Category: Player Profiles

UGA football player card: LB Miles Miccichi

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Miles Miccichi walked on to the football team in 2018 and recorded a 4.0 GPA in 2019.

Miles Miccichi, Linebacker (No. 55):

Class: Redshirt sophomore

Height: 6-1

Weight: 227 pounds

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

High School: Lakeside High School

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Miles Miccichi walked on to the football team in 2018. He redshirted as a freshman that season and has primarily played for the scout team during the past two seasons.

Impressively, Miccichi was one of only 26 student-athletes at the University of Georgia to earn a 4.0 GPA in 2019.

Miccichi’s lack of playing time can be attributed to the depth Dan Lanning and Georgia have built on their elite defense. He’ll battle for playing time with Monty Rice, Nakobe Dean, Rian Davis, Trezmen Marshall, Quay Walker and more at the inside linebacker position.

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UGA football player card: OL Trey Hill

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Trey Hill is the only returning member of last season’s starting offensive front

Trey Hill, Offensive Line (#55):

Class: Junior

Height: 6-4

Weight: 330 pounds

Hometown: Warner Robins, Georgia

High School:  Houston County High School

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Trey Hill is the only returning member of last season’s starting offensive front. Hill has played in 28 games in his career, including the 2019 season, where he started every game at center. He additionally has experience starting at offensive guard.

Hill was named second team All-SEC following his impressive 2019 performance. He helped man one of the top offensive line units in all of college football last season. Hill will be the glue of Georgia’s offensive line and will help give the Dawgs a cohesive unit. Matt Luke and offensive line are replacing several NFL draft picks.

Hill was quite effective in pass protection last season:

Trey Hill came to Athens as a four/five star recruit (depending on the scouting service) and has certainly lived up to his billing. Hill is a candidate to leave for the NFL Draft early following the 2020 college football season. In fact, Hill projects as a third round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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UGA football player card: OL Justin Shaffer

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Justin Shaffer will be a key player along the University of Georgia’s offensive front in 2020

Justin Shaffer, Offensive Line (#54):

Class: Senior

Height: 6-4

Weight: 330 pounds

Hometown: Ellenwood, Georgia

High School: Cedar Grove High School

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Justin Shaffer will be a key player along the University of Georgia’s offensive front in 2020. Shaffer played in six games last season and missed the rest due to a scary neck injury. He’s since been medically cleared to return to football.

Shaffer has played in 26 games throughout his career, primarily at offensive guard. His experience will be valuable heading into the 2020 season. Matt Luke and Georgia’s offensive line is replacing several NFL draft picks.

Shaffer helped the Dawgs have college football’s top offensive line last season.

Shaffer is putting in some work this off-season:

Shaffer, Warren Ericson, Ben Cleveland, Jamaree Salyer, and several talented freshman are projected to compete at offensive guard next season. Georgia’s offensive line will have to grow a lot before the Bulldogs face off against the Alabama Crimson Tide in September.

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UGA football player card: OL Warren Ericson

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Warren Ericson came to Athens as a four-star offensive guard recruit out of North Gwinnett High School.

Warren Ericson, Offensive Line (#50):

Class: Redshirt sophomore

Height: 6-4

Weight: 305 pounds

Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia

High School: North Gwinnett High School

Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Warren Ericson came to Athens as a well regarded four-star offensive guard recruit out of North Gwinnett High School. Ericson enrolled early in Athens and ended up playing in three games as a freshman. During this season he took a redshirt.

Ericson played in six games last season including the Sugar Bowl, where he started at right guard. This one game of starting experience will be valuable heading into the 2020 season. Georgia is replacing several NFL draft picks along the offensive front and can use an experienced lineman like Ericson.

He played a role on college football’s top offensive line last season:

Ericson, Ben Cleveland, Jamaree Salyer, and several talented freshman are projected to compete at offensive guard next season.

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UGA football player card: TE Jarrett Freeland

Jarrett Freeland signed with Georgia baseball in 2013, but pursued a MLB career after the Cincinnati Reds drafted him in 2013 MLB Draft

Jarrett Freeland, Tight End (#48):

Class: Redshirt sophomore

Height: 6-7

Weight: 258 pounds

Hometown: Liburn, Georgia

High School: Parkview

Georgia Bulldogs tight end Jarrett Freeland has one of the more unique stories of any player on the University of Georgia roster. Freeland signed with Georgia baseball in 2013, but elected to pursue an MLB career after the Cincinnati Reds drafted him in the 15th round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft.

Injuries and positional changes took their toll on Freeland, who was released by the Arizona Reds in late 2017. Following this, Freeland decided to return to Georgia. Freeland, who is turning 26 in June of 2020, is one of the oldest players on the Georgia roster.

Freeland has excellent size and could be utilized as a blocking tight end at some point. For now, he’s adjusting back to football and looking to help the team anyway he can.

His father, Buddy Freeland, graduated from the University of Georgia as well.

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Georgia football player card: LS Payne Walker

Georgia Bulldogs football long snapper Payne Walker is a key piece on UGA’s special teams.

Payne Walker, Long Snapper (#47):

Class: Redshirt Sophomore

Height: 6-2

Weight: 249 pounds

Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia

High School: North Gwinnett High School

Georgia Bulldogs long snapper Payne Walker is one of the more important players on the University of Georgia team that the vast majority of fans have never noticed. Going unnoticed for Walker is a great thing.

Long snappers rarely play positions outside of their specialty, but Walker did record ten sacks and seventy tackles for North Gwinnett during his senior season.

Walker should win the job for long snapper in 2020. He started each game last season. Walker was the ninth rated snapper coming out of college:

It won’t be bad if Georgia fans don’t notice Walker again in 2020. Walker is a key player on Georgia’s special teams and will be snapping for a new kicker next season.

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Georgia football player card: DB Dan Jackson

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Dan Jackson redshirted during the 2019 season.

Dan Jackson, defensive back (No. 47):

Class: Redshirt freshman

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180 pounds

Hometown: Gainesville, Georgia

High School: North Hall High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Dan Jackson redshirted during the 2019 season. Jackson made All State as a senior at North Hall High School. Jackson isn’t anticipated to have a large role in Georgia’s secondary.

Dan Lanning and company had a stifling defense last season and the Dawgs may be even better in 2020. It will be among to the best defenses in the nation. Georgia’s defensive backs should be special next season.

Jackson participated during practice last spring:

Jackson additionally played basketball during his time in at North Hall.

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Georgia football player card: DB Jake Wilson

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Jake Wilson’s dad, Chad, also played football for the University of Georgia.

Jake Wilson, defensive back (No. 46):

Class: Redshirt freshman

Height: 5-9

Weight: 175 pounds

Hometown: Acworth, Georgia

High School: Mt. Paran High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Jake Wilson walked on to the football team in 2019. He took a redshirt last season and primarily served as a scout team player.

Wilson was an All-State selection in high school at Mount Paran. His dad, Chad, also played at Georgia under Ray Goff.

Georgia is stacked in the secondary headed into next season. The Dawgs have Eric Stokes, DJ Daniel, Tyson Campbell, Kelee Ringo, Divaad Wilson, Mark Webb, and more at cornerback.

Georgia’s defense may be the best in the nation next season. The passing defense has more room to improve, but much of that falls on Georgia’s pass rush, which was middle of the pack (in terms of sacks) last season. The Dawgs had the best run defense in the country in 2019.

Dan Lanning and company had a stifling defense last season and the Dawgs may be even better in 2020. They’ll be fun to watch.

Wilson chose attending the University of Georgia over other local schools like Kennesaw State.

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Georgia football player card: DL Bill Norton

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Bill Norton played in three games and redshirted as a freshman in 2019.

Bill Norton, Defensive Line (#45):

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6-6

Weight: 285 pounds

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee

High School: Christian Brothers High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Bill Norton played in three games as a freshman in 2019. Despite the playing time, Norton was able to redshirt during his first season in Athens. He finished the season with four tackles.

Norton will face a battle for playing time with Jordan Davis, Malik Herring, Travon Walker, and more along the defensive front. Norton came to Athens as a talented four star recruit from Christian Brothers High School. He additionally played four years of basketball during his high school days. Some recruiting services considered him an offensive lineman, but thus far Kirby Smart is utilizing him on the defensive side of the football.

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UGA football player card: DL Travon Walker

As a freshman, Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Travon Walker played in 12 games and ended the season on the Freshman All-SEC Team.

Travon Walker, Defensive Line (#44):

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6-5

Weight: 290 pounds

Hometown: Thomaston, Georgia

High School: Upson-Lee High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Travon Walker recorded 2.5 sacks last season.  He finished the season with eight total pressures. Walker came to the University of Georgia as a five-star prospect.

Walker has limitless potential and should be in for a massive 2020 season. Walker really came on at the end of the season. He recorded a sack to end Auburn’s comeback hopes last season:

As a freshman, Walker played in 12 of 14 total games and ended the season on the Freshman All-SEC Team. He additionally played some special teams.

Travon Walker has some incredible high school highlights. He played running back, tight end, defensive end, and linebacker back in the day at Upson-Lee High School. His speed, power, and quickness were unfair at the high school level:

Walker could help elevate Georgia’s defense in 2020 by wrecking havoc on quarterbacks. Georgia’s pass rush is one of the only ways the defense can improve in 2020.

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