ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldog will tackle Scrimmage Two looking for improvements with just one week left in spring drills.

Smart, in summing up Scrimmage One, touched on an area the Bulldogs absolutely must solve to be an effective defense in 2022: linebackers.

Georgia is losing elite players from its second level with the likes of Butkus Award winner Nakobe Dean and NFL combine stars Quay Walker and Channing Tindall soon to be drafted into the professional ranks.

“We’re just really young (at the linebacker position),” Smart said. “There’s nobody that stands out—not compared to who just left that room. There are guys filling a role and there’s a difference.”

Many are looking to sophomore Jamon Dumas-Johnson — affectionally known as “Pops” — to grow up fast and fill Dean’s shoes just as Dean followed strong in the footsteps of NFL linebacker Monty Rice.

But Dumas-Johnson has had just one year of apprenticeship, whereas Dean had two, and last year’s group collectively raised the bar.

“There’s a standard at Georgia when you play inside linebacker and outside linebacker,” Smart said, “and we’re probably not playing to that standard right now.”

Junior inside linebacker Trezman Marshall, a 6-1, 230-pounder from Clinch County (Ga.) High School, is working to get back from injury and be part of the solution.

Marshall said it’s a linebacking corps, with 2021 sacks leader Robert Beal and Nolan Smith returning on the outside, that’s coming together.

“We always give it a tremendous effort,” Marshall said. “Right now, we are working on our connection, like being together and everything, learning plays.

“We have our own group right now, but we fully bought in and getting better every day.”

Indeed, Smart indicated effort has not been the issue.

“It’s not because they’re not trying hard enough and it’s not because they’re not passionate enough, it’s because they don’t have the experience or the reps,” Smart said.

“We’re catching up on that every day as fast as we can. (Xavian) Sorey (Jr.)’s taken a lot of reps, but he’s got a long way to go. Jalon Walker’s taken a lot of reps—he’s got a long way to go. Trezmen (Marshall) is injured, so he’s on a pitch count—on a number of reps—and he’s able to go some with the ones and help us out.

“At outside linebacker with Chaz (Chambliss) and (MJ Sherman), they’ve gotten a lot of work with Nolan (Smith) and (Robert) Beal (Jr.) there.”