Gabe Harris is not the biggest or most well-known name on Georgia’s defense.

Of the three outside linebackers Georgia signed in the 2023 recruiting class, Harris was the lowest-ranked of the trio. Outside linebacker hasn’t been his full-time position either, as Georgia has worked him heavily on the defensive line.

Georgia’s defensive line is set to undergo major changes this offseason, with Mykel Williams, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Naz Stackhouse and Warren Brinson all off to the NFL. That would seem to necessitate playing someone with Harris' skillset more often.

But Georgia also saw the other two outside linebacker that Harris signed with, Damon Wilson and Sam M’Pemba, transfer out of the program. Throw in that Chaz Chambliss exhausted his collegiate eligibility and Georgia also has a pretty big hole at outside linebacker.

Georgia’s defensive front has multiple holes on it entering the 2025 season. And while Harris is only one man, Georgia is going to need him to make an impact all along its defensive front in the 2025 season.

In spurts, Harris has been a productive player for the Bulldogs. He appeared in all 14 games last season for Georgia. Despite being behind the likes of Chambliss and Wilson, he still added 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. His best game came late in the year against UMass, when he had 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack for the Bulldogs.

On the defensive line, Harris has the frame and ability to play the defensive end position previously played by Williams and Ingram-Dawkins. That position hasn’t always asked players to be super productive, often being tasked with setting the edge and pushing the pocket.

As for Georgia’s other options there, look for Joseph Jonah-Ajonye to get a long look at the position. The 5-star freshman impressed early last season but his season was ultimately cut short due to a lower-body injury. The expectation is that he will be good to go this spring.

The Bulldogs also have fellow redshirt freshman Justin Greene as an option. Georgia will lean heavily on its 2024 defensive line signees to take a step forward this coming season.

Relying on two unproven redshirt freshmen might not be ideal for defensive line coach Tray Scott.

But the situation at outside linebacker is just as unproven, if not more.

With Wilson and M’Pemba transferring out, Harris is the oldest player in the outside linebacker room. Behind him, Georgia has sophomore Quintavius Johnson. As a freshman, Johnson was limited to special teams duties, picking up just 4 tackles in 12 games.

That is still four more tackles than the other three outside linebackers on Georgia’s roster have. Those would be true freshmen Isaiah Gibson, Chase Linton and Darren Ikinnagbon.

All three freshmen were top-100 players in the 2025 signing cycle, indicating they have some real promise moving forward. Gibson was a 5-star prospect and the No. 1 ranked prospect at the position. But there’s a big jump to be made from promising prospect to actual contributor.

Which is why Georgia will still give Harris plenty of playing time at outside linebacker in 2025. As they have to this point in his career, Georgia is going to ask Harris to play multiple roles on its defense next season.

The Bulldogs are likely to look at the transfer portal for help outside linebacker position this spring. The portal opens on April 16 and closes on April 25, giving Georgia a chance to add reinforcements in order to ease the burden on Harris.

Even with the losses, Georgia’s defensive front still has plenty of talent. CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson are two veteran linebackers, while Christen Miller and Chris Cole seem poised to break out. The Bulldogs also signed the No. 1 defensive lineman in the country in Elijah Griffin.

All of those names are bigger than Harris. With the exception of Griffin and Cole — who were former 5-star prospects — they’re all more proven players.

But none figure to command as crucial a role as Harris in 2025. If the Georgia defense is going to be elite again, Harris is going to have to prove he’s capable of potentially playing both spots at a high level.