Category: Predictions

Watch: Andrew Thomas’ Georgia vs LSU footage shows why he’s top OT in NFL Draft

Watch Andrew Thomas’ 2019 game footage against LSU to see why he is the number 1 rated offensive tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas is projected as a first round pick by a number of analysts leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, starting Thursday, April 23rd.

The buzz right now is that Thomas goes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an effort to give Tom Brady some solid pass protection at the tail-end of his career.

There has been some debate, though, as to who the best tackle in this year’s draft is.

Is it Thomas? Maybe Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs? What about Louisville’s Mekhi Beckton?

We will put an end to that debate with this here footage of all of Thomas’ meaningful pass-blocking snaps against LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson in last year’s SEC Championship.

Georgia got blown out, sure, but watch how difficult Thomas made life for Chaisson, who is a projected top-15 overall pick in this week’s draft.

Watch:

It is pass-blocking like this, on the biggest against the best players, that has elevated Thomas to the #1 offensive tackle in the draft.

Look out for Thomas to do great things in the NFL and be a staple offensive lineman for a long time.

USA TODAY identifies two Bulldogs who could be NFL Draft steals

USA TODAY has released a list of 11 players who could be major steals for NFL teams approaching the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday April 23rd.

USA TODAY released a list of eleven players who could be steals in the 2020 NFL Draft.  The draft is set to take place Thursday, April 23rd to Saturday, April 25th and will happen remotely for the first time in its history.

The list has one player per position that some teams could easily overlook, while others could be getting a major steal.

The list that had just eleven players featured two Georgia players on it.

The first of the Dawgs players listed as a steal is at the safety position with former Georgia standout JR Reed.

Reed had a spectacular career playing in Athens, tallying up 199 tackles, 5 interceptions, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 touchdowns. Reed stands at 6-1, 195 lbs giving him a good sized NFL frame.  The son of 12-year NFL player Jake Reed spoke to Draft Wire about what NFL teams will get if they draft him.

“They’re gonna get a leader, on and off the field. They’re gonna get a versatile safety that can play multiple positions. I can come down in the box, I can play in the middle of the field and I can cover the tight end or anybody really.” said Reed.  “They’re gonna get a franchise safety. The term franchise gets thrown around a lot with the quarterbacks. Just like the franchise quarterback is supposed to be around for a long time, I’m a franchise safety that’s gonna be around for a long time.”

The second of the Dawgs players listed as a steal is at the kicker position with Rodrigo Blankenship.

Blankenship finished his career at Georgia hitting 80/97 field goal attempts (82.5%) and scoring 440 points for the Dawgs.  Believe it or not, Hot Rod is the highest-scoring player in Georgia football history and will be a perfect fit to be an NFL team’s franchise kicker for years to come.  Kickers really are undervalued in the NFL these days and Blankenship could be a huge steal for some teams in need of a decent kicker.

It is pretty impressive that two out of eleven of the players listed to be steals in the 2020 draft are Georgia players.  Miami was another school to feature two players as steals on the list.

It may be a couple of rounds in, but whoever takes JR Reed or Rodrigo Blankenship are going to have some serious talent in their hands.

How will Todd Monken’s air raid offense translate to Georgia football?

New Georgia football offensive coordinator Todd Monken takes over a talented UGA offense with air-raid scheme.

After a pedestrian year from the Georgia Bulldogs on offense in 2019, Kirby Smart wasted no time making scheme changes, bringing in Todd Monken from the Cleveland Browns to take over for James Coley as offensive coordinator and play caller.

Monken has coached all over the football landscape, including 23 years of college coaching experience and eight years coaching in the NFL.

Most recently, Monken spent a season as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns and before that, three seasons as the offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 2011-2012, Monken coached Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon and the air-raid Cowboys offense to record breaking seasons, averaging well over 500 yards a game.

So, how does Monken’s air-rade scheme fit with a Georgia team built for defense and a power run game?

In 2019, the Bulldogs struggled with the deep passing game and the blame can’t be all on Coley, as Jake Fromm had issues with his deep ball and other than George Pickens, receivers either struggled with injuries, getting separation from defenders or dropped passes.

In 2020, there will be no shortage of depth or talent on the Georgia offense and in the light of recent off-season moves, it seems Kirby is planning to be more aggressive offensively.

The Bulldogs bring in a great arm in Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, paired with returning receivers George Pickens and Dominick Blaylock and added five receivers in the 2020 recruiting class.

Georgia will have the ability to stretch the field on anyone and that is exactly what Monken’s offenses do. Still, the traditional Georgia run game can only benefit from the space the air-raid creates.

As Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator in 2019, Monken led an offense that saw former Georgia great Nick Chubb run for nearly 1,500 yards, so we can expect that running backs Zamir White and James Cook will get their fair share of touches in 2020.

Bulldog fans should be excited to see what 2020 will bring for this young team. In Monken’s system, expect to see much more complex route trees than in previous years, as well as a more aggressive approach to offensive strategy because of the security blanket that is the Georgia defense.

Is Georgia football in the lead for 4-star TE Brock Bowers?

Georgia football appears to be trending for 4-star TE Brock Bowers.

Two weeks ago, Brock Bowers, a four-star tight end in the class of 2021, released his top eight schools.

From Napa, California, he included only one SEC school in his most recent cut, Georgia.

Bowers’ full list is Cal, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, UCLA and Washington.

At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Bowers is rated as the nation’s No. 2 tight end and No. 53 prospect overall.

Kirby Smart brought in Florida State graduate transfer Tre’ McKitty to help soften the blow of losing tight ends Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf from last season’s squad. Georgia also signed 5-star tight end Darnell Washington in the 2020 class.

But looking ahead at the 2021 class, Georgia appears to be trending for Bowers. Per 247Sports’ Crystal Ball, Georgia is trending for Bowers, with all six of the votes going in favor of the Bulldogs.

Georgia offered Bowers back in September of 2019. He and his family took a trip to Athens in January for an unofficial visit.

From 247Sports’ scouting report on Bowers:

Boasts elite level athleticism, clocking a 4.5 40 as a sophomore and a 40-inch vertical. Has the speed to burn a linebacker and separate from a defensive back. Tracks the ball well, uses good body control and his hands to make his catches and routinely finds the soft spot in a defense. Plus blocker who can seal off the edge but used best as a pass-catcher. Projects as multi-year Power 5 starter and projects as second round pick.

Georgia has NINE players selected in 7-round NFL mock draft

Georgia football has NINE players selected in USA TODAY’s recent seven-round NFL mock draft.

The 2020 NFL Draft is just over one week away and a number of Georgia players are prepared to have their dream become a reality.

Twice has Georgia had eight players go in the same NFL Draft. Those years were in 2002 and 2013, where the Dawgs dumped a ton of talent into the pros.

But never has Georgia had nine players selected in the same draft. Luke Easterling of USA Today’s DraftWire sees that changing this year.

In his recent 7-round NFL mock draft, he has NINE Georgia players being taken in this year’s virtual event.

Here are his projected landing spots for these Bulldogs.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Better HS football: Georgia or Texas? Mecole Hardman, Nick Chubb debate with Patrick Mahomes, Dez Bryant

Mecole Hardman and Nick Chubb debated with Patrick Mahomes and Dez Bryant over which state has the best HS football, Georgia or Texas.

Former Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman got into it with his current teammate on the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, as well as former NFL receiver Dez Bryant via Twitter on the topic of which state produces the best football players.

Now everyone has their bias, but history tells us the top high school football states are usually California, Georgia, Texas and Florida, in no specific order.  Some would throw Louisiana and Alabama in there as well.

This dispute began when Hardman, who attended Elbert County High School in Georgia, replied to Tampa Bay Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans’ (who is from Texas) tweet about Texas football being the best in the country.

After the rookie dropped this bomb, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, and Galveston, Texas native Dez Bryant had something to say.

Bryant had nothing but love for Mecole, but told him he was crazy to say Georgia high school football overlooks Texas.

Hardman then made claims that a Georgia high school all-star team would beat a Texas high school all-star team with ease.

When Seahawks safety, Texas native and former Longhorn Quandre Diggs posed the question as to who would tackle Earl Campbell (born and raised in Tyler, Texas) on this hypothetical Texas all-star high school team, Mecole had the perfect response.

I’ll take your Earl Campbell and I’ll raise you a Herschel Walker.

After Hardman’s confident attitude started gaining attention, his quarterback had to get in on the debate.

Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes attended Texas Tech and was born and raised in Texas. He was not about to allow his rookie receiver to take shots at his beloved state that easily.

The Super Bowl and former league MVP had to get at least a couple of jabs in on the Georgia native.

But wait it did not end there.

Nick Chubb, from Cedartown, Georgia, got in the action.

This thing keeps getting better and better.

Florida actually has the most active NFL players at 180, with California in second with 175, Texas with 137 and Georgia at 97. That being said, Texas has nearly three times the population that Georgia does and California closer to four times Georgia.

Who would you take in this battle of the states?

 

 

Which current NFL star does Georgia RB D’Andre Swift compare himself to?

Who does Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift compare himself to ahead of 2020 NFL Draft?

Georgia star D’Andre Swift is widely viewed as the best running back in the 2020 NFL Draft class.

Swift’s versatility as both a ball carrier and a receiver is what makes him so special compared to other tailbacks in this draft class. As a ball carrier, not only can he run you over, but he can also blow past you with his speed and he has one of the nastiest arsenals of jukes, spins and cuts that you’ll see from a college running back. But what really sets him apart is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and make things happen.

That’s why, in a video tweeted by the NFL, he compared himself to current Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey.

(Keep scrolling for video)

That’s quite the comparison, as McCaffrey just signed the richest running back contract in NFL history on Monday.

If you’ve seen McCaffrey play or are familiar with his production, you’re keeping your fingers crossed that Swift can produce similar numbers to the former Stanford great, who in 2019 tallied 1,387 rushing yards and 1,005 yards receiving on 116 catches.

“The team that drafts me is going to get a hard worker, somebody that’s committed to the process of football, the grind, loves the game of football, a leader and a competitor,” Swift said.

And a fun fact that we learned from this video: When Swift was six years old, he took his very first handoff for a 60 yard touchdown. He said that’s when he knew he wanted to play football.

The video closes out with Swift discussing the current success of Todd Gurley, Sony Michel and Nick Chubb — all former Georgia Bulldogs who are having great NFL careers.

“It’s amazing. Just to know you were on the field with those guys just not too long ago. So it kind of gives you a sense of hope, like, you’re on the right path and definitely can succeed at the next level. “

[lawrence-related id=25951,25306,25167,24737,23631]

[vertical-gallery id=24661]

BetMGM releases odds on Georgia football’s key games for 2020

Betting odds released for several of Georgia football’s key games.

Whether for not we will even have a 2020 college football season is a mystery right now, but everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that our favorite sport will return, with fans in the seats, this September.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the 2020 season, online gambling sites are continuing to releasing odds on future college football games.

If college football is a go this year, BetMGM is where you can turn to find the lines for some of college football’s key 2020 matchups.

BetMGM released lines for six Georgia games, which we have listed below.

Start strategizing now.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 4:20 p.m. ET. 

Next … September 7 vs Virginia

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Georgia football addition of Jamie Newman among CFB’s 5 biggest summer storylines

Georgia football adding Jamie Newman is one of the leading storylines heading into the 2020 CFB season, as well coronavirus.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, it’s hard to find a college football storyline bigger than what’s going on at the moment.

Will we even have a 2020 college football season? Will there be fans if we do? How will recruiting be impacted? Will we have to push back National Signing Day? What about future player eligibility? Will the financial impact be too much to overcome?

Coronavirus will be at the center of college football storylines up until we kickoff the 2020 season (fingers crossed).

However, there’s only so much coronavirus that we can discuss before we drive ourselves crazy, if it’s not already too late.

That’s why I give props to Saturday Blitz, a Fansided college football website. Jake Mitchell wrote a story titled ‘College Football: 5 biggest storylines to follow during summer 2020,’ and did a nice job of talking about things other than the obvious – coronavirus.

Of course he had to make mention to the pandemic that is putting the season in jeopardy, but he touched on some of the storylines that would be front-page news if COVID-19 never came about.

In ranking his top-five storylines, how Jamie Newman will perform during his lone season at Georgia made the list.

Is Jamie Newman the Guy in Athens? — That’s what Mitchell ranked as the fourth biggest storyline heading into the 2020 season.

Right now there’s obviously no way of answering that, but after seeing Jake Fromm’s unexpected struggles in 2019, Georgia fans are hopeful that the offense can’t get any worse.

Newman is a dual-threat quarterback transfer from Wake Forest. He’s already receiving Heisman-hype and is considered one of college football’s top returning passers this year.

Mitchell wrote:

There’s never been a question about talent during Smart’s tenure in Athens. The thing that’s held the Bulldogs back has been an offense that stalls frequently and the lack of a quarterback who has the ability to make things happen on his own when these stalls occur. Fromm is a fine player, but he wasn’t that guy.

The one thing that will make this hard for Newman will be the shadow that hangs over him. Georgia already had the dynamic quarterback that could make things happen himself, and his name was Justin Fields. Smart chose Fromm, and Fields left for Ohio State.

ESPN ranks college football’s RBUs, leaves Georgia off list

ESPN releases list of college football’s top 10 running back universities over the history of college football, leaves out Georgia football.

Georgia has a tendency to recruit heavily at the running back position, bringing through backs that somehow always seem better than the last one.

From Herschel Walker to Knowshon Moreno, Todd Gurley to Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and D’Andre Swift, the Dawgs have always had the engine of their offense be the running back.

ESPN released their list of which schools they think have produced the most consistently dominant running backs over the years.

The Dawgs couldn’t be more deserving of a spot on this list, but somehow got left off.

ESPN’s RBU top 10:

  1. Alabama
  2. Wisconsin
  3. LSU
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Miami
  6. Pittsburgh
  7. Texas
  8. Oregon
  9. Arkansas
  10. Auburn

Looking at each team’s top three RBs and not seeing Georgia there is pretty crazy.

The comment sections started filling up on the Instagram post, asking how on earth ESPN could leave UGA off a RBU list.  If you check the post, that is the main comment going around on the numerous flaws of the list.

There will always be Georgia doubters out there.

Georgia will be losing RB D’Andre Swift to the NFL Draft as well as Brian Herrien.  The Dawgs will be in good hands with Zamir White, James Cook and incoming freshman RB Kendall Milton taking on the work load next season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]