ATHENS — The Georgia football search for a defensive coordinator is winding down, and sources close to the situation say Oakland Raiders secondary coach Derrick Ansley is “under strong consideration” for a position with the Bulldogs.

Coach Kirby Smart already has a strong defensive staff in place, and linebackers coaches Dan Lanning (32 years old) and Glenn Schuman (28) are rising stars in the profession who have been discussed a great deal regarding the vacant coordinator post.

Lanning was chosen to speak in the defensive coordinator role at the Sugar Bowl, and he shared insight on the coaching vacancy, indicating the hire for defensive coordinator could come from within.

“It’s the Georgia defensive coordinator job, there’s a ton of interest in that job, we’re going to be able to attract a lot of great candidates for that position,” Lanning said. “We have a lot of great people on staff and in house,

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Ansley’s name was among the first mentioned when former defensive coordinator Mel Tucker left UGA to become Colorado’s head football coach after the SEC Championship Game.

Oakland coach Jon Gruden raved about Ansley to the San Jose Mercury News after hiring him a year ago.

“I think Derrick Ansley is going to be a star in this profession,” Gruden to the Mercury News. “Going to be a great secondary coach. Really excited to get him.”

The 37-year-old from Tallassee, Ala., had two stints at Alabama under Nick Saban, with stints at Tennessee (2012) and Kentucky (2013-15) in between.

Ansley was a member of the Tide staff that won the 2011 BCS title game, and again in Jan. 2018 when he was the secondary coach in a 26-23 overtime win over Georgia.

Ansley, who has 13 years of college coaching experience, was among those discussed for the Troy head coaching job and is also a finalist for a Big Ten defensive coordinator position.

Like Smart, Ansley was a standout player in college, starting 40 consecutive games and earning all-conference honors at Troy with 19 interceptions over his four-year career, including nine as a junior.