Georgia’s defensive line was very good last year. A sentence like that might be an understatement, if not a completely obvious declaration.

But when you lose 3 key members of a position group as important as this one, there’s bound to be a little concern as to how a new set of players will stack up.

During last year’s SEC Championship Game against LSU, defensive tackles Tyler Clark, nose tackle Michael Barnett and defensive end David Marshall were all slated atop Kirby Smart’s 2-deep depth chart, albeit with “or” beside their names. All 3 are gone, with Clark deciding to opt-out of the Sugar Bowl against Baylor.

All told, that’s 39 games combined for the 3 players, with Clark starting 13, Barnett starting 6 and Marshall starting 5.

So I’ll admit that I fell into a little trap of thinking that things might be a little shaky with the loss in personnel. But that word “OR” on the SEC Championship depth chart is pretty significant.

Defensive end Malik Herring (pictured above) started 9 times in 2019 and impressed against Baylor in the Sugar Bowl, notching 5 tackles and 1.5 stops for a loss. Devonte Wyatt, who earned his first start against the Bears in place of Clark, should split the bill with Julian Rochester at defensive tackle. Jordan Davis picked up 8 starts last year and should catch no one by surprise as he gets the lion’s share of the reps at nose tackle in place of Barnett in 2020.

What about depth?

Rochester, a 12-game starter in 2018, took a redshirt in 2019 while recovering from injury but was able to play in the Sugar Bowl along with 3 other games. So while it’s unfair to call Rochester a “depth” piece, Wyatt took the reins as the starting DT, meaning the Dawgs should be just fine with those 2 leading the way. Looking down the depth chart, last week I touched on the impact that Jalen Carter, while not a Day 1 starter, could have out of the gate at defensive tackle. Consistent, sustained pressure on the quarterback leading to sacks has been a piece of the puzzle that’s been missing from the Georgia defense, but hopefully a player like Carter can help alleviate that.

“He’s showing a lot of great things right now,” Walker said after a practice earlier in September, according to 247Sports.com. “Like I said, the sky is the limit for him, also. He’s a very talented player [who] doesn’t have to be coached a lot because he came in already knowing a lot, so that says a lot about him just alone.”

Keep a close eye, too, on Warren Brinson, the Savannah, Ga., product who played for the powerful IMG Academy in Florida. Brinson’s only drawback is that he walks into a loaded lineup at defensive tackle, so that could put him in line for a redshirt and positioned to jump into the fray in 2021.

At defensive end, Travon Walker (3.5 tackles for a loss in 2019) was one of the freshman standouts behind Marshall and Herring — 2020 will be key as it’s almost a given he’ll get the call in 2021. Tramel Walthour, who saw little playing time with Marshall, Herring and Walker ahead of him, was a skilled JUCO player who will get more of an opportunity to get some snaps.

We’ll have to see how things turn out at the nose behind Davis. Netori Johnson made the switch to the offensive line, but Rochester could slide over to fill the spot inside as needed. Nazir Stackhouse could figure into the rotation as well; he’s not hard to miss at 305 pounds, and while he might not see a great deal of time behind Davis and whoever is slotted at NT2, he’ll have a role to play. How things turn out will set the table for him to be involved in a very competitive battle for the starting role if Davis, who is receiving some 1st-round draft looks, decides to leave after the season is completed.

Dawgs fans should be confident in this unit heading into the opener Saturday at Arkansas, a game that should be penciled in as a victory. But with a 1,100-yard rusher last year in Rakeem Boyd and a familiar face at quarterback in former Florida signal-caller Feleipe Franks, a shortened season that will provide very little margin of error. The Dawgs don’t have the luxury of looking past anyone.

The good news: Even though some familiar veterans are gone, and some newcomers have been added to the mix, it’s largely a next-man-up situation. And while it may be unfair to expect this defensive line to match what it did last year, there’s still an opportunity for it to make its own mark on Georgia football this season.