If you’re talking about players living up to expectations, sophomore linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson should be one of the first guys that come to mind. He flashed his talent in the opportunities he was given last year and has since turned that into legitimate playing time in 2022. Now a game-tested, starting linebacker on the Georgia defense, Jamon Dumas is blazing his own path and beginning to show that he could be one of the next great defenders to come through Athens. 

Coach Smart has been happy about the progression of his linebacking core so far this season saying, “The first thing they’ve gained is experience. I think gained experience is invaluable.” Smart was talking about the experience gained from playing in actual games, but no one said those game reps were easy. Speaking of his own experience so far Jamon said, “Playing linebacker at Georgia is very hard to do,” but he immediately followed up by saying, “…practice makes it easier for Saturdays.”

Something that Jamon has been particularly excited about has been preparing for the SEC opener against South Carolina. There’s been a lot of hype around Georgia’s first away game, especially because of the rowdiness of the Gamecock fandom, but when asked about that, Jamon was quick to negate that advantage explaining that they’ve practiced excessively preparing for the crowd noise. He said by Saturday, they’d be “used” to it and punctuated his statement by saying, “We’ll be ready for it.”

Regardless of that, though, Jamon has displayed plenty of confidence, saying there aren’t really “too many challenges” that USC presents to them. He’s putting trust in his training and his ability to play the pass and run, saying, “… at backer at the University of Georgia, we most likely can do everything that you want a linebacker to do.”

Jamon’s skills will be tested as he will now play against SEC-level competition, but he’s said he’s 100% ready for the challenge.