Category: Predictions

Georgia football finishes with No. 1 recruiting class for second time in three years

Georgia football finishes with the #1 ranked recruiting class in all of college football for the second time in three years.

This Wednesday at 11:42 a.m., 247Sports called it quits in the recruiting battle mayhem.

Via Twitter, they officially crowned the Georgia Bulldogs as the #1 recruiting class in all of college football for the second time in just three years.

The Dawgs have 4 5-stars, 15 4-stars and 6 3-stars ready to go for the 2020-2021 season this coming fall.

The SEC has 9 of the top 25 recruiting classes, along with six teams in the top 8.  It is safe to say that with the exception of Clemson and Ohio State, the SEC swept the recruiting frenzy with the Dawgs leading the charge.

From the looks of it, Kirby Smart is fed up with falling short late in the season.  Since the arrival of Kirby the Dawgs have been having more success than they’ve had in decades, but it doesn’t seem to be enough for Smart and his staff.

Click here for a list of all Georgia’s signees, commits and transfers.

It’s a GREAT day to be a Georgia Bulldog.

Georgia football QB Jamie Newman projected top 5 in the 2021 Heisman Trophy odds

Georgia football’s new graduate transfer QB Jamie Newman is projected in the top 5 of the 2021 Heisman Trophy finalist odds.

Jamie Newman, the Georgia Bulldog’s graduate transfer quarterback from Wake Forest, has yet to throw a pass in a Dawgs uniform, but is already in talks of being a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Newman is the fifth ranked QB to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy with 16-1 odds (+1600), per FanDuel.  He trails only Clemson’s QB Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields (both at 4-1 odds to win) as well as Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler (12-1 odds) and Miami QB D’Eriq King (14-1 odds).

Newman had an impressive year this past season with the Demon Deacons throwing for 2,868 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions hitting his targets 60.9% of the time.

Georgia will need someone big to fill the shoes of former Dawgs QB Jake Fromm, who had one of the most illustrious careers ever at UGA and is leaving for the 2020 NFL Draft.  Kirby smart, as well as America believes Newman is that guy.

The addition of Todd Monken, former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator, is massive for the Dawgs and Newman.  Monken coached some of the NFL’s top receivers last year and will add a high flying passing scheme to an already beefy Georgia running back corps.

Click here for the full list of 2021 Heisman Trophy odds from FanDuel sports book.

Where’s Georgia football in ESPN’s way-too-early CFB top-25?

Where did ESPN put Georgia football in the way too early CFB rankings for 2020?

Coming off another season that saw Georgia play for the SEC Championship Game, win 10+ games and come oh so close to making a return trip to the College Football Playoff, there are reasons for both optimism and skepticism in 2020.

In Mark Schlabach’s ‘Way Too Early CFB Top-25’ for 2020, he placed the Dawgs at No. 6 in the country. A pretty safe location for a team that has both serious question marks and returning talent.

From Schlabach:

Outlook: Georgia fans who weren’t happy with the team’s offense in 2019 will get their wish with a complete face-lift. Fromm, a three-year starter and most accurate passer in school history, is off to the NFL draft, along with three starting offensive linemen. Sophomore Cade Mays decided to transfer to Tennessee. Georgia scoured the graduate transfer market for a starting quarterback, and Wake Forest’s Jamie Newman has enrolled in classes at Georgia and will participate in spring practice. Changes are expected on Kirby Smart’s offensive staff as well. Keep an eye on former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Georgia’s defense carried the load in 2019 and should be stout again, especially with safety Richard LeCounte, linebacker Monty Rice and cornerback Eric Stokes electing to return. The Bulldogs open the season against Virginia in Atlanta and play at Alabama on Sept. 19 and against Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, on Oct. 31.

Georgia rivals and opponents also ranked:

Clemson (1), Alabama (3), LSU (4), Florida (7), Auburn (12), Tennessee (25).

I think No. 6 is a fine spot to be right now for Kirby Smart and Georgia.

For starters, the Dawgs are losing so much talent on an offense that left plenty to be desired in 2019.

Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift, Lawrence Cager: Gone.

Four starting offensive linemen (Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, Cade Mays, Solomon Kindley): Gone.

All-American kicker Rodrigo Blankenship: Gone.

On defense, the Dawgs lose safety J.R. Reed, who many considered the heart and soul of Georgia’s incredible defense in 2019.

That sounds bad, yes. But there’s still a lot of reasons why the Dawgs should be back in Atlanta playing in its fourth consecutive SEC title game.

Practically the whole defense returns. That’s the same defense that was the nation’s best in 2019.

And despite all the losses on offense, the Dawgs have plenty of returning and incoming talent.

For starters, Georgia recently landed Wake Forest graduate transfer quarterback Jamie Newman. If you have not seen his tape from last season, check it out. The dude is a baller.

At running back, Georgia will reload as it always does and has Zamir White and James Cook returning. Not to mention the addition of 5-star back Kendall Milton.

Our receivers will be fine. George Pickens is destined for a massive sophomore season and we have four 4-star wide receivers.

And the offensive line. That is what hurts the most. We had depth last season, which is what made them so great. Next season, there will be elite talent, but the depth will not be close to what it was this year. Fingers crossed that everyone stays healthy.

Matchup preview: Baylor’s offense vs Georgia’s defense

Georgia DC Dan Lanning admits that the Dawgs face a tough test in scheming against a balanced Baylor offense.

Georgia’s defense may be coming off their worst performance of the season (statistically speaking), but the Bulldogs arrive in New Orleans still ranked fourth in total defense to square off against the Baylor Bears in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

As defensive coordinator Dan Lanning pointed out in his press conference, the Junkyard Dawgs face a tough test in scheming against a balanced Baylor offense.

The Bears feature a proven pocket passer in Charlie Brewer, who was recently cleared to play in the Sugar Bowl. Behind him are “shifty” tailbacks John Lovett and JaMycal Hasty, both totally solid in providing pass protection. Beside him are a group of versatile tight ends capable of receiving and particularly adept at blocking. He’s assisted by the great size and speed of his outside receivers, specifically in senior Denzel Mims and sophomore Tyquan Thornton.

With the Georgia secondary missing J.R. Reed and Tyrique McGhee, the Bears’ Brewer, Mims, and Thornton could take advantage of younger Bulldog players getting some of their first significant playing time in the defensive backfield. The defense has at times struggled with passes over the middle of the field, but has excelled with 50/50 balls to the outside of the field, so this matchup will be strength-on-strength.

Baylor is ranked at a good-but-not great 50th in the nation in team rushing and is presented a tall task in facing a Silver Britches defense ranked third in the country against the run.

Georgia’s defensive front seven is still the only group in the country that has given up only one rushing touchdown all year.  The next fewest: Oregon with four allowed.

If Baylor’s offense has one glaring weakness, it would be their offensive line.

They’re one of the bigger offensive lines in the Big XII and consequently are one of their conference’s better run blocking units. However, their pass protection is wildly inconsistent, they’ve given up more sacks (35) than any of their conference foes, and only eighteen FBS teams have given up more. That’s remarkable for a team that finished the regular season with a single loss.

The Dawgs’ D hasn’t rushed the quarterback as much this year as fans have seen in previous seasons, but with edge rushers Quay Walker, Nolan Smith, Jermaine Johnson, and Azeez Ojulari having combined for 12 sacks, Bulldog Nation should feel confident that Dan Lanning’s squad can notch multiple sacks on Brewer.

Given the injuries Georgia has on the other side of the ball, Baylor’s best chance at wearing down the Junkyard Dawgs is controlling time of possession. If Baylor’s offense can’t control the clock and Georgia’s defensive starters can get ample time to rest on the sideline, I like the Dawgs in this one.

For a full preview of the game, click here.

5-star RB Zach Evans hints on where he’ll be playing

The number one running back recruit in the country, Zachary Evans has just hinted at where he will be signing, Georgia football.

The #1 running back recruit in the country has just hinted at where he will be signing.

5-star RB recruit Zachary Evans out of Houston, Texas is set to announce where he will be playing at the Under Armor All-America high school all-star game on January 2nd.

Evans was interviewed by reporter Bud Elliott about his recruitment and where he is considering signing.  He told Elliott that he had it narrowed down to three schools.  Alabama, LSU and Georgia.

Evans didn’t just tell Elliott his top three, but also gave a massive hint at which would be the lucky winner.

“One of their backs just played in the super bowl as a freshman. That’s a hint,” said Evans to Elliott.

Sony Michel, the Dawgs former running back, just won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots last year, scoring the only touchdown in that game.

If what we hear is true, Dawgs fans can expect Evans to announce he will be signing with Georgia come Jan. 2.

Evans would be joining the #6 RB recruit in the nation, Kendall Milton, who has already signed with the Bulldogs.

RBU is all about the next man up, and it looks like the Kirby Smart and the Dawgs have secured the most elite RB class of the year.  Big things ahead for Georgia football.

What Mekhail Sherman brings to Georgia football

Georgia’s signing day began with securing its highest ranked commit, five-star outside linebacker Mekhail Sherman out of Washington, D.C.

Georgia’s signing day began with securing its highest ranked commit, five-star outside linebacker Mekhail Sherman out of Washington, D.C.

At six-foot-three and 235 pounds, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Sherman bulks up to 245 or even 250 with help from Georgia’s nutritionists and strength and conditioning staff. This would allow him to play more of a role in setting the edge and occasionally playing weak-side defensive end.

At his current size, Sherman is versatile enough to play middle linebacker or even at STAR, the hybrid linebacker-defensive back position; he covers tight ends and running backs well, can drop into zone coverage and possesses the excellent footwork and 4.53 speed necessary to allow him to change directions swiftly.

Having previously played running back in high school, he diagnoses run plays exceptionally quickly and, once he sees where the ball is, disengages with blockers and accelerates toward the ball carrier.

He’s a sideline-to-sideline runner at great speed much like Roquan Smith but with size more comparable to Lorenzo Carter, Leonard Floyd, or Davin Bellamy (with the edge rush ability to match). Changing direction and honing in on tailbacks at his size is difficult to fathom.

In other words, he’s a jack-of-all trades and master of a few of them.

This presents the question: where will he line up within the Dawgs’ defensive front? The answer is: likely a little bit of everywhere.

Everything Georgia football fans need to know about Baylor

Georgia won each prior meeting, but the game in New Orleans will be the first in which they’ve faced each other outside Sanford Stadium.

With conference championship week having come to a close, bowl season is upon us. The Georgia Bulldogs are headed to the Sugar Bowl to square off with the Baylor Bears, with whom they’ve competed four times across the programs’ histories.

Georgia won each prior meeting, but the contest in New Orleans will be the first in which the Dawgs have faced the Bears outside Sanford Stadium. It will be the first time the teams have played since 1989.

Baylor and Georgia enter the game with identical records (11-2), both having lost one regular season game and their respective conference title games.

The Bears’ two losses both came against playoff-bound Oklahoma by a combined ten points.

Led by third-year head coach Matt Rhule, Baylor will make its second consecutive bowl game following an incredible turnaround: the Bears finished with just one regular season win in Rhule’s first season, six in his second, and eleven in 2019.

Georgia’s second-longest active bowl streak continues with a second consecutive trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl. It will be Baylor’s first Sugar Bowl appearance since 1957, when the Bears shocked a second-ranked and previously undefeated Tennessee Volunteers squad by a score of thirteen to seven.

Baylor possesses a balanced, powerful offense that averages 257 yards passing and 175 yards rushing per game.

However, The Bears’ powerful offense may arrive to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome shorthanded; starting quarterback Charlie Brewer was knocked out early in the second quarter of this weekend’s Big XII Championship and stayed sidelined for the remainder of the game.

Backup quarterback Gerry Bohanon, who was also recruited by UGA, was later replaced by third-string QB Jacob Zeno against Oklahoma. Zeno led a comeback that took his team to overtime before coming up short. Prior to his team’s most recent game against the Sooners, Bohanon had attempted just 21 passes wearing green and gold. Zeno has attempted nine passes all year.

Baylor has a run-first offense, attempting 82 more rushes than passes in 2019 (476 to 394).

If Brewer, who’s posted a solid 20:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a 65% completion rate, remains out, expect an even heavier rushing attack procured by the Bears’ massive offensive linemen (three of whom have played together for over three years). Behind them, shifty tailbacks JaMycal Hasty and John Lovett have combined for 1251 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

On Defense, Baylor hasn’t allowed north of 30 points all year to anyone who doesn’t attend school in Norman, Oklahoma. This group of players amounts to one of the most physical defenses the team has produced in years, nearly half-full of seniors (Henry Black, Jameson Houston, James Lockhart, Chris Miller and Blake Lynch) all playing the best statistical season of each of their college careers.

They give up just 19.3 points per game facing an injury-plagued Georgia team that has failed to score over 27 points in all but one game (against Georgia Tech) since their first loss of the season to South Carolina two months ago.

Baylor presents a cohesive defensive unit against a rattled Silver Britches offense. Whether their signal caller is missing or not, the Bears are not to be underestimated.

Georgia opens as favorite in Sugar Bowl vs Baylor

The Georgia Bulldogs and the Baylor Bears will meet on January 1st for the 2020 Sugar Bowl. See the opening spread for the Dawgs here.

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The Georgia Bulldogs lost a tough one this past Saturday, falling to LSU in the SEC Championship by a score of 37-10.  The Dawgs have lost SEC Championships two years in a row, and have dropped from #4 in the CFP rankings to #5 yet again.  Oklahoma jumped to the #4 spot after their Big 12 Championship win over Baylor.

The Dawgs will play in the Sugar Bowl for a 2nd straight year and open as 7.5 point favorites over the Baylor Bears.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 1:45 p.m.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

Most teams in the college football world would kill for a chance to play in the Sugar Bowl, but for Dawgs fans it feels like more of a consolation game than anything.  Last year hit a little bit harder due to dropping after an incredible game against Alabama in the SEC Championship.

Georgia opened the Sugar Bowl last year to Texas as two touchdown favorites, but we all know how that went.

Georgia will be without some key contributors, including Dominick Blaylock, Lawrence Cager and possibly a few starters who are headed to the pros  Hopefully Kirby Smart and the Dawgs can pull out an impressive victory and go into next season with a chip on their shoulder and smile on their faces.

The Sugar Bowl kicks off at 8:45 p.m. on New Years Day in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, and will be airing on ESPN.

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Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm suffers ankle injury in SEC title game

Three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm suffered an ankle injury following an awkward landing on a sack.

In the second quarter in today’s SEC Championship game, three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm suffered an ankle injury following an awkward landing on a sack.

Backup quarterback Stetson Bennett has stepped in but Fromm’s injury appears to be minor and will not keep him out of the game.

Fromm since returned but looks rattled entering the second half.

Georgia football alumni are hyped up for SEC Championship

Former Georgia lettermen take to social media to hype up the SEC Championship game.

Some of our favorite Dawgs have experienced the joy of victory and the agony of defeat against LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

Georgia and Louisiana State have met three times in competing for the conference title. The Tigers have bested the Bulldogs 2-1 in such scenarios, claiming the conference championship in 2003 and 2011. Georgia won the 2005 matchup behind D.J. Shockley’s electrifying performance.

Here’s what the lettermen had to say:

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ITS THAT TIME!! #GODAWGS #BEATLSU

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They seem confident that the Dawgs can even the series.