Rising sophomore edge rusher Damon Wilson Jr. has a prediction for the Georgia defense the season: “Dominance.”
Wilson, the No. 20 recruit in the 2023 signing class, did not have the breakthrough true freshman season some had hoped for last season — he recorded just one sack — but he shared that great progress was made.
“I feel I’ve gotten a lot better going against EG (Earnest Green lll), (Amarius) Mims, Tate (Ratledge), Sed (Van Pran), (Xavier) Truss, a lot of them,” Wilson said on a recent Player’s Lounge interview.
“A lot of league guys that I go against every day.”
Wilson made clear those workouts behind locked gates are what makes Georgia football so special.
“That’s what I like about Georgia, is the practice,” said Wilson, who has worked to beef up to 245 pounds after meniscus surgery ended his season before the Bulldogs’ 63-3 Orange Bowl win over Florida State.
“The practice is more fun than the game, because you learn so much more in a practice than you ever would in a game.”
Wilson admits he had plenty to learn after dominating in the high school ranks at Venice (Fla.) High School.
“I would say Im pretty strong, but (it’s) learning you can’t just manhandle everybody,” said Wilson, who appeared in 12 games as a reserve, often on third downs.
“You have to add your technique and what God gifts to you; for me it was my arm length and speed, so I had to start using that and rely on that more.”
Wilson was the third-highest rated played in pass-rush situations last season, per PFF trailing only Jason Walker and Tykee Smith.
Of course, the down-and-distance situations he played in helped, but it was still a promising ranking.
“I had to pair up my moves, and add different things to my bag, rather just what worked in high school,” Wilson said. “So when I go into games, I’m not just freelancing, I’m strategically planning each move.
“Freshman year was a building year, so it’s what can I do now with the knowledge I had last year.”
Wilson said the expectation is “dominance” for the Georgia defense with all the returning talent, an indication the Bulldogs should improve on ranking only 11th in the SEC with 2.14 sacks per game.
“I think the guys we have in our room can get the job done,” Wilson said, adding that the Bulldogs’ challenging schedule has everyone fired up, including him.
“I am so excited, I get to go to Bama, I get to go to Texas, I get to play Clemson,” Wilson said. “This is a childhood dream.”