Quick Chat: Devonte Wyatt
November 18, 2021 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Somehow, it took until late in his fourth season at Georgia for Devonte Wyatt to get a chance to sit down for a Quick Chat. Better late than never.
A 6-foot-3 and 315-pound defensive lineman from Decatur, Ga., Wyatt, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter have all emerged as star interior defenders this season for the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs' top-rated defense. Sometimes they make plays by getting the man with the ball on the ground — Wyatt has 27 total stops — and other times they disrupt the offense and allow their teammates to get the tackles.
During our Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, Wyatt talked about his close friendship with the mountainous Davis (6-6, 340), seeing Davis and Carter playing on offense, his favorite Thanksgiving dish, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: How would you describe your friendship with Jordan Davis?
Wyatt: Jordan is my brother; we came in together and we just started connecting and started spending a lot of time with each other. We've built a relationship that can't be broken.
I think a lot of it is that when we came in a lot of people doubted us. He wasn't a five-star (recruit), I wasn't a five-star. There was just so much doubt that people had about us and we both just kept on picking each other up. He motivated me and I motivated him, and our bond just became tight, really tight.
I really love him as my brother and we're going to be together forever.
Frierson: How much fun are you guys on the defensive line having? I know it's a tough, physical position, one without much glamour, but it looks like you're having a lot of fun.
Wyatt: We're having a lot of fun, that's the main thing, but we're not done yet. We're not done yet, I can tell you that much.
Right now, we're keeping our head down and staying humble. We're not trying to get our head boosted up or anything like that. We've still got games ahead of us; we've got an opponent in front of us and we've got to handle our business. But it's been a fun season as it's been going along, though.
Frierson: When you and Jordan go out to eat, does the restaurant have to bring in extra staff to handle that large of an order?
Wyatt: [Laughs] With me and J.D., we can order a lot. But starting through the summer, we've been trying to lose a little weight, and we've lost a lot of weight together. Now that we can go to restaurants, that's the reason we lost the weight. When we go out to eat, to a team dinner or something, we can order anything we want and it won't be a problem.
But we can definitely eat — we can eat a whole lot [laughs].
Frierson: I know Jordan was trying to lay off the Swedish Fish. What is your thing that you've had to cut way back on?
Wyatt: I'd say juice, I was a big juice person. I love juice and I would drink juice for everything. Orange juice, any type of juice, Minute Maid juices, I laid off of sodas too, that was a big thing. I also tried to lay off of fried food too.
I lost a lot of weight from the start of Covid, like 30-something pounds.
Frierson: Do you ever wish you were out there in the jumbo package on offense with Jordan and Jalen Carter?
Wyatt: I don't feel left out or anything. I'm cheering right there with the crowd. I'm a big supporter of it. I'm definitely happy for them, especially when Jalen scored his first touchdown (last season against Tennessee). When I know they're going out there, I know we're fixing to do something.
I actually was on it (the jumbo package) before. I never actually got into the game but we've practiced it before. It was no big deal to me but I love when I seem then go out there. When they go out there, I get hyped.
Frierson: We've got Thanksgiving coming up next week, so what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Wyatt: My momma cooks up a lot of great stuff but I think it's the macaroni that's my favorite. I can't ever pass on the macaroni. There's a lot of good stuff: she cooks macaroni, collared greens, and for dessert it's the peach cobbler. The peach cobbler is the best dessert she makes, ever. Those are my three dishes right there.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen? Can you cook?
Wyatt: Oh, no, I let my momma do that. She does all the cooking. [Laughs] I'd burn the house down. I will help my momma go shopping, though, I'll do that.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team? Your buddy Jordan is the most popular answer by a mile, but I'm guessing there are some other guys that you're thinking of as well.
Wyatt: Jordan is definitely funny — he's No. 1. Other than Jordan, I'd say Nolan (linebacker Nolan Smith Jr.). Nolan's so funny.
Frierson: I don't think his name has come up yet. And he's like a super brilliant engineering student too, right?
Wyatt: Nolan is really funny, man. I don't know why nobody has said his name yet. If you sit with Nolan, he'll have you dying laughing.
Frierson: What is your best play ever? When you hear "best play" is there one that comes immediately to mind?
Wyatt: I think about my first year here, when I got my first sack against Texas (in the Sugar Bowl). It was my first sack of my Georgia career, that's something that you'll never forget. I was getting a lot of snaps in that game, too.
You've got to work hard to get a sack. It's not easy to get sacks when you're an interior defensive lineman. It's not.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Â
Staff Writer
Somehow, it took until late in his fourth season at Georgia for Devonte Wyatt to get a chance to sit down for a Quick Chat. Better late than never.
A 6-foot-3 and 315-pound defensive lineman from Decatur, Ga., Wyatt, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter have all emerged as star interior defenders this season for the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs' top-rated defense. Sometimes they make plays by getting the man with the ball on the ground — Wyatt has 27 total stops — and other times they disrupt the offense and allow their teammates to get the tackles.
During our Quick Chat after practice Tuesday, Wyatt talked about his close friendship with the mountainous Davis (6-6, 340), seeing Davis and Carter playing on offense, his favorite Thanksgiving dish, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: How would you describe your friendship with Jordan Davis?
Wyatt: Jordan is my brother; we came in together and we just started connecting and started spending a lot of time with each other. We've built a relationship that can't be broken.
I think a lot of it is that when we came in a lot of people doubted us. He wasn't a five-star (recruit), I wasn't a five-star. There was just so much doubt that people had about us and we both just kept on picking each other up. He motivated me and I motivated him, and our bond just became tight, really tight.
I really love him as my brother and we're going to be together forever.
Frierson: How much fun are you guys on the defensive line having? I know it's a tough, physical position, one without much glamour, but it looks like you're having a lot of fun.
Wyatt: We're having a lot of fun, that's the main thing, but we're not done yet. We're not done yet, I can tell you that much.
Right now, we're keeping our head down and staying humble. We're not trying to get our head boosted up or anything like that. We've still got games ahead of us; we've got an opponent in front of us and we've got to handle our business. But it's been a fun season as it's been going along, though.
Frierson: When you and Jordan go out to eat, does the restaurant have to bring in extra staff to handle that large of an order?
Wyatt: [Laughs] With me and J.D., we can order a lot. But starting through the summer, we've been trying to lose a little weight, and we've lost a lot of weight together. Now that we can go to restaurants, that's the reason we lost the weight. When we go out to eat, to a team dinner or something, we can order anything we want and it won't be a problem.
But we can definitely eat — we can eat a whole lot [laughs].
Frierson: I know Jordan was trying to lay off the Swedish Fish. What is your thing that you've had to cut way back on?
Wyatt: I'd say juice, I was a big juice person. I love juice and I would drink juice for everything. Orange juice, any type of juice, Minute Maid juices, I laid off of sodas too, that was a big thing. I also tried to lay off of fried food too.
I lost a lot of weight from the start of Covid, like 30-something pounds.
Frierson: Do you ever wish you were out there in the jumbo package on offense with Jordan and Jalen Carter?
Wyatt: I don't feel left out or anything. I'm cheering right there with the crowd. I'm a big supporter of it. I'm definitely happy for them, especially when Jalen scored his first touchdown (last season against Tennessee). When I know they're going out there, I know we're fixing to do something.
I actually was on it (the jumbo package) before. I never actually got into the game but we've practiced it before. It was no big deal to me but I love when I seem then go out there. When they go out there, I get hyped.
Frierson: We've got Thanksgiving coming up next week, so what is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
Wyatt: My momma cooks up a lot of great stuff but I think it's the macaroni that's my favorite. I can't ever pass on the macaroni. There's a lot of good stuff: she cooks macaroni, collared greens, and for dessert it's the peach cobbler. The peach cobbler is the best dessert she makes, ever. Those are my three dishes right there.
Frierson: How are you in the kitchen? Can you cook?
Wyatt: Oh, no, I let my momma do that. She does all the cooking. [Laughs] I'd burn the house down. I will help my momma go shopping, though, I'll do that.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team? Your buddy Jordan is the most popular answer by a mile, but I'm guessing there are some other guys that you're thinking of as well.
Wyatt: Jordan is definitely funny — he's No. 1. Other than Jordan, I'd say Nolan (linebacker Nolan Smith Jr.). Nolan's so funny.
Frierson: I don't think his name has come up yet. And he's like a super brilliant engineering student too, right?
Wyatt: Nolan is really funny, man. I don't know why nobody has said his name yet. If you sit with Nolan, he'll have you dying laughing.
Frierson: What is your best play ever? When you hear "best play" is there one that comes immediately to mind?
Wyatt: I think about my first year here, when I got my first sack against Texas (in the Sugar Bowl). It was my first sack of my Georgia career, that's something that you'll never forget. I was getting a lot of snaps in that game, too.
You've got to work hard to get a sack. It's not easy to get sacks when you're an interior defensive lineman. It's not.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Â
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
DL
/ Football
OLB
/ Football
DL
/ FootballGeorgia Football - Kirby Smart - Oscar Delp - Press Conference
Monday, September 22
Georgia Football - Brett Thorson Pre-Alabama Press Conference
Monday, September 22
Georgia Football - Zachariah Branch Pre-Alabama Press Conference
Monday, September 22
Georgia Football - Chris Cole - Bye Week Press Conference
Tuesday, September 16
