early,” Smart said.
...READ MORE HERE...
April 5th, 2016 04:24 PM
Tracy Rocker’s defensive line group continues to get smaller, but it certainly isn’t making the Bulldogs’ third-year Georgia assistant coach take it any easier on his guys.
Even with sophomore DaQuan Hawkins out with a knee injury sustained in Saturday’s scrimmage, Rocker kept on the players at his position throughout the allotted time for the media in Tuesday’s practice.
Coach Kirby Smart said after practice that Hawkins may miss the rest of spring practices, which runs through April 16 with the G-Day game.
“It’s not as bad as Michael Barnett’s but very similar,” Smart said. “So we don’t know if we’ll get him back or not for the spring game. Now with Barnett and DaQuan Hawkins out, you can see the cupboard’s getting bare on the D-line. It’s getting tougher and tougher for us.”
The 6-foot-4, 302-pound Hawkins started two games last season and had three tackles and one quarterback pressure,
Barnett has been out with an MCL injury from earlier in the spring. Smart said both Barnett and Hawkins would be able to play in two or three weeks if there was a game.
Defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter (one game) and Chauncey Rivers (three games) will serve suspensions at the start of the season.
The top three defensive linemen working Tuesday were John Atkins, Trenton Thompson and freshman Julian Rochester. An unhappy Rocker sent the entire line to another practice field and back when they didn’t go through a drill line the way he wanted and voiced displeasure with Atkins and Thompson who were gassed when they returned.
“I did think the guys challenged each other and they really competed out there on the field today,” Smart said.
With the injuries at the position, walk-on offensive tackle Alex Essex was working Tuesday with the defensive line and that, Smart said, gave Georgia seven at the position.
“We’re trying to improve it in the fall,” Smart said.
Incoming freshmen Michail Carter, Tyler Clark and David Marshall will join the mix then to provide needed depth.
“Those guys are going to have to really get after it and be able to play early,” Smart said.
...READ MORE HERE...
