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Glenn Schumann understand the hole Jalon Walker left in the Georgia Bulldogs' defense after he moved on to the professional level of the NFL. He knows replacing him will be difficult going into the 2025 season.
Walker represented the Bulldogs for three seasons. Throughout 43 career appearances, he racked up 89 tackles, 19 TFLs, 12.5 sacks, and three pass deflections. He helped the program win the national championship in 2022 and later earned All-American honors and the Butkus Award in 2024.
Schumann evaluated the defense's current situation after Georgia's practice session on Wednesday, per DawgNation. He knows it will be a tough test for players to replace Walker's impact, understanding the difficulties that come with it.
“Every team, so within saying, hey, make us uncomfortable, I think every, you ask the players to be uncomfortable, because that’s where growth comes from, right? So I think it’s important in camp you assess, hey, who are our best players? What do they do well?” Schumann said.
“Obviously there is a blueprint for what the Georgia defense is, and there’s a standard there, but that’s more about how to play the game than it is about, hey, are we going to be more quarters or three-deep zone? Hey, are we going to be more five-man front or a four-man front? Hey, are we going to play more base defense, like number of linebackers on the field, or are we going to get in dime on third down?”
He concluded, “All those variables are really based on who you have and what they do best. That’s part of what you find out in camp. We teach the defense, and then as you get closer to the games, you mold it to the guys. But we have, I think we’re not asking anybody to, hey, go replace Jalon Walker in that way. It might be three different guys replace what he did, and it might be relative to their strengths. So it might be a little bit from the outside linebacker room, some from the inside linebacker room. But we’re not going to ask somebody to feel exactly what he did, because that might not be in the best interest of this team.”
What lies ahead for Glenn Schumann, Georgia
While Jalon Walker looks forward to the start of his NFL journey with the Atlanta Falcons, Glenn Schumann will anticipate keeping the Bulldogs' defense elite in 2025.
Schumann has been with the program since 2016, gaining promotions until earning defensive coordinator in 2024. The unit was solid as the Bulldogs finished with an 11-3 record, going 6-2 in SEC Play.
Georgia's performance in league play helped them secure a spot in the conference championship game. They beat the Texas Longhorns 22-19 to claim their 15th SEC title, then took part in the College Football Playoff. However, their season ended after a 23-10 loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the quarterfinals.
The Bulldogs will prepare for their season-opener, being at home. They host the Marshall Thundering Herd on Aug. 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
