Georgia trying Leonard Floyd at inside linebacker

ATHENS, Ga. -- Leonard Floyd can do it all.

He has done more than his share at outside linebacker in his Georgia career. During Friday afternoon's practice, he was playing the star position, which is a fifth defensive back in the slot when the Bulldogs are in a nickel defense.

But in the first week of camp, Floyd has also been working as a Mike linebacker in Georgia's base defense, which is the standard 3-4 set the Bulldogs would typically begin a game with. In this set, Floyd and Tim Kimbrough are the inside linebackers, with Floyd kicking out to star and Reggie Carter filling the Mike spot in the nickel.

Floyd's length and athleticism give Georgia plenty of options of how it wants to use the playmaker.

"He's a guy that could play safety if he wanted to," inside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler said. "He's one of the most athletic players in the country."

Ekeler said, however, that Floyd is primarily in defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeremy Pruitt and outside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer's meeting rooms instead of his.

"We got a lot of guys in the mix," Ekeler said when asked if he was down to two guys who could start. "We could pick a lot of guys at this point."

Ekeler added that, as of now, six or seven players have a realistic shot at playing time.

Although Floyd is seeing time as a base inside linebacker, it's seen as being on a tryout basis at the moment.

During the two periods of practice open to the media, Floyd worked on the sled with the outside linebackers before moving to participate in star drills. His height, at 6-foot-4, was unique to see as he towered over his defensive back counterparts. After two consecutive plays, safety Quincy Mauger stepped in to assist him with his technique. Floyd then received a third rep before that particular period of practice ended.

"We're trying to build a fearless team, and he's definitely a piece we need to achieve that," Mauger said. "We're all trying new positions."

This story was originally published August 7, 2015 at 11:25 PM with the headline "Georgia trying Leonard Floyd at inside linebacker ."