Based on playing time in Georgia’s most recent game against Alabama, the departure of Marvin Jones Jr. is the most impactful so far. He played the most snaps of any outside linebacker for the Bulldogs in the 27-24 loss to Alabama.

Jones becomes the third outside linebacker to transfer out of the Georgia program, joining Darris Smith and CJ Madden. Besides all being now-former Bulldogs, those three players all signed as a part of the 2022 signing class.

Georgia will have Chaz Chambliss back as a senior next season. Behind him though, Georgia will be turning to a young trio of pass rushers all signed by Chidera Uzo-Diribe in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

Uzo-Diribe was officially hired by Georgia in February of 2022, replacing Dan Lanning. Prior to becoming the head coach at Oregon, Lanning had been Georgia’s outside linebacker coach and defensive coordinator. Lanning played a key role in recruiting Madden, Smith and Jones Jr.

Through two seasons though, none of those players had proven to make much of an impact. Over two seasons, the trio combined for just 2.0 sacks both of which came from Jones. Smith played in the first five games of the season before being away from the team for the final two months of the season. Madden played in just seven games in 2023 after redshirting as a freshman.

Jones played in 12 games this season, but he was unable to unseat Chambliss at the top of the outside linebacker position. Despite coming in with a 5-star ranking — Jones was the No. 20 overall player in the 2022 class — injuries limited Jones throughout his career. He came into Georgia with a labrum injury that required surgery after his freshman season.

That surgery forced Jones to miss much of the offseason, a critical time for him to add strength and improve. Jones returned in time for fall camp, but it’s not a coincidence that Jones began to see an uptick in snaps in the latter stages of the season.

“I think he’s coming a long way,” Kirby Smart said of Jones prior to the Georgia Tech game. “Mentally, he’s matured greatly over the past couple weeks especially too. He’s grown into a bigger role on our defense because he has the size and now he has the mental capacity to understand all the concepts and what’s coming at him. And he’s starting to get to the point where he can predict what’s coming before it actually comes, and I think he’s done a good job of developing.”

With those three players gone, Georgia is going to put a lot on the plates of Wilson, M’Pemba and Harris.

Of those three, Harris was the only one to play in Georgia’s loss to Alabama. But he had spent much of the season working as a defensive lineman. It’ll be worth seeing where Georgia ends up playing Harris in the Orange Bowl against Florida State, a school that could well end up landing Jones. His father was a College Football All-American at Florida State.

Wilson seems to be ahead of M’Pemba at the end of their first year at Georgia. M’Pemba appeared in 10 games and picked up 6 tackles. Wilson played in 12, finishing with 4 tackles and 0.5 sack.

Another reason Georgia will be counting on its three 2023 signees is that Georgia isn’t likely to add anyone in the 2024 recruiting cycle at the position. Quintavious Johnson could end up playing on the edge but he might also be a defensive lineman for the Bulldogs, as was the case for Harris this year.

The Bulldogs may look to the transfer portal for added help, with Florida’s Princely Umanmielen being an intriguing target. He led Florida in sacks last season with 7.0 sacks and fits the profile of what Georgia traditionally looks for in the transfer portal.

In total, Georgia’s outside linebackers this season had just 1.5 sacks. Jalon Walker, someone Georgia continues to insist is an inside linebacker, led the Bulldogs in sacks this season with 5.0. Despite his productivity, Walker’s long-term home continues to be at inside linebacker.

We’ll see if the Bulldogs are able to get more production out of the outside linebacker room next season after turning it over this offseason.