Georgia has found its next outside linebackers coach, tabbing West Virginia’s edges/pass rush specialist, Larry Knight, to replace Chidera Uzo-Diribe. The Bulldogs announced the hiring Tuesday.
Knight, who was hired by West Virginia in January, spent last season at Arkansas State, working as the defensive ends coach and run game coordinator. Arkansas State finished with 39 sacks last season, up from the 19 sacks the Red Wolves had in 2024. Arkansas State finished tied for ninth nationally in sacks last season.
“We are excited to add a coach and a man of Coach Knight’s caliber to the staff,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in a statement. “He has produced on the field at all of his coaching stops and has also proven his worth as one of the best recruiters around. Coach Knight was a conference champion on the field when he played for Central Michigan and I know he is ready to get to work in his home state.”
Knight is a Georgia native, hailing from Augusta. He played collegiately at Central Michigan.
Knight has coached in the state of Georgia before, working at Georgia State in 2015-16 and at Georgia Tech from 2019-2022. During his time with the Yellow Jackets, Knight was the defensive line and defensive recruiting coordinator. Knight worked with current Georgia nickels/stars coach Andrew Thacker when the two were at Georgia Tech.
Uzo-Diribe left for an opening on the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff after spending four seasons in Athens. Other coaching stops include Cincinnati (2011-2012), Tennessee (2013-15), Temple (2017-18, 2023-24) and the Green Bay Packers (spring of 2025).
Knight inherits a talented outside linebacker room, with the Bulldogs bringing back Gabe Harris and Quintavius Johnson. Behind those two, the Bulldogs also have second-year players in Chase Linton, Darren Ikinnagbon and Isaiah Gibson eager to carve out roles. Georgia signed four-star outside linebacker Khamari Brooks as a part of the 2026 recruiting class.
Georgia is looking to improve in terms of sacking the opposing quarterback. Georgia had just 20 sacks last season, ranking 108th in the country in the statistic. Of those sacks, only three came from the outside linebacker room.
“One of the things we got to improve is pass rush,” Smart said in an interview with Glory Glory’s Jeff Dantzler. “Gabe Harris is going to do that. He’s going to do that. Getting Q (Johnson) back is going to do that. So we were able to put some pieces together.”
Georgia has now made two on-field coaching changes, with Phil Rauscher taking over for Stacy Searels on the offensive line. Searels will work as an analyst for Georgia in 2026. That move was announced in January.
Knight will get his first chance to work with the Bulldogs in March when they begin spring practice.
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