Photo: Rob Saye/Bulldawg Illustrated
[su_spacer size=”20″] Quarterback
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It is the biggest question mark – though not the most important one for the Bulldogs – heading into preseason camp. Will it be R-Jr. Faton Bauta, R-Soph. Brice Ramsey or RFr. Jacob Park starting at quarterback? There is the verbal commitment from prep phenom Jacob Eason, regarded as the country’s top high school signal caller, who plans on being at Georgia as a collegiate freshman for the 2016 campaign.
Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said there was no starter after the spring and the competition would continue into preseason camp. It is a good bet that at least two, with Bauta and Ramsey being the front-runners, of the QB’s will play in the opener against Louisiana-Monroe, and possibly the following week in the Southeastern Conference opener at Vanderbilt. Ramsey played some last year, including a majority of the Belk Bowl after a battlefield promotion due to Hutson Mason’s injury. He looked solid, but did not overwhelm. Bauta is an outstanding runner who impressed during the spring. The ability to take care of the football could be the key to whom gets the nod. Park has talent, but is third in the derby heading into preseason camp, and needs to make up ground early to contend for the starting job.
For the Bulldog faithful looking at this season as a stop-gap, assuming that Eason will win the job as a true freshman in 2016, this should be kept in mind – this is a third starter in three years and next year would be a fourth in four if that were to happen.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Running Back[su_spacer size=”10″]
Georgia lost the best player in the country to the National Football League. But, despite Todd Gurley’s departure to the pros, the Bulldogs could have the best collection of running backs in all of college football. It speaks volumes for the job Tailback U. has done recruiting. Nick Chubb had one of the best freshman seasons in school history a year ago, and fellow classmate Sony Michel, who missed much of the 2014 campaign due to injury, is also an elite talent. No one can boast a better onetwo punch than these five-star phenoms who were electric as freshmen. Chubb runs with tremendous power and tenacity. Though he is not the top-end burner as Gurley, he has superb speed. Michel has lateral juice, standout speed, and despite not being quite as big as Chubb, he too finishes the run. The only downer for these two were one-yard line fumbles in the heart-breaking regular season finale that should certainly serve as great motivation for even better things in 2015.
Keith Marshall, riddled by injuries the previous two seasons, is back and excited to be back in the mix. He has excellent hands, and if the knee is healthy, breakaway speed. Marshall could be utilized in packages to add another weapon to the outstanding arsenal of backfield talent. With power runner Brendan Douglas, a big, tough, physical back, and now-healthy spring standout A.J. Turman, the Bulldogs have the depth and elite talent to form the very best corps in the land. This will be the centerpiece of the offense. The injuries of the last two seasons mean one of two things, you can’t have enough depth at this spot, or Georgia should be in store for a healthy campaign at the position that more than any other, has made the Dogs famous.
Clearing the holes will be crowd-favorite Quayvon Hicks, a strong straight-ahead runner and excellent lead-blocker who also has good hands. First year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will certainly be tempted to utilize various formations to get multiple game breakers simultaneously on the field.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Wide Receiver and Tight End[su_spacer size=”10″]
Malcolm Mitchell’s health is the key to Georgia’s success at wide receiver. He has missed much of the last two years due to knee injuries, but when Mitchell is okay, Georgia has one of the top big play makers and game breakers in the league. His Jacksonville touchdown in 2012 and performance in Knoxville the year prior are prime examples of what he can do. Mitchell is anxious to return to the field and lead this group. Who will line up opposite him is a big question.
Before a knee-injury brought his 2013 season to an end, sprinter Justin Scott-Wesley caught game-winning or swinging touchdowns in memorable victories over South Carolina and LSU. But he never got healthy last year.
This is a position where Georgia did not recruit well for a couple of years, and it shows, especially having to replace Chris Conley, Michael Bennett and Johnathan Rumph.
Recruiting elite talent was a top priority in this class, and Terry Godwin and Michael Chigbu in particular will be looked on to have an early impact. And then there is return ace Isaiah McKenzie. Will he make more of an impact on offense? Without a doubt, he is one of the SEC’s top big play threats.
At tight end, the Bulldogs should be amongst the most well-stocked teams in the SEC and possibly, the entire country. Sophomore Jeb Blazevich was one of several Bulldogs who starred as one of the league’s elite freshmen. With a healthy Jay Rome, back for his fifth season, the one-two punch should be at the top of the SEC’s heap. Throw in highly touted true freshman Jackson Harris, who enrolled early and took part in spring practice, and Jordan Davis, and tight end and tailback are the positions where the Bulldogs are as good as anyone.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Offensive Line[su_spacer size=”10″]
The impact of new offensive line coach Rob Sale has immediately been felt in recruiting. He re-secured the commitment and signing of Pat Allen and helped land Sam Madden. Already this spring, Sale has spearheaded a crop of offensive line prospects verbal commitments that is regarded as one of the best in college football. What a welcome change. For far too many years, the offensive line was the position of most concern when it came to depth and talent. In Mark Richt’s tenure, this position has caused more headaches for the Bulldogs than any.
This is changing.
As for this year, the biggest question mark is replacing stalwart center David Andrews, a Rimington Award finalist and All-Southeastern Conference selection. Juniors Greg Pyke and Brandon Kublanow are back at guard, while seniors Kolton Houston and John Theus return at tackle. There are still big questions for the unit. When Andrews went down against Florida, the Bulldogs offense went into stagnant and reverse. And against Tech, the Bulldogs couldn’t line up and punch it in on gwoal to go for the one yard line in the first and second halves. Can Georgia get that push when the other guy knows the Bulldogs are going to run? That answer will be yes, will it be this year, and specifically will it be ready by October?
At center, it could be sophomore Isaiah Wynn or fifth-year senior Hunter Long. Wynn and Dyshon Sims got their feet wet as freshmen a year ago and have promising futures. There figures to be newcomer impact from at least two of Madden, Allen, Devondre Seymour and Sage Hardin. Also, redshirt freshmen Lamont Gaillard, who moved over from defense at the end of spring, Kendall Baker and Jake Edwards will fight for playing time.
[su_spacer size=”40″]After years of angst, this is a position that is trending upwards in a big time manner.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Defensive Line[su_spacer size=”10″]
It is the second year for this defensive staff, and the impact and improvement a year ago was noticeable improvement. The big question is whether the defense – which could be great in 2016 – can make a similar leap in 2015? Georgia’s biggest problem last year was painfully evident in the three losses. Florida ran for over 400 yards, Tech for 399 and South Carolina ran out the clock. The Bulldogs made massive improvements, created a lot more turnovers (plus-nine combined in the wins at Missouri and Arkansas), had outstanding success at times going lateral (highlighted by a 34-7 thrashing of Auburn) and were organized. It was nice not having players frantically gesturing to the sideline, running in and out, giving up third or fourth and in the 20-plus yard range and just looking downright disorganized.
Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and line coach Tracy Rocker are outstanding, at the top of their field. Rocker, a native of Atlanta, and one of the great defensive linemen in SEC history at Auburn, is one of the all-time elite Peach State talents that got away for the Bulldogs. As a coach, he and Pruitt helped put together a defensive line class that goes down as one of the best in school history the most highly touted of the 21st century. The problems of last year were addressed. Now that is no guarantee that the Bulldogs of 2015 will be the Purple People Eaters, Fearsome Foursome or Steel Curtain, but it the refreshing category it was certainly nice, despite the significant improvement, that the new look Bulldogs defense staff further addressed areas of concern.
Just check out all the Peach State natives that got drafted the last two years and shake your head over how few went to Georgia. Like with the offensive line, things are getting much, much better. That certainly showed last year with defensive end/outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, a potential All-American, and this year’s defensive line class, which includes the state’s top prospect Trenton Thompson, who has been compared to Warren Sapp.
Chris Mayes, John Atkins, Sterling Bailey, Josh Dawson and James Deloach are veterans returning on the defensive line. It is fairly evident that at some point over the next year or two, the Bulldogs strive to go to much more of a base four man front, getting more beef. Mayes and Atkins fit that bill, and the newcomer help is there. Johnathan Ledbetter is a blue chip elite recruit who stood out in the spring game, as did fellow freshman early enrollee Natrez Patrick, who moved to inside linebacker. End Michael Barnett missed the spring with an injury, but is another true freshman who could help right away. Chauncey Rives, Justin Young and DaQuan Hawkins will all join the fold, along with Thompson, Ledbetter and Barnett. Though the true freshmen aren’t necessarily being looked at as starters this season, they will be needed to play a lot of snaps, and could certainly form the nucleus, along with a potentially second straight stellar D-Line class in 2016, and foundation of the kind of defense Georgia fans have been so thirsty and hungry for.
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Linebacker
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Carter, in particular in an incredible performance at Kentucky, showed that he has the potential to be an all-timer. Leonard Floyd, a potential first rounder, and Jordan Jenkins, one of the league’s top returning seniors, combine with Carter to give Georgia an elite trio of “edge” defenders. This is a new term that doesn’t float every boat. Are you a good defensive end or outside linebacker? Can you play the run and the pass? Are you a first, second and third down player? Are you a cornerstone or satellite player?
These three are the primary reason that the hopes are high for Georgia’s defense and it’s a good bet that the defensive staff, including linebackers coaches Kevin Sherrer and Mike Ekeler, will find a way to get these three on the field together as much as possible. The addition of Patrick, UAB transfer Jake Ganus and Junior College product Chuks Amechi should go a long way towards filling the shoes of Amarlo Herrera and Ramik Wilson, veterans who played a lot of snaps ad made a lot of tackles. There are other players in the program who will have a chance to step forward like Reggie Carter and Tim Kimbrough. But with the likes of DeAndre Walker and Roquan Smith coming in, there is more punch coming when preseason camp arrives.
This Georgia front seven recruiting class was tremendous. And the future is very bright at a spot where teams flat out have to have the juice to compete for the SEC title and a shot at the playoff.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Secondary[su_spacer size=”10″]
Pruitt is assembling his type of talent, and several players who were in the news a lot more for off field transgressions than on field success are gone. Starring for the Bulldogs as a freshman was Dominick Sanders, and he leads the returning talent. Pruitt doesn’t like to specify cornerback and safety as much as most coaches. He prefers they all be able to cover and tackle. What a novel concept. Sanders can do it all, and his performance against Louisville in the Belk Bowl has Georgia fans hopeful that the Bulldogs have another great defensive back. Quincy Mauger has displayed a nose for the football and figures to start as a safety, along with Sanders. The other two spots, the traditional cornerback slots, could go to Malkom Parrish, who came on late last season and junior college transfer and redshirt Shattle Fenteg. Help could come from newcomers. Georgia signed a lot of defensive backs, including five-star safety Rashard Roundtree and Rico McGraw. Tramel Terry, a highly touted recruit who has shifted positions, appears healthy and ready to challenge for significant playing time. Aaron Davis played a lot as a redshirt freshman walk-on last season and is still in the mix. The depth and overall talent level may be a year away from what Pruitt is searching for, but the potential of the front seven certainly lends to great expectations for entirety of the defense, and sound and solid secondary play.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Special Teams[su_spacer size=”10″]
For all of the improvement of the defense, the kicking game made even greater strides forward. But…..
Just like the Bulldogs inability to stop the run with the chips down, as much as the kicking game came around, in the three losses there were still major breakdowns that had everyone in red and black burying their hands in faces with painful cases of déjà vu.
Against South Carolina, Marshall Morgan set the SEC record by hitting a 20th consecutive field goal. Then he missed his next two in a three-point loss. In Jacksonville, the Bulldogs were for some reason rushing in a stadium where poor kicking has cost Georgia so much glory, as the first quarter came to an end. The kick was ruled no good. Florida then “pantsed” Georgia on a fake field goal for a touchdown.
Then against Tech, there was the once again awful misplay of a short kickoff that led to a Tech recovery. There was a field goal that got blocked. There was the decision not to kick deep. And there was the timeout with Tech scrambling on what turned out to be the game-tier.
These are the moments that separate 9-3 teams from 11-1/12-0 championship ones.
Morgan is back at kicker. He has shown a great leg and improved tremendously since an up and down freshman season. Morgan is striving for a big more consistency, while the Bulldogs are hoping to not be too reliant on them. The point totals of both Billy Bennett and Blair Walsh are both points of pride and a reason the Bulldogs don’t have a national championship or two and another couple of SEC titles.
Rodrigo Blankenship is a preferred walk-on, who had a stellar senior year at Sprayberry High, and is the heir apparent. Of his 60 kickoffs, 57 went for touchbacks.
Punter is an area where Georgia needs better performance and consistency. In the second half of his freshman year, Collin Barber was outstanding, but has had a lot of ups and downs the last two years. This is his time and the Bulldogs need him to be consistent and good. The Bulldogs will miss Adam Erickson, who was excellent downing punts deep in enemy territory.
Georgia should be in good shape at snapper with Nathan Theus and Trent Frix, who follows in the outstanding family line.
McKenzie was the biggest difference maker, having the best year on kickoff and punt returns of any Bulldog in the 21st century. The Bulldogs were hopeful that he would have the kind of impact Brandon James had for Florida on the Gators runs to the 2006 and 2008 national titles. He is well on his way.
Despite the breakdowns that marred the three losses of 2014, the improvements from the F-minus special teams campaign of 2013, were tremendous. Continued strives forward could be the key to getting the Bulldogs to the promised land in 2015.