TAMPA, Fla. — When Raylen Wilson was asked on Tuesday during SEC Media Days about his excitement level for the upcoming year, he flashed a cheek-to-cheek smile.
“I’m excited,” Wilson said.
It is a big year for Wilson, who enters this 2026 season as the unquestioned leader of Georgia’s defense. Personally, he’s hoping to take the next step that so many have taken before him.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart has put together quite the list of outstanding linebackers who have assumed the leadership position. From Roquan Smith, Nakobe Dean and most recently CJ Allen.
But now it is Wilson, who steps out of the on-deck circle and into the batter’s box where he tries to carry on that standard of being a prized linebacker at Georgia and trying to bring home a championship.
Wilson enters his fourth season at Georgia, acting as an outlier to a defense that consists of the majority of underclassmen. Around the program, Wilson, or as most of the players call him “Unc,” the Tallahassee, Florida, native is one of the few senior starting defenders on this 2026 roster.
But the experience he has gained over these going-on four years has set Wilson up tremendously to take the next step as a player and a leader.
“Without Raylen, I don’t think we would function the way we do. But Raylen’s just that guy that we can look forward to. He gives us the calm we needed. He’s just that leader that we’ve always been looking for,” junior linebacker Justin Williams said to Dawgnation on July 17. “Having Raylen’s been the best thing in the world. Couldn’t ask for a better leader.”
Wilson enters his final year with 136 career tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks, one fumble recovery and as many forced.
Last year was the prototypical next step most Georgia linebackers take, posting career highs in with 74 total tackles — the most of any LB — 6.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks. Along with the down-to-down success, Wilson also began improving as a vocal leader, a trend that has carried into now.
“I feel like when I first came in, I wasn’t a lot talkative,” Wilson said. “But the longer I stayed here, the more I got comfortable with just talking out, making sure everybody doing the right things, and just coaching on and off the field.”
He is not the only one noticing; even on the opposite side of the ball, center Drew Bobo is anchoring the Bulldogs’ offensive line and dealing with Wilson each day in practice. Those daily battles have made him “a lot better,” Bobo added, and he believes Wilson has taken a huge step forward by being more vocal on the field.
“He’s become really vocal, especially towards the defense,” Bobo said. “Just getting everyone lined up, getting everyone ready to go, and I’m really happy for him.”
Outside of the overall team success, Wilson brought up his willingness to improve his pass coverage — both man and zone coverages — and continue to execute his timing as a pass rusher. With those goals, Wilson wants to remain “relentless,” which was the word he best described himself as a player.
“I really want to be unblockable,” he said. “I want to feel like nothing can stop me from getting to the ball.”
It is an identity he hopes the entire defense adapts this fall. Wilson wants to lead a group that is relentless all around the field, violent against its opponents and, of course, keeps them out of the end zone. Georgia surrendered just 28 touchdowns in 2025, ranking 10th best in the nation and second in the SEC behind Oklahoma’s 20.
“Every game is to not let anybody get in our end zone. That’s the standard here at Georgia,” Wilson said. “We’re going to continue to uphold that.”
Raylen Wilson excited for the difficult task that lies ahead for Georgia
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