For Georgia DL coach, record-setting Jordan Davis contract another big win

Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott was among those excited to see the respect.

Davis signed with Georgia in Scott’s first full recruiting class during the 2018 cycle. At that point, Davis was a three-star prospect who some saw as an offensive tackle prospect. But Scott, who came to Georgia after a brief stop at North Carolina, believed in Davis.

With each season in Athens, Davis’ role grew.

Davis was the second defensive lineman coached by Scott to be taken in the first round. Travon Walker was the No. 1 overall pick in the same 2022 NFL Draft.

Nine defensive linemen coached by Scott have been drafted since arriving in Athens, with eight coming in the previous four NFL drafts. The best teams at Georgia have been led by their defensive linemen.

“In a perfect world, as a coach, you want to get somewhere where you can let your metaphorical cleats sink in the sand and then create culture, and it takes time to do that,” Scott told DawgNation prior to the Sugar Bowl. “You can’t just do that over a one- or two-year time frame. So, the challenge for me was being able to get somewhere, try to find an opportunity or an option to be able to sustain.”

Scott will be entering his 10th season in Athens as the Bulldogs start spring practice next week, making him one of the longest tenured assistants on staff.

The Bulldogs have become one the premier schools for defensive linemen in the country. Scott can point to a number of prospects who have gone on to have success under his tutelage.

Walker and Jalen Carter were five-star prospects coming out of high school. Davis and Zion Logue, conversely, took a little longer to develop.

Christen Miller, who entered college as a coveted four-star recruit, puts himself in the latter camp. Yet he’ll be the next Georgia defensive lineman off Scott’s assembly line in next month’s NFL draft. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had Miller landing with the Atlanta Falcons at pick No. 48 in his most recent mock draft.

“He did an amazing job just having patience with me,” Miller said of Scott at this year’s NFL combine. “Just allowing me to grow as a man and just allowing me to grow as a player. And just holding me accountable.”

“For me, it’s been just inspiring to just be able to see one of the guys like him who loves Georgia be able to come in and do everything he wanted and still feel like he’s underachieved,” Scott said of Miller. “So, it’s been great, man, just seeing his growth mentally and physically.”

Most schools would find it hard to replace a player like Miller. Scott has had to do so before, whether it be Carter or Davis.

Waiting in the wings for the Bulldogs is rising sophomore Elijah Griffin. He was a five-star recruit in the 2025 class and ranked as the top defensive player in the cycle. He earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC team last season, playing a significant role on the No. 4 ranked rushing defense in the country.

In the same 2025 class where Georgia signed Griffin, Scott thought he had landed another five-star prospect in Justus Terry. But at the 11th hour, Terry picked the Texas Longhorns. He stated it was a “business decision.”