Tag: ATD

Georgia football offers scholarship to Damarius McGhee

Georgia football has offered 2021 3-star ATH/CB Damarius Mcghee out of Pensacola, FL.

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have extended an offer to 2021 3-star cornerback Damarius Mcghee, out of Pensacola, Florida.

Mcghee is listed as a cornerback on 247Sports, but he can pretty much do it all. In his Twitter bio, McGhee states that he also plays wide receiver and quarterback for Pensacola Catholic team.

Last season, Mcghee completed 5/10 pass attempts for 109 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had 14 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns and he caught 20 passes for 433 yards and 3 touchdowns. Defensively, he had 47 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 5 punt blocks.

Mcghee is expected to play cornerback at the collegiate level, even though he could play on either side of the ball.

247Sports has him listed as the 31st best cornerback in the 2021 class and the No. 54 player in Florida.

Check out a sneak peek of Damarius’ athleticism here:

Vote: Which former Dawg drafted best basketball team made up of Georgia football players?

We asked four former Bulldogs to draft a basketball team made up of Georgia football players. Vote for your favorite here.

The UGA Wire staff voted and we gave our starting five that we would take if we were drafting a pick-up basketball team composed of Georgia football players.

Next, we reached out to former Georgia players Isaiah Wilson, Mecole Hardman, Tavarres King and Dannell Ellerbe to get their starting five of former or current players.

The players only had one rule: They were asked to draft players who played at Georgia from the time they started their careers to present day.

(Example: Mecole Hardman, who started playing for Georgia in 2016, was able to choose UGA players from 2016-2020.)

(Another example: Dannell Ellerbe, who played for Georgia from 2004-8, was able to choose UGA players from 2004-2020.)

So, the older players certainly had an advantage, but let’s see who had the best squad.

Now, it’s time for you to vote on which of these five squads you would take.

Here are the teams:

Vote for the best team at the bottom.

1. Team UGA Wire (We picked from current players only):

Point Guard: Jamie Newman (6-4, quarterback)

Shooting Guard: Richard LeCounte (5-11, safety)

Small Forward: George Pickens (6-3, wide receiver)

Power Forward: Jermaine Johnson (6-5, outside linebacker)

Center: Darnell Washington (6-7.5, tight end/defensive end)

We went with all current Georgia players for our picks to keep things in the present, even though we gave players to option to pick former Dawgs.

Wake Forest transfer QB Jamie Newman would be a commanding point guard with great court vision, complemented by an athletic and scrappy defender in the backcourt with Richard LeCounte. George Pickens would be the go-to scorer while JJ and D-Wash would hold things down in the paint.

2. Team Zay (Isaiah Wilson)

Able to choose Georgia players between 2017-20:

Point Guard: Jamie Newman (6-4, quarterback)

Shooting Guard: Richard LeCounte (5-11, safety)

Small Forward: George Pickens (6-3, wide receiver)

Power Forward: Bill Norton (6-6, defensive tackle)

Center: Jordan Davis (6-6, defensive tackle)

There were a lot of similarities between Isaiah’s team and ours, both selecting Newman, LeCounte and Pickens. Wilson then went with size in his picks, taking defensive tackles Bill Norton and Jordan Davis (both standing at 6-6) as his front court.

3. Team JET (Mecole Hardman)

Able to choose Georgia players between 2016-20:

Point Guard: Terry Godwin (5-11, wide receiver)

Shooting Guard: Javon Wims (6-2, wide receiver)

Small Forward: Richard LeCounte (5-11, safety)

Power Forward: Lorenzo Carter (6-5, linebacker)

Center: Davin Bellamy (6-5, linebacker)

Mecole’s team would have a lot of skill and finesse with Godwin and Wims in the backcourt while also being very physical with Carter and Bellamy defending the paint.  Mecole’s big men are physical but also are quite athletic and in shape, giving them stretch 4 and 5 capabilities on offense.

4. Team TK (Tavarres King)

Able to choose Georgia players between 2008-20:

Point Guard: Tavarres King (6-2 wide receiver)

Shooting Guard: Brandon Boykin (5-10, cornerback)

Small Forward: A.J. Green (6-4, wide receiver)

Power Forward: Marlon Brown (6-5, wide receiver)

Center: Fred Gibson (6-4, wide receiver)

King went with a four receiver team, adding cornerback Brandon Boykin because he clearly has crazy hops. Believe it or not, Freddy Gibson actually had a short stint in the NBA D League (now the G League) with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds and the Austin Toros.

TK gave a little analysis to go along with his selections:

“Tried to go all WR squad but Boykin my son so he can play on my team. 🤣 I like that squad though! Other Hoopers: Justin Houston, Clint Boling, Rambo.”

5. Team 2 Rings (Dannell)

Point Guard: D.J. Shockley (6-1, quarterback)

Shooting Guard: Tony Taylor (6-0, linebacker)

Small Forward: Antonio Sims (6-1, safety)

Power Forward: Quentin Moses (6-5, defensive end)

Center: Leonard Pope (6-8, tight end)

Ellerbe’s squad is old-school, and may include a few names that are unfamiliar to some of our younger readers. Ellerbe showed some love to two of the greatest to ever do it at Georgia, Quentin Moses and Leonard Pope. Both of these men were monsters in Athens and can play bully ball down low.

Now that you have the teams, it’s your turn to vote.

Vote for your favorite team here. There are no losers, just Dawgs.

[opinary poll=”who-drafted-the-best-squad_collegewires-3oi6bJ” customer=”collegewires”]

Top returning CFB WRs: Where is George Pickens?

Georgia football WR George Pickens is ranked in the top 10 of ESPN’s latest returning college receiver rankings for the 2020 football season

Georgia’s sophomore wide receiver George Pickens made a splash in the college football world last season, leading the Bulldogs in receptions (49), yards (727), and touchdowns (8) as a freshman.

Pickens lived up to all the hype that was surrounding him and is now in the talks of being one of the best receivers in the NCAA next year.

On Friday, ESPN released who they believe are the top returning receivers for the 2020 college football season.

  1. Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
  2. DeVonta Smith, Alabama
  3. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
  4. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
  5. Rondale Moore, Purdue
  6. Tylan Wallace, Oklahoma State
  7. Justyn Ross, Clemson
  8. Tutu Atwell, Louisville
  9. George Pickens, Georgia
  10. Chris Olave, Ohio State

Pickens was ranked as #9 on the list.  He helped the Dawgs secure the Sugar Bowl last year over Baylor, having 11 catches in one half, 175 receiving yards and a touchdown.

His catch radius was incredible and he had the third most catchable targets without a drop, making him one of the 20 most valuable receivers in college football at the end of the 2019 season.

Experts and fans expect even bigger things from Pickens for his sophomore season.  He will have a new quarterback throwing his balls which should be interesting and fun to see how the two mesh.

UGAWire’s three-round NFL mock draft

Here is UGA Football Live’s three-round NFL mock draft

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You have seen the pretenders….now UGA Football Live and UGAWire’s 3-round mock NFL draft is here.

With the recent conclusion of the NFL Combine and next month’s NFL Draft fast approaching, teams are looking to fill glaring needs and build for the future.

As usual, quarterbacks, offensive tackles, cornerbacks and edge rushers are on the wish list for nearly every team. You’ve seen the talking heads’ mock drafts — now take a look at an unbiased projection from UGA Football Live.

With good depth at offensive tackle, wide receiver and running back, the draft should be heavy on the offensive side this year. You can see the real 2020 NFL Draft on April 23-25 from Las Vegas on the ESPN and the NFL Network.

Here we go with the first three rounds:

Round 1:

  1. Cincinnati: Joe Burrow, QB, LSU — The Ohio native is the Bengals’ franchise QB.
  2. Washington: Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State — Better than the Bosa brothers.
  3. Detroit: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State — Lions desperate for defense and this dude is the nation’s best corner.
  4. NY Giants: Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson — A pure freak.
  5. Miami: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama — Will be Marino-like legendary in south Florida.
  6. LA Chargers: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville — Swiss cheese O-line needs help.
  7. Carolina: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn — Explosive and violent.
  8. Arizona: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia — Will retire in 2035 as the Cardinals’ greatest lineman.
  9. Jacksonville: Tristan Wirfs, OL, Iowa — Dominnat left or right tackle.
  10. Cleveland: Jedrick Willis, OT, Alabama — Browns get a beast.
  11. NY Jets: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama — 28th ranked offense in ’19 needs help.
  12. Las Vegas: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon — Has all the tools and Raiders need to make a splash in their new home.
  13. Indianapolis: Jordan Love, QB, Utah State — Colts aren’t sold on Jacoby Brissett.
  14. Tampa Bay: Josh Jones, OT, Houston — Bucs ranked in lower third in pass protection and rushing.
  15. Denver: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Baylor — Broncos hungry for speed.
  16. Atlanta: Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina — Athletic, physical and powerful.
  17. Dallas: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama — Secondary help on the way.
  18. Miami: K’Lavon Chaisson, LB, LSU — Dangerous, will cause havoc.
  19. Las Vegas: Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma — Sideline to sideline speed.
  20. Jacksonville: Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama — Can’t teach speed.
  21. Philadelphia: Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU — Monster in the slot with speed.
  22. Buffalo: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson — A weapon from anywhere on the field.
  23. New England: Zack Baun, Edge, Wisconsin — Motor knows only one speed.
  24. New Orleans: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU — Lock down corner.
  25. Minnesota: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida — Long and physical and  pass defense help needed.
  26. Miami: D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia — Fins need a playmaker and Swift is the first RB off the board.
  27. Seattle: Austin Jackson, OT, USC — Pete Carroll goes back to Troy.
  28. Baltimore: AJ Terrel, CB, Clemson — Strong career and stellar combine.
  29. Tennessee: Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State — 9.5 sacks in ’19.
  30. Green Bay: Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor — Terrific career and killed it in the combine.
  31. San Francisco: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State — Home run threat.
  32. Kansas City: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU — Full motor and dynamic blitzer.

Next: Round 2

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Dabo Swinney shares thoughts on opening against Georgia in 2021

Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney gives his thoughts on opening against Georgia football in Charlotte for the 2021 season.

Both Georgia and Clemson dropped their opening games for the 2021 college football season in order to ramp up the competition and play each other.

The two programs have been at the top of the rankings for quite a while now and it’s about time they’re due for a matchup like this.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared his thought with the media following spring practice this Tuesday.

“This was a situation where you set these things out in advance and all of a sudden 2021 was an oddball year for us, and we really needed another game. So, it worked out, especially being able to go to Charlotte. That’s kind of been the formula we’ve had for a long time. … Dan (Radakovich) and I talked about it last summer. I hate the fact we lose a home game, because it’s important to our community, but we’ll get back on track on how we do things moving forward.” said Swinney.

“And it’s exciting … we may not have done it if it was just another random team, but the fact we get a chance to play Georgia is something I think both fan bases will be excited about. Obviously, it’ll be a tough game; it’s hard to win those games, but it’ll be an exciting way to start it off.”

2014 was the last time the schools met in Athens when former Georgia running back Todd Gurley went off for 195 yards and 3 touchdowns, helping the Dawgs win 45-21.  The Bulldogs hold 42-18-4 record all-time against Clemson.

The game is scheduled for September 4th at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

The two are also scheduled to kickoff the 2024 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

USA TODAY releases 2020 NFL mock draft

USA TODAY has released their official post-combine 2020 NFL mock draft which features two Georgia football players going in the first round.

With under two months until the 2020 NFL Draft and the combine coming to a finish, USA TODAY released its 2020 NFL mock draft this Tuesday.

The list made by the NFL and USA TODAY’s Nate Davis featured two Georgia Bulldogs going in the first round.

Of the 32 first rounders, Davis had offensive tackle Andrew Thomas going 18th to the Dolphins as well as running back D’Andre Swift, going 26th.  The Dolphins traded for the 18th pick from the Steelers and got the 26th from the Texans.  If this mock draft is accurate, there could potentially be some fresh Bulldog blood invading the state of Florida very soon.

Here are a few of the notable draft selections from USA TODAY:

1. Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

2. Washington Redskins – Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

4. New York Giants – Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

5. Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

18. Dolphins (from Pittsburgh Steelers) – Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

If you buy into the assumption they’ll target Tagovailoa first, step two should be fortifying the protection for him – or whoever is taking the snaps here. Addressing the O-line would also bolster the league’s least effective run game in 2019.

24. New Orleans Saints – Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin

26. Dolphins (from Houston Texans) – D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

Fitzpatrick led Miami with 243 rushing yards in 2019. Probably enough said, but Swift – widely regarded as the draft’s top back – would be a steal here in any circumstance.

Charlie Woerner runs 40 yard dash at NFL Combine

Former Georgia football tight end Charlie Woerner clocks in for his official 40 yard dash time at the 2020 NFL Combine on Thursday.

Former UGA tight end Charlie Woerner ran his official NFL Combine 40-yard-dash this Thursday.

The 6’5″ 245lb Woerner ran an impressive time for a tight end of his size.

Woerner clocked in for an official second time of 4.78 seconds.

Woerner then moved to the “over the shoulder” drill and blocking sled, in which he performed very well, according to sources.

Other tight ends clocked between 4.66 and 4.96, placing Woerner right in the middle of the mix.  Woerner also had an impressive bench press performance at 21 reps, giving him a very solid day overall.

ESPN releases Way-Too-Early CFB Top-25: Where is Georgia football?

ESPN has released their annual “Way-Too-Early” College Football Top-25. See where Georgia football ranks among the list.

ESPN released their Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25 list on Wednesday.  The list is made as a rough estimate as what to expect for the upcoming season but isn’t perfect, as stated in the title.

For the most part the rankings look pretty solid.  The top 10 starts with Notre Dame at #10, Oklahoma at #9, LSU at #8, Florida at #7 and Oregon at #6.

The reason LSU dropped to #8 after winning the National Championship is rather obvious.  They will be without Heisman Trophy winner and possibly the greatest college quarterback ever Joe Borrow, offensive coordinator Joe Brady, defensive coordinator Dave Aranda and a handful of juniors heading to the NFL Draft.

The top 4 looks very solid with the Dawgs at the #4 spot, Alabama at #3, Ohio State at #2 and Clemson at #1.  Of the 25, six teams are from the SEC.

This is looking like it is going to be not only an exciting but very competitive season.

How much is Georgia paying San Jose St to get out of 2021 opener?

Georgia football is set to give San Jose State a massive payout after cancelling their 2021 season opener to play Clemson instead.

It was announced on Tuesday that the Georgia Bulldogs will play the Clemson Tigers for the 2021 season opener in Charlotte.

The game was not originally on either teams’ schedules, which then begs the question; how did they fit this in?

The Bulldogs were set to play San Jose State for their season opener but worked out a deal that would relieve them from the contest.  The Dawgs will be out a hefty $1.8 million just from cancelling this game while San Jose State will be cashing in.

In the grand scheme of things, this game will make both schools way more money than if Georgia had kept their original season opener.  This matchup is a rivalry that has died out in past years but now seems to be revived.

The Dawgs and the Tigers are set to face off September 4th, 2021.  Georgia has won 6 of the past 7 matchups against the Tigers.

Both teams are tied for 27th in most games played against Power 5 opponents in the past 15 years. 

This will be the first of six matchups between the two programs over the next 13 years.

PFF says Georgia football ‘easily’ has SEC’s best QB-WR duo

According to metrics by Pro Football Focus, Georgia football has the SEC’s highest rated QB-WR duo for the upcoming 2020-2021 season.

Pro Football Focus released its top 10 players returning to the SEC in 2020 this Monday.

On the list were two Georgia players including sophomore wide receiver George Pickens at the number seven spot as well as incoming transfer QB Jamie Newman at the number three spot.

PFF evaluates all players at the professional and college level, which means their Newman rating is no joke. The Wake Forest transfer is being hyped up to hopefully have a Heisman caliber season with the Bulldogs and potentially a run at a national title.

PFF analyst Anthony Treash wrote in the article:

“With Jamie Newman now throwing Pickens the ball, the Bulldogs have easily the best quarterback-receiver duo in the SEC and one of the best in the country.”

Newman trailed only Joe Burrow on his passing grade of throws that were 20 yards or more last season, while Pickens had the third most catchable targets without a drop last season as a true freshman.  That right there is a scary sentence.

If the predictions are correct, Georgia is set to have one of the best offenses they’ve had in a while in 2020.  The QB-WR duo with Newman and Pickens along with a plethora of other offensive weapons can give Dawgs fans lots of confidence looking ahead.