Georgia finding a role for 'slippery' Chauncey Manac

Georgia only has one member of its 2017 signing class in its defensive line room this season, but another scholarship player is now a part of the group.

Redshirt freshman Chauncey Manac is working as a defensive end but continues to give the Bulldogs flexibility on defense after moving from outside linebacker.

“This is a guy who continues to make plays in practice and we have the same debate — is he an outside linebacker or defensive end?” coach Kirby Smart said. “The way college football is now, not NFL, but college football is such a space game. Chauncey is slippery, he is hard to block, but when we run down hill runs at him he is not as effective. He is not big enough to hold up, so you have to decide what role does he have. He certainly has a role on this team because he has a really uncanny ability to get on and off blocks, to make plays, to cause disruption.”

Manac, from the South Georgia town of Fargo who played at Clinch County High, is listed at 6-3 and 243 pounds. Georgia would like him to play at 260 pounds.

“He’s a guy we have to continue to develop,” defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. “He’s a young guy. We have a lot of young guys, but we see marked improvement in him.”

Manac was the defensive winner for most improved player this spring.

Georgia’s defensive line only has one signee added this summer: Malik Herring from Mary Persons. Devonte Wyatt is headed to Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College.

Outside linebacker is a position of strength for Georgia led by Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy.

Manac “certainly has a role on this team because he has a really uncanny ability to get on and off blocks, to make plays, to cause disruption,” Smart said. “ He is still learning our system. He does not know it exactly right, but right now he has been working at defensive end. But, you have to remember, 50 percent of our outside backers are defensive ends, so is he this one or this one? Really, he is a little bit of both. We are just putting him in that room so he gets that experience more often in there. He could always move back.”