Photo: Greg Poole/Bulldawg Illustrated
The Bulldogs roster is full of talented freshmen and many of those guys should find the field very early in the season. Moreover, this list does not discount the hard work that the other freshmen have been putting in this offseason. This is simply my opinion of who could get on the field early out of the plenty of freshmen who have thrived in practice so far.
[su_heading align=”left”]5. DL Michail Carter[/su_heading] Michail Carter was one of the top defensive tackles in the country and he is proving that hype in practice. Carter has continued to gain the praise from the Bulldogs coaches, namely Tracy Rocker and Kirby Smart. Carter could be a pivotal player for the Bulldogs this season since the depth of the defensive line is a major concern. If Carter keeps impressing, then he will definitely find the field and will help alleviate the depth concerns on the defensive line.
[su_heading align=”left”]4. TE Charlie Woerner[/su_heading] To say that the tight end position at Georgia is full of talent would be a huge understatement. With guys like Jeb Blazevich, Jordan Davis, and Isaac Nauta, playing time at this position should be hard to come by. However, it would not be surprising to see the Bulldogs run more three tight end sets and this could open the door for a guy like Woerner to see more playing time than your average freshmen tight end.
[su_heading align=”left”]3. Riley Ridley[/su_heading] Riley Ridley was a late and surprising addition to the Bulldogs recruiting class and what a surprise he has been thus far. Ridley has continued to impress coaches in practice day in and day out and should find very early playing time with the Bulldogs this season. He has the potential to be a big-time playmaker for the Bulldogs just like his brother Calvin at Alabama.
[su_heading align=”left”]2. Isaac Nauta[/su_heading] Isaac Nauta was one of the highest rated recruits to bring his talents to Athens this past year and he has certainly lived up to his hype in the offseason. Nauta continues to receive high marks from the coaching staff and it would be surprising to me if he did not receive some playing time in the first few games for the Bulldogs.
[su_heading align=”left”]1. Jacob Eason[/su_heading] Jacob Eason’s name appearing at the top of this list is no surprise at all. Most fans are hoping to see Eason’s number 10 take the field as the starter in their first game in the Georgia Dome against the North Carolina Tar Heels, but a starter has not been confirmed thus far. Regardless of who the starter is in game one, the question is not if Eason will take the field this season but when. Eason impressed in the G-day game and if he continues to excel in practice, then he should be able to lockdown the starting job some time this season.
[su_heading align=”left”]Honorable Mention: Ben Cleveland[/su_heading] With two new starters at the guard position on the offensive line, Ben Cleveland could put up a huge fight for one of those positions throughout the season. Cleveland has impressed offensive line coach Sam Pittman in practice multiple times and if he continues to gain Coach Pittman’s praise, then he will most likely see some time on the O-Line this season.
Michael Pope Aye. Michail Carter is a beast for sure.
I agree! There’s just too much freshmen talent on this team!
GO EASON GO DAWGS
I agree! All of the freshmen defensive lineman have gained praise but I just really like what I’ve seen out of Carter in practice. It’s still a long way from the season opener!
I agree… There’s just so much freshmen talent on this team to choose from that I had trouble only picking 5. I definitely believe we will see Hardman and Holyfield with some kind of impact this season.
I really wanted to put Holyfield on this list because the dude looks like an absolute beast. As of right now I think he may be 4th or 5th on the depth chart behind Chubb, Michel, Douglas, and Crowder but he could easily move up the depth chart very quickly this offseason. It’s still a long way away from the season opener but this is just what I am thinking after the first week of practice. I’m excited to see how all the freshmen perform this season!
Not at all, I really struggled between picking either Woerner, Hardman, Carter or Holyfield for the last two spots. In the end I decided on Woerner and Carter just because of the constant praise they have received from the coaches and how there is defensive line depth concerns and the potential 3 TE sets.
Hardman will definitely see early playing time and I would not be surprised to see Holyfield either. I think this whole freshmen group is doing an outstanding job so far and I’m excited to see what all of them do this season. Go Dawgs!
Good stuff Michael.
I think Michail Carter is not the only freshman defensive lineman who we could see on the field early for Georgia. I would also not be surprised to see Tyler Clark in the rotation as well.
Hartman and Holyfield will undoubtedly see a lot of playing time. Both are going to become superstar real soon, if given some playing time. UGA is loaded with talent and CKS knows how to use talent.
What about Holyfield? With the injuries at the RB position (Michel questionable; Chubb probable), I thought EH would get some early and significant snaps. Too many to choose from though. We signed a pretty good class with a small window for the new staff to work under. Looking forward to 2017 NSD and beyond.
Good list Michael, I really think with the quality of this incoming class that 10+ freshmen will play meaningful snaps early this year.
So, it’s your opinion that the other 5-star UGA signed, Mecole Hardman, won’t find the field early this season? I would think he has a much better chance to play meaningful snaps than Woerner does, especially with the number of guys ahead of him on the TE depth chart. At least early on, I see Woerner and Hardman contributing mostly on special teams, but with Hardman also getting some significant time in the secondary. Either way, I can’t wait to find out. Go Dawgs!