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Jeff Owens (Sr), 6'3", 306 lbs.
"The Real Deal" is what Mr. Owens likes to refer to himself as, or at least that's what he calls his blog.
Owens suffered a knee injury during the first game of the season and in his departure, the line crumbled—he was the anchor and without his presence, the ship sank hard and fast.
He returns this year with lots of enthusiasm and plenty of attitude.
If it's hard to believe that just one man can make a difference, you obviously don't know Jeff Owens.
There's a great article written here by a fellow Bleacher writer and Bulldog fan named Cole. It says what Owens brings as a man—the intangibles that cannot be taught, but rather are embodied by Jeff Owens.
Things like leadership, work ethic, enthusiasm, and a genuine team mentality. These are what make him such a special player.
He is a bit undersized for the defensive tackle position, settling in at around 306 lbs., but don't let his size fool you—he's a monster.
He's quick off the line and is a phenomenal run defender.
His ability to get into the backfield and wreak havoc on the quarterback is something that was sorely missed by the Georgia defensive line last season.
He makes the big plays when he has to, and he has the ability to elevate the play of those around him—that makes him the total package.
Expect big things from him this season.
His backups will be Kade Weston (Sr), 6'5", 325 lbs., a pass-rush specialist who has performed well in spot duty, and Brandon Wood (RJr), 6'1", 275 lbs., a versatile athlete with a nose for getting into the backfield.
Geno Atkins, (Sr), 6'1", 287 lbs.
The other defensive tackle will be Atkins.
In seven starts as a sophomore, in 2007, Atkins recorded 64 tackles (14.5 for loss), 7.5 sacks, and 37 quarterback hurries (QBH).
His performance seemed to signal even bigger things from him in 2008, but he found himself regressing—he still performed decently, but not as many expected.
The return of Owens means that defenses will have to play the line more honestly. They won't be able to double-team Atkins as much—he saw more attention last season because he was the only experienced player on the line.
That bit of relief should spell more production out of Atkins this season.
He is a beast as a pass-rusher and, paired with Jeff Owens, should be a part of one of the more talented interior lines in the SEC.
He will be backed up by DeAngelo Tyson (So), 6'2", 294 lbs. and Brandon Wheeling (Sr), 6'3", 277 lbs.
Tyson plays smart and knows how to use his body well to avoid getting overpowered at the line of scrimmage.
He's not the quickest guy on the field, but he has a great feel for the game and uses his natural instincts to read the play and react accordingly
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