When you put as many defensive linemen into the NFL as Tray Scott has in his time at Georgia, you tend to have an easier time recruiting the next wave of talent.

After turning Travon Walker, Jalen Carter, Mykel Williams and others into NFL players, Scott has loaded up the defensive line room once again for the Georgia Bulldogs.

It has become a popular talking point to say that Georgia’s 2026 defensive line will be its best since the 2021 group. That season saw Walker, Carter and Jordan Davis propel the Bulldogs to a national championship.

If Georgia is to equal that feat this coming season, its defensive line will need to play at a high level. And the three players who could help raise the ceiling of this group are all former 5-star talents.

The current star of the defensive line is sophomore Elijah Griffin. He arrived in Athens as the top-ranked defensive prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle. He quickly lived up to that vaunted ranking as a freshman, making the SEC’s All-Freshman team.

Griffin’s impact was on par with that of Carter when he was a freshman. Heading into year two, Georgia wants Griffin to be an even more destructive presence.

If Griffin can wreak shop like a two-year-old tearing into their dinner, Georgia’s defense could be one of the nastiest in the country.

“Disruptive, twitchiness, giving him opportunities to move and beat guys with his quickness and make plays in the backfield. He’s very strong for his age,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of Griffin this spring. “He’s very quick for his size, and just being unblockable is what we’d like to see, and playing with a high motor and a destructive attitude.”

Griffin is not the only 5-star on the defensive line who needs to take a step forward this fall.

Joseph Jonah-Ajonye is entering his third year in the program. Unlike last offseason, when Jonah-Ajonye was returning from foot surgery, he’s been fully healthy as he looks to take on a bigger role in the defense.

When Gabe Harris suffered a season-ending toe injury against Alabama, it was Jonah-Ajonye that Georgia turned to as his replacement. While Georgia’s defense took a step back without Harris, Jonah-Ajonye got a taste of what it was like to be a significant contributor.

Georgia needs that to happen more consistently with Jonah-Ajonye this season. He’s long been one of the most physically imposing members of this defense. Georgia hopes those physical gifts translate into being a consistent contributor this fall.

Of the three 5-star defensive linemen on Georgia’s 2026 roster, the biggest mystery is also its most veteran player.

Jordan Hall suffered a season-ending knee injury against Florida last season. He missed spring practice as he continued to recover from the injury.

This will be Hall’s fourth year in the program, but it’s hard to know what to expect from the Jacksonville, Florida, native. Injuries have limited him in each of the past two seasons. When healthy, he’s been a stout run defender for the Bulldogs.

With Christen Miller now playing for the New Orleans Saints, a healthy Hall could help replace him in the middle of the defense. Having someone at his size to pair with Griffin and Xzavier McLeod on the interior of the defense would give Georgia an incredibly formidable interior.

The 5-star prospects aren’t the only reason to be excited about Georgia’s defense this coming season. McLeod enters his third season in the program, while Nnamdi Ogboko, JJ Hanne and Nasir Johnson will all look to provide great depth for the Bulldogs.

Playing time will be hard to come by in this room, but Georgia did sign five defensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting cycle. As Hanne showed last season, you can’t rule out any of them forcing their way into the defensive line rotation.

Georgia’s defensive line is deep and among the nation’s most talented. But if it is to be the best in the country, its 5-star prospects are going to need to reach their ceilings this season.

For Hall and Jonah-Ajonye, they need to stay on the field and play at a consistent level for Georgia.

As for Griffin, he could very well end the season as one of the best defensive players, not just linemen, in the country.

If all that happens, this group has as good a shot as any of equaling what the 2021 Georgia defensive line was able to do.