Steve Sarkisian clearly took an important part of Kirby Smart's staff this offseason

Over the last two years, the relationship between the Georgia Bulldogs and defensive analyst Will Muschamp changed, moving the assistant coach to an off-field role following the 2023 season.

Then, after the 2025 season came to an end, the Texas Longhorns and Steve Sarkisian swooped in, bringing Muschamp back to the 40 Acres as the program's new defensive coordinator.

Read more: Excitement continues to explode for Will Muschamp's return to Texas's sideline

Now, despite the fact that Muschamp's role looked like it had diminished over the last few years for those on the outside looking in, even Georgia players have had to admit that he was a massive part of their program.

"That was my dog," Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson said at SEC Media Days. "He was always coming to practice smiling, yelling, trying to make people laugh... He's pretty much like Coach [Kirby] Smart. He taught me... I would say I learned a lot from him."

Wilson went on to talk about how Muschamp helped teach him to anticipate plays better on the field and in real game scenarios, concluding, "He's taught me a lot since being at Georgia," Wilson finished.

"Coach Muschamp's definitely a great coach," Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton said. "He's definitely got a lot of passion. I hope the best for him."

Will Georgia's defense suffer without Will Muschamp?

Of course, having a veteran defensive expert like Muschamp on your staff never hurts. Over the last half-decade, the former Georgia assistant did a lot to ensure the success of head coach Kirby Smart's program.

However, Smart did retain defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, as well as defensive assistants Tray Scott, Andrew Thacker, and Donte Williams.

So, while the experience and pedigree (part of that coming from his time at Texas under then-head coach Mack Brown) that Muschamp brings to the table might not be available for Smart and the Bulldogs, that is not to say that the Georgia defense will take a massive step in the wrong direction this season.

Of course, Georgia has had one of the best defenses in the country over the last few seasons, much less compared to the rest of the SEC. Since Texas joined the SEC in 2024, the Longhorns' defensive unit has joined that conversation as well.

Also read: Texas defensive ranking snub made worse by the 2 SEC teams ranked ahead of the Horns

Texas and Georgia are not scheduled to play one another in the regular season this year, but many experts have the two powerhouses topping the conference standings and facing off in the SEC Championship game.

So, while Muschamp does not have to prepare to coach against his former team and boss quite yet, it certainly is not entirely out of the picture.

Muschamp's official return to the Longhorns' sideline will be on Saturday, Sept. 5, when Texas hosts the Texas State Bobcats at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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This article was originally published on hookemheadlines.com as Steve Sarkisian clearly took an important part of Kirby Smart's staff this offseason.