ATHENS — Georgia freshman defensive tackle Jordan “Big Baby” Hall, one of the young players Kirby Smart is counting on, will take his first steps against SEC competition on Saturday.

The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs play host to an upset-minded South Carolina team at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, and Hall will be part of the plan to pressure the Gamecocks’ star quarterback, Spencer Rattler.

“Jordan has helped us in third down situations,” Smart said this week, “(and) rotational play.”

Hall indicated last summer the plan was for him to take on some of the pass-rushing snaps formerly received for Bear Alexander, who transferred to USC last summer.

Smart and his defensive staff have done their part to give Hall opportunities to develop through the first two games against UT-Martin and Ball State, as his 48 snaps are 10 more than any other defensive tackle has played.

The Georgia head coach spoke of Hall and Jamaal Jarrett on his coaches’ show on Thursday night when asked how the freshmen were breaking in, which figures to be one of the keys to the future.

“They are both working really hard, they’ve been with us and competed since last spring, they were mind-year enrollees,” Smart said.

“It’s really hard physically to play offensive (or) defensive line as a freshmen, you don’t find it very often because there’s a certain level of weight room that’s involved in that.

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