Latest news with #GlennSchumann
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
No. 5 Georgia is looking for defense to reclaim standard set by 2021-22 national championship teams
ATHENS, Ga. — Glenn Schumann says comparisons are not fair to Georgia teams of the past or present. Even so, the defensive coordinator isn't ducking the fact that the 2024 defense didn't meet the Georgia standard even while the Bulldogs won their third Southeastern Conference championship in the Kirby Smart era.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
No. 5 Georgia is looking for defense to reclaim standard set by 2021-22 national championship teams
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Glenn Schumann says comparisons are not fair to Georgia teams of the past or present. Even so, the defensive coordinator isn't ducking the fact that the 2024 defense didn't meet the Georgia standard even while the Bulldogs won their third Southeastern Conference championship in the Kirby Smart era. Georgia's path to 11 wins, the SEC championship game victory over Texas and a spot in the College Football Playoff was filled with harrowing results by the defense. The defense produced three NFL first-round draft picks — Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker and Malaki Starks — despite giving up 41 points in a loss to Alabama and closing the regular season with a 44-42 win over Georgia Tech in eight overtimes. It's no coincidence that Georgia's back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 were built on defense under Smart, a former defensive coach. Georgia led the SEC in points and yards allowed in three consecutive seasons, beginning with the 2021 team that led the nation with 10.20 points allowed per game. The proud tradition of strong defenses slipped in 2024 when the Bulldogs fell to eighth in the league with 20.57 points and 329 yards allowed per game. 'You start rationalizing stats, then you're just making excuses for a performance that wasn't up to our standard,' Schumann said last week. 'The number one thing we need to do better in run defense is tackle better. In fact, we did not tackle to our standard last year.' Georgia, No. 5 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll released Monday, carries high expectations, including on defense. The belief the 2025 defense can return to its lead role may be at least partly based on the championship standard of units led by such players as Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Eric Stokes, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. 'Speaking of a defense, I think it really comes down to the little things,' said linebacker CJ Allen, expected to be a leader of the unit. 'Our whole theme and this message this whole offseason for the whole team has been fire, passion, energy. Playing with fire, passion, energy, being able to affect each other means a lot. Just coming out doing the little things.' Freshman defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, one of the top signees, has an opportunity to make an immediate impact. 'EG's doing great,' Schumann said. "You always want to temper expectations on young players, but he has a maturity to him, a work ethic to him. He's obviously a big guy with a lot of athleticism. So we hope that Elijah's able to help us this year. ... He's had a good start to camp.' Linebacker Raylen Wilson and safety KJ Bolden are other leaders of the defense. Smart said he is watching the defensive line, led by junior tackle Christen Miller, as a key to the emphasis on stopping the run. 'We need him to be a playmaker,' Smart said of Miller. 'We need him to be disruptive. We talk about habit, we talk about quickness, speed, experience. He's our most experienced player. He has taken on this role of knowing the burden lies with him to set a standard for that group.' Smart said the goal of stopping the run 'starts with that group. I mean, it's everybody, but it really starts with the defensive line, and what kind of mentality that room has. And so far, he has approached that the right way.' ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
No. 5 Georgia is looking for defense to reclaim standard set by 2021-22 national championship teams
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Glenn Schumann says comparisons are not fair to Georgia teams of the past or present. Even so, the defensive coordinator isn't ducking the fact that the 2024 defense didn't meet the Georgia standard even while the Bulldogs won their third Southeastern Conference championship in the Kirby Smart era. Georgia's path to 11 wins, the SEC championship game victory over Texas and a spot in the College Football Playoff was filled with harrowing results by the defense. The defense produced three NFL first-round draft picks — Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker and Malaki Starks — despite giving up 41 points in a loss to Alabama and closing the regular season with a 44-42 win over Georgia Tech in eight overtimes. It's no coincidence that Georgia's back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 were built on defense under Smart, a former defensive coach. Georgia led the SEC in points and yards allowed in three consecutive seasons, beginning with the 2021 team that led the nation with 10.20 points allowed per game. The proud tradition of strong defenses slipped in 2024 when the Bulldogs fell to eighth in the league with 20.57 points and 329 yards allowed per game. 'You start rationalizing stats, then you're just making excuses for a performance that wasn't up to our standard,' Schumann said last week. 'The number one thing we need to do better in run defense is tackle better. In fact, we did not tackle to our standard last year.' Georgia, No. 5 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll released Monday, carries high expectations, including on defense. The belief the 2025 defense can return to its lead role may be at least partly based on the championship standard of units led by such players as Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Eric Stokes, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith. 'Speaking of a defense, I think it really comes down to the little things,' said linebacker CJ Allen, expected to be a leader of the unit. 'Our whole theme and this message this whole offseason for the whole team has been fire, passion, energy. Playing with fire, passion, energy, being able to affect each other means a lot. Just coming out doing the little things.' Freshman defensive lineman Elijah Griffin, one of the top signees, has an opportunity to make an immediate impact. 'EG's doing great,' Schumann said. 'You always want to temper expectations on young players, but he has a maturity to him, a work ethic to him. He's obviously a big guy with a lot of athleticism. So we hope that Elijah's able to help us this year. ... He's had a good start to camp.' Linebacker Raylen Wilson and safety KJ Bolden are other leaders of the defense. Smart said he is watching the defensive line, led by junior tackle Christen Miller, as a key to the emphasis on stopping the run. 'We need him to be a playmaker,' Smart said of Miller. 'We need him to be disruptive. We talk about habit, we talk about quickness, speed, experience. He's our most experienced player. He has taken on this role of knowing the burden lies with him to set a standard for that group.' Smart said the goal of stopping the run 'starts with that group. I mean, it's everybody, but it really starts with the defensive line, and what kind of mentality that room has. And so far, he has approached that the right way.' ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Top Auburn commit Shadarius Toodle flips to Georgia football
Former Auburn Tigers four-star linebacker commit Shadarius Toodle has flipped his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs. Toodle, who is from Cottage Hill Christian Academy (Mobile, Alabama) was previously predicted to flip his commitment to Georgia in May. Now that has become a reality and Toodle is part of Georgia's 2026 recruiting class which now ranks fourth in 247Sports' rankings. Toodle is ranked as a four-star prospect on every major recruiting platform. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker committed to Georgia shortly after linebacker Thomas Davis Jr., who is the son of Georgia All-American safety Thomas Davis, closed his recruitment and confirmed his commitment to Notre Dame. The former Auburn commit is ranked as the No. 9 linebacker recruit in the nation. Toodle is the No. 166 recruit in the country and the No. 9 prospect in Alabama. His decommitment is a major recruiting loss for Auburn, who now has just six commitments and the No. 60 recruiting class in the country. Auburn now has only two four-star commitments in the class of 2026. Georgia co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Glenn Schumann is an elite recruiting position coach. Schumann, who has coached three Butkus Award winners at UGA, regularly looks to sign three elite linebacker recruits. Toodle's 2024 performance for Cottage Hill Christian Academy was exceptional. He led the team in tackles with 157, also tallying 13 tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception. Perhaps most impressively, he achieved 20 tackles in a single game three times. He also made his mark on offense, accumulating 494 total yards and scoring three touchdowns. Georgia already possess one of the nation's best linebacker groups, but that does not stop inside linebacker coach Glenn Schumann from signing a trio of top 10 linebacker in almost every recruiting cycle. With Toodle being committed to Georgia, the next two to complete the trio would be five-star Tyler Atkinson and four-star Nick Abrams. Following Toodle's decision, coach Kirby Smart and Georgia have 19 commitments in the class of 2026.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Georgia Approaching Staggering 20th Visit With Highly Touted Star: Insider
Georgia Approaching Staggering 20th Visit With Highly Touted Star: Insider originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The top-rated linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class lives about 40 miles from Athens, Georgia. That's made it extremely easy for the prospect to visit the Georgia Bulldogs. Advertisement Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, who is a Loganville, Georgia native, has taken advantage of that fact. On3's Chad Simmons wrote Friday that the linebacker has visited the Bulldogs close to two dozen times during his recruitment. Atkinson was once again in Athens this weekend. "He is less than an hour from Athens, he has visited Georgia close to 20 times and he is a major target for Smart, Glenn Schumann and the entire staff," Simmons wrote. "Oregon did a great job last weekend. We know Ohio State is doing all they can to get him to leave the Peach State. "Georgia wants to keep Atkinson home and there will be some big discussions this weekend between the two parties as a summer decision approaches." Georgia Bulldogs football head coach Kirby Smart© Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images In addition to his visits, the linebacker said he communicates with the Georgia coaching staff regularly. Advertisement "Georgia, with Coach Schu, we talk all the time," Atkinson told 247Sports's Benjamin Wolk this spring. "We hung out with him and talked to Coach Kirby [Smart], and we talked to Coach Kirby out at the practice too. So it was good." The Bulldogs are trying to keep Atkinson, who is the No. 1 Georgia prospect in the 2026 recruiting class according to the 247Sports composite rankings, in the state. Atkinson has also visited the Clemson Tigers and Oregon Ducks this spring. He is also expected to see the Ohio State Buckeyes on an official visit. The composite rankings rate Atkinson the No. 9 overall recruit in the 2026 recruiting class as well. Advertisement Related: Georgia in 'Hot Pursuit' of Highly Coveted Playmaker This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
