Cornerback Brandon Boykin (left) and safety Bacarri Rambo (right) are two young, athletic players that could thrive in new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's 3-4 defensive scheme. (AP Photo)

The Georgia Bulldogs football team underwent a complete overhaul on the defensive side of the football in the offseason, beginning with the termination of defensive coordinator Willie Martinez.

After an extensive search the Bulldogs ended up hiring Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham.

Grantham brings with him nearly a decade's worth of NFL experience and a new defensive system that has reinvigorated the Georgia defense.

The Bulldogs have worked on implementing Grantham's 3-4 defense in the offseason and will debut the new-look scheme when their spring practices begin on Thursday.

"It’s going to be a pretty busy spring," Grantham told The Macon Telegraph. "The critical thing is making sure everybody’s on the same page, making sure the language we’re talking is all the same.”

Many of the Georgia players have switched positions to fit better into the new scheme, and one thing that most players have noticed is increased energy and enthusiasm from the unit.

“We’ve learned a lot of the basics that go on, and in practice throughout the spring, it’s going to be very high tempo,” senior linebacker Darryl Gamble said.

Linebacker Marcus Dowtin echoed Gamble's thoughts on the increased tempo.

“I look at the guys at my position and the people around that position with the Cowboys, and I just see the energy and how people are flying to the ball," Dowtin said. "It’s exciting. It’s something new and it’s something that other teams won’t be used to. I think it’s going to be a shock to everybody.”

The Georgia defense has nowhere to go but up after finishing 10th in the SEC in scoring defense a year ago.

Georgia finished near the bottom of the league against the pass and will have to replace a couple of key starters in senior Prince Miller and Reshad Jones, who left early for the NFL Draft.

But the Bulldogs have plenty of young talent in the secondary and with the new coaching, the players and coaches feel like the secondary could have a breakout year in 2010.

Safety Bacarri Rambo and cornerbacks Brandon Boyknin and Branden Smith provide Georgia with an immensely talented and athletic backfield. Experience will be the one thing that could hold the unit back in 2010.

However, Rambo said that the new staff has worked much more with them on fundamentals, like footwork. That could put the secondary in a position to create more plays and force turnovers, something that will be key to helping a new quarterback get his feet wet in the Southeastern Conference.

“The biggest thing is Coach Grantham has a vision for what this defense is going to look like," coach Mark Richt said.

If all goes according to plan, that vision could help turn things around for the Georgia Bulldogs.