Bulldog to Watch vs. Tennessee

Home >

Bulldog to Watch vs. Tennessee

Walter Grant (84)

 
 
WALTER GRANT (OLB, #84)
 
Moving into the Georgia starting lineup as a sophomore this fall, the 6-4, 245-pound Grant, out of Cairo, Ga., very much resembles former Bulldog star ‘backer, Leonard Floyd, in fact wearing the same number Floyd donned at UGA before going on to play for the Chicago Bears. Grant, of course, still has a ways to go to perform as Leonard Floyd did but he’s got most of three years remaining to be able to accomplish that. Grant teams with fellow senior outside linebacker D’Andre Walker to give the Bulldogs considerable punch at those positions.
 
 
JONATHAN LEDBETTER (DE, #13)
 
Without question, this 6-4, 280-pound senior out of Tucker High School is one of the top two, three leaders this season on the Bulldogs’ rugged defensive unit. Equally capable of thwarting an opposing offense’s running game or bringing pressure on the quarterback, Ledbetter was one of three players chosen by head coach Kirby Smart to represent Georgia in this summer’s SEC Media Days. It goes without saying his leadership and performance will be huge for the Bulldogs’ defensive unit in the SEC stretch run … starting with the Tennessee battle on Saturday.
 
 

David Marshall (51)

 
 
DAVID MARSHALL (DE, #51)
 
The 6-3, 274-pound Marshall doesn’t usually start the game for Georgia but is one of the Bulldogs’ defensive linemen who spells Ledbetter and more than holds his own in the Bulldogs’ defensive front. Marshall, a junior out of Upson-Lee High in Thomaston, has already made some key plays for the Dawgs’ defense this season and will be looking to do so again on Saturday against the Vols’ offensive attack.
 
 
JEREMIAH HOLLOMAN (WR, #9)
 
Holloman had his coming-out party in the romp over Middle Tennessee two weeks ago when he caught a touchdown pass from Jake Fromm and also pulled in a 65-yard strike from Fromm to set up another Georgia score. The physical receiver the Bulldogs need at 6-2, 200-plus pounds Holloman, just a sophomore, should only get better as Georgia hosts the Volunteers Saturday and then encounters five more SEC foes after that.
 
 
RODRIGO BLANKENSHIP (PK, #98)
 
This junior place-kicker has rapidly evolved into an All-America candidate with his tremendous accuracy on field goals and extra-point kicks. And displaying the increased strength in his right kicking leg, “Hot Rod” has been booming one kickoff after another into the end zone for touchbacks. In fact, he was a perfect 23-of-23 in that department entering the Missouri game over the weekend. If any of the Bulldogs’ upcoming SEC games come down to a last-second field goal to win it, the Bulldog Nation certainly has the confidence they have the guy who will drill that kick.
 
 
JAMES COOK (TB, #6)
 
Georgia’s talented running back corps has D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien but it also has a freshman speedster named James Cook. The 5-11, 190-pound freshman from Miami has such quick acceleration and top-end speed, he can break a long TD run from any spot on the field … both by running the ball and catching it. A few of those explosive plays by Cook would be most welcome in Saturday’s key SEC clash with the Volunteers.
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

share content

Author /

Murray Poole is a 1965 graduate of the University of Georgia Journalism School. He served as sports editor of The Brunswick News for 40 years and has written for Bulldawg Illustrated the past 16 years. He has covered the Georgia Bulldogs for 53 years.