When Dan Jackson stepped onto Georgia’s campus, it’s unlikely anyone expected him to turn into the type of player he has for the Bulldogs. Not even Kirby Smart, the man who recruited him.

In 2019, the walk-on redshirted and was a member of the scout team. In 2020, his highest accomplishment was a spot on SEC’s academic honor roll, but he remained on the scout team. Last year, he earned four starts and played in all 15 games, finished with 40 tackles and had a blocked punt that got Georgia rolling early against Arkansas.

This season, he started the first game against Oregon and has been a consistent contributor at free safety even if he was supplanted by freshman star Malaki Starks in the starting lineup. His presence has nonetheless helped pace a defense that is ranked No. 4 against the pass in the country and No. 2 in scoring allowed per game.

He’s just that good a player.

And now his season appears to be over. The Bulldogs got the bad news on Tuesday when it was announced Jackson likely will likely miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his foot.

While he is not the biggest name or brightest star of one of the nation’s most talented secondaries, his absence is sure to be felt. Here are three areas Georgia could suffer without its junior defensive back.

Depth in the defensive backfield

This is a given. A team loses a player who gets significant snaps, the quality of its depth goes down.

Despite being used less frequently since the emergence of Starks, Jackson has remained one of Georgia’s most consistent contributors. His 16 tackles are tied for 5th on the team and he is one of 4 players with an interception.

As a result of his absence, both Starks and senior safety Christopher Smith will be leaned on more. Both Smith and Starks have proven capable, Starks this season and Smith through the course of his career. Still, Jackson’s presence helped Starks find his footing and lessened the load on a week-to-week basis.

More pressure often equals more mistakes. That may not be the case with an extremely talented player like Starks but nothing is certain.

It also means the team will ask for more from players like David Daniel-Sisavanh, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith, who have combined for 3 pass breakups and no interceptions between them.

His leadership mattered

Look, the Bulldogs defense might be playing like it is still elite, but this group has far less experience compared to a year ago.

That’s not to say it isn’t great. Just as good maybe ( … maybe).

But where Georgia had multi-year starters up and down the field a year ago, this season’s group is younger, less seasoned and, yes, maybe still a tad unproven.

The aforementioned Starks, maybe the top performed on that side of the ball, is a true freshman. Linebackers Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon are sophomores. In the backfield, Kamari Lassiter is a sophomore and a new starter. Even Kelee Ringo, last year’s national championship hero and one of the elder statesmen of the defense, is a junior.

The point is that this defense has made up for a lack of extensive experience at the top of the depth chart with a lot of talent. They’ve done well. But taking away one of the few players who have been in the program for four years is sure to remove some in-game leadership.

That’s not to say others can’t fill the void. It’s just a fact of life when losing someone with that many practice days under his belt.

The best competition is on the way

When looking at this defense, there is plenty of good to point out.

The overall yardage totals, the low scores allowed, the low passer rating.

One thing that can’t be said, though, is that Georgia is having as much success as last year at pressuring the quarterback. The team has just 7 sacks this season in 7 games.

While sacks might not mean everything, a total that low means something is lacking.

Thus far it hasn’t turned out to be a problem. In part that’s due to sterling play in the secondary. Georgia has given up a big play here and there, but overall the pass defense has been every bit as good as it was a year ago.

The Bulldogs finished No. 12 against the pass in 2021, and are ahead of that pace, albeit against some lesser competition, at No. 4 so far this season.

Now, however, will come the test.

Florida’s Anthony Richardson, while an inconsistent passer, has elite athletic ability to test the weakened Georgia defense. Hendon Hooker will follow when he brings Tennessee and his Heisman Trophy hype into Sanford Stadium a week later. Will Rogers and the Mississippi State Air Raid comes next, followed by Kentucky’s Will Levis, who may be a first-round draft pick in the spring.

The Georgia secondary will be tested down the stretch. It will have to answer without one of its most experienced defensive backs the rest of the way.