Pete Fiutak of College Football News recently released a list of the top-30 players in the SEC for the 2020 college football season.
Georgia placed five players on the list:
#30 – RB Zamir White
#29 – QB Jamie Newman
#19 – LB Monty Rice
#17 – WR George Pickens
#4 – S Richard LeCounte
White looks like he’s ready to shine now that the backfield has cleared out for the first time since his arrival in Athens. After tearing his ACL two times in the span of a year, White’s had a rough start to his collegiate career, but showed flashes of greatness last year. In 2019, White played in 13 of 14 games and finished the season with 408 yards on 78 carries which was third-best among all rushers.
Jamie Newman comes to Athens as a graduate transfer from Wake Forest. Already viewed as a high draft pick and a Heisman hopeful, Newman brings a run threat that Georgia has not had in 15 years. Newman started one full season for Wake, and that was last year. In 2019, he completed 220 of 361 passes (61%) for 2,868 yards and 26 touchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 574 yards and six touchdowns.
As for Rice, the senior out of Huntsville, Alabama is set to be a leader on one of the best defenses in America. Last season, Rice was named to the Associated Press All-SEC 2nd Team and was the co-winner of Georgia’s Vince Dooley Defensive MVP award. He played and started in all 14 games, was the team’s leading tackler with 89 total stops and also finished with 14 QB pressures.
Pickens is looking like he may go down as one of the best receivers in the history of Georgia football after an incredible freshman season. In 2019, as a true freshman, Pickens was named to the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team and was the co-winner of UGA’s Offensive Newcomer of the Year award. He played in all 14 games, earning his first start vs. Kentucky. Pickens ended the year with a great performance in the Sugar Bowl win over Baylor, where he had 12 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 49 catches for 727 yards, which were both team highs. He also led the Bulldogs in touchdown catches with eight.
LeCounte, who ranks No. 4 on the list, is one of America’s top ranked safety prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft. Through three seasons, two of which saw him as a full-time starter, LeCounte has racked up 150 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, six pass breakups, five fumble recoveries, and four forced fumbles. LeCounte has established himself as a playmaker on Georgia’s elite defense. Georgia had the top-ranked scoring defense in the nation last season. LeCounte does lose his partner in crime at the safety position, J.R. Reed, though. He’ll miss Reed, but now he’s ready to run the back-end of UGA’s defense. The former five-star recruit has forced a combined nine turnovers over the last two seasons. LeCounte recorded the second most interceptions in the SEC last season with four. He recovered the most fumbles (three) in the league as well. It’ll be a pleasure to watch his last season between the hedges.