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In 2022 alone, Georgia had 8 players selected in the draft, with 5 of those coming in the first round, that's not a typo.

Despite losing half of their defense, they'd be the 1st ranked rushing defense, 2nd ranked in third-down efficiency, and 5th in points allowed.

Only a year later, 5 more Georgia defenders were drafted, 3 of them by the same team, the Eagles (but that's for another newsletter).

Over the last two years, the Bulldogs have won the National Championship each year while posting records of 14-1 and 15-0.

So what exactly are they doing so right that other teams haven't been able to catch up?

I'll break down exactly why they've been so successful.

Simulated Pressure

Simulated Pressure is one of the most groundbreaking things they've used over the last few years that have given them massive results.

Normal Blitzes vs Simulated Pressure

Normally when defenses bring a man or zone blitz, they're sacrificing coverage, as more rushers = fewer defenders in coverage.

The whole point of a blitz is to gamble that it will get there in time to sack the QB or affect the Qb's throw.

Simulated Pressure is a modern form of blitzing without the normal downsides, as the pressure can get to the QB quickly, without needing to sacrifice coverage.

There are a few variations but typically the Defense will line up 5-6 defenders on the line to force the offense into a certain protection, and then strategically only bring 4 defenders to rush, where 1 is still able to become a free rusher.

Simulated Pressure manipulates the offensive line's rules against them.

Even if the offense blocks 6 guys and the defense only rushes 4, the defense is strategically breaking the protection, so there's still an unblocked rusher.

It's all about strategically messing with the offensive line and the running back's protection.

2 Types of Protections for the Offensive Line

There are a few other protections (that are more complicated) than the two I'll cover today, but to keep things as simple as possible I'll go over two different ones that Georgia loves forcing including:

1. Man on Man/Big on Big/5-0 - O-lineman in charge of the D-lineman, the Running Back is in charge of the Linebacker

This is a more common protection as it allows the offense to match body types, but if the RB isn't a good blocker, it can lead to immediate pressure in the A gap.

2. Full Slide - The entire O-line will 'slide' towards one side, the Running Back is in charge of whoever is on the backside (if there is a RB)

Full Slide prioritizes clogging up all of the interior gaps, but it allows the backside defender to build up a head of steam and sometimes come unblocked.

How Georgia Forces These Two Protections & Then Sim Pressures

Georgia will align their defense in a clean way so that the offense can 'declare' their protection pre-snap, so this means that they aren't shifting or moving around before the snap.

Typically they'll line up 5 on the line to force Man on Man protection, and 6 on the line to force the Full Slide.

Man on Man

Georgia puts this look on the field, knowing how the offense likes to block against it, and then strategically brings this Sim Pressure where the Mike will be unblocked.

​This is one that they run A LOT.

The key to the above pressure is the 4i (Right T) engaging the guard before wrapping around to the Offensive Tackle. The 4i by himself will occupy 2 guys, and since they're bringing the pressure away from the RB's side, he'll be unblocked.

Georgia knows that their offense likes to Full Slide vs this Double Mug/6 on the line look, so they 2v1 the Running Back, forcing him into a no-win scenario & they get a free rusher to the QB while only rushing 4 defenders against 6 blockers.

The most underrated parts about Simulated Pressure is that they can play any coverage behind it, and there's little to no downside.

Since they're only bringing 4 guys to rush, they still have 7 defenders in coverage, and if the rush doesn't get there... they still have 7 defenders in coverage.

Georgia's Scheme

Kirby Smart's philosophy is to stop the run with the fewest players possible.

The fewer bodies that it takes to stop the run, the better they can be against the pass.

Their entire run-stopping scheme revolves around:

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On top of that, the Overhangs (L & B in this diagram - Outside Backers/Nickels) are taught to force everything inside, shortening the field for the Inside Backers to clean up.

The upside to this is that Linebackers and Secondary players will always have opportunities to make plays, as they'll often be untouched.

The downside to this is that the D-Linemen will always have less impressive stats, as they're constantly eating up or blowing up double teams, to free up their teammates.

However, NFL teams know this which is why they have no problem drafting these monsters year after year.

Pattern Matching Over Spot Dropping

When it comes to the pass, Georgia more often than not prefers to read individual receivers, and have their coverage morph into the best possible coverage for the routes they run during the play, with pattern matching.

To the untrained eye, they can be running Cover 2, Cover 4, and Cover 6 all in 3 different plays, but to them, they're just matching what routes the receivers are running in each play.

Btw - This graphic above will be in my eBook that will come out in the next few months.

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In my eBook (coming out later this year), you’ll learn everything that you need to know in a simple way to understand.

Learning what your keys are, what your keys mean, how to read your keys, what offensive formations should mean to you, what each block should mean to you, the different blocking combinations that you’ll see, and how route combinations work can make all of the difference.

This ebook will cover everything from the ground up, including questions that you're too afraid to ask your coaches.

Football is complicated and can quickly become overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

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As a longtime Saban assistant, Smart has learned a thing or two.

The most notable aspect of this is that they run a Simplified version of Saban's Defense.

Whereas Saban loves to have dozens of coverages depending on the formation and situation, Smart does too but just a lot less.

This allows the players to spend less time memorizing and thinking, and more time playing.

However, make no mistake about it, it's still a complex defense.

In addition to this, they run a flexible Multiple Defense, where it can a 3-4, 4-3, or even a 4-2 at any point of the game.

Georgia's Coaching

Kirby Smart

Kirby Smart coached with arguably the greatest football coach of all time, Nick Saban for 11 years.

Smart was a defensive backs coach at LSU under Saban in 2004, and then he joined Saban's staff at Alabama in 2007 as a defensive backs coach, where he'd quickly be promoted to defensive coordinator only a year later.

Smart held that position until he left Alabama to become the head coach at Georgia in 2016. When you look at how much turnover Saban has in his staff year after year, it's even more impressive.

He was also named the Broyles Award winner as the nation's top assistant coach in 2009.

In addition to being a fantastic coach, coaching at Georgia is special to him as that is also where he played college football.

Some of his achievements as a player include:

• Four-year letterman at defensive back for Georgia
• First-team All-SEC selection as a senior
• Led Georgia with six interceptions in 1997 and five in 1998
• Finished his career with 13 interceptions, which ranked fourth all-time at Georgia
• Helped Georgia win the SEC championship in 1998

Glenn Schumann

Glenn Schumann is the inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator at the University of Georgia, having been with the Bulldogs since 2016 and being a part of two national championship teams (2021, 2022).

Schumann is Georgia's not-so-secret weapon at Georgia, having coached two Butkus Award winners, Roquan Smith (2017) and Nakobe Dean (2021), and developing several other NFL players, including Monty Rice, Tae Crowder, Quay Walker, and Channing Tindall.

In 2019, Schumann was named one of 30 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, which is given to the nation's top assistant coach.

He was also named one of the top 25 assistant coaches in college football by ESPN in 2021.

Schumann is a rising star in the coaching profession and is considered to be one of the top young defensive minds in the country.

Recruiting

Make no mistake about it, if Georgia wasn't able to recruit the talent that they do, they wouldn't ever touch the success that've been able to accomplish.

They've been able to recruit some of the most athletic specimens in the world.

To give you a few examples, normally when you think of Defensive Tackles, they are massively strong human beings that are very difficult to move, tailor-made for clogging up holes.

However, if you look at Georgia's two most recent Defensive Tackles... Jalen Carter is so athletic that despite being 310 lbs, he was dunking as a Junior in high school.

Jordan Davis ran a 4.78 laser at 340 lbs, a time faster than Patrick Mahomes!!!

When Kirby Smart is hiring coaches, he wants to make sure that they're great coaches and great recruiters.

Whereas many teams have a few handpicked members of their staff to go on recruiting trips, Georgia's entire coaching staff is known for being aggressive recruiters, where they are constantly on the road visiting as many targeted high schools as possible, dividing and conquering different areas as a staff.

Developing Talent

Georgia has a strong track record of developing talent. In recent years, the Bulldogs have had a record number of players drafted in each draft.

This success on the field is a testament to the work that Georgia does in developing its players.

The Bulldogs have a number of resources that help them develop talent.

They have a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning program, a world-class nutrition program, and a top-notch medical staff. They also have a number of experienced coaches who are experts in their respective positions.

As a result of these resources, Georgia is able to help its players reach their full potential.

The Bulldogs have a track record of developing players into NFL-caliber talent, and this is a major selling point for recruits.

Being on the Road

Georgia has a strong infrastructure for recruiting.

The school has a dedicated recruiting staff that is constantly on the road, visiting schools and meeting with recruits. Georgia also has a strong financial commitment to recruiting, which allows the school to offer recruits the best possible facilities and amenities.

The Bulldogs' recruiting staff is made up of experienced coaches who are experts in their respective positions.

They are constantly on the road, visiting schools and meeting with recruits. The staff also uses social media to stay connected with recruits and their families.

Georgia's financial commitment to recruiting allows the school to offer recruits the best possible facilities and amenities. The Bulldogs have a state-of-the-art football facility that includes a weight room, a locker room, a theater, and a cafeteria. The school also has a number of other facilities that are used for recruiting, such as a golf course and a lake.

As a result of its strong infrastructure for recruiting, Georgia is able to consistently land top-ranked recruiting classes. This has helped the Bulldogs build a strong roster that has been able to compete for championships.

Selling the Program

Georgia has a lot to offer recruits. The school has a great academic reputation, a beautiful campus, and a vibrant student life. Georgia also has a strong alumni network that can help recruits find jobs after college.

In addition to these factors, Georgia is also a winning program.

The Bulldogs have won 10 or more games in each of the last three seasons, and they won the SEC championship in 2017 and 2022. This success on the field makes Georgia an attractive destination for recruits.

When selling the program to recruits, Georgia emphasizes its academic reputation, its strong alumni network, and its commitment to winning. The Bulldogs also highlight the fact that they have a great coaching staff and state-of-the-art facilities.

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If you missed the last few newsletters, you can find them below:

• ​How the Legion of Boom Changed the NFL Forever​
• ​Darrelle Revis Was Somehow Even Better Off the Field​