UGA DL Jonathan Ledbetter, Julian Rochester Working On Improving Stamina
Two key UGA defensive linemen in Jonathan Ledbetter and Julian Rochester are working on improving their stamina over the offseason.
Two key UGA defensive linemen in Jonathan Ledbetter and Julian Rochester are working on improving their stamina over the offseason.
Sometimes bigger is not better.
That is the case for head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia defensive line, as two key players in the trenches, Jonathan Ledbetter and Julian Rochester have improved their stamina during the offseason instead of putting on a bunch of weight.
“I think he [Ledbetter] looks better, I agree with you there,” Smart said. “I think he’s transformed some of that. But it’s not actual pounds. He’s quicker. He’s playing faster. He’s got the stamina to go play three-four plays in a row and go run plays down. Where some of those other guys, they can’t do that.”
While Ledbetter has admittedly put a little weight on since last season, the Dawgs are going back to having quick and energetic linemen that are able to provide pressure for an entire game, not just on a few downs.
No one is a better example of that than Rochester, who has dropped 15 pounds after a freshman season that saw him record 36 total tackles and two sacks. While he has impressed some teammates, including linebacker David Bellamy, who said he hasn’t “seen a big guy like that who could move like that,” Rochester still has a way to go to impress the main man in Smart.
“Julian’s got to improve. He’s got to work to get him in better conditioning shape. So the weight is really off the guy but he’s not really playing fast. And I think it’s really important for him to do that.”
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