Tag: DJ Daniel

Three Bulldogs opt out of upcoming bowl game

Three Georgia football players make decision to opt out of bowl game, ending their time in Athens playing for the Bulldogs.

Three Bulldogs who have played pivotal roles within the team have decided to opt out of Georgia’s upcoming bowl game, ending their time in the red and black.  Among those players are graduate senior tight end Tre’ McKitty, senior defensive back DJ Daniel and senior inside linebacker Monty Rice.

UGASports.com initially broke the news, followed by multiple reports confirming the opt outs.

No. 8 ranked Georgia (7-2) could very well play Clemson in the Orange Bowl, should Notre Dame beat the Tigers in the ACC Championship Game today.  If Clemson comes out on top, the projection is that Georgia will likely face off against Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl.

Isaiah Wilson, J.R Reed and Andrew Thomas all skipped last year’s Sugar Bowl victory over Baylor and Deandre Baker skipped the Sugar Bowl during the 2018-19 season.  This is starting to become a trend, especially for Georgia’s defensive players trying to stay healthy for the NFL draft.

There are still some question marks surrounding other players on the Dawgs’ roster.  UGASports additionally reported that defensive backs Mark Webb, Richard LeCounte and Eric Stokes are also leaning towards an opt out, as is offensive guard Ben Cleveland.

Although this season didn’t turn out how Dawgs fans wanted, there is a bright future in Athens with head coach Kirby Smart locking in the 3rd best recruiting class in the nation so far.  Georgia’s bowl game will be announced Sunday afternoon following the conference championships on Saturday.

Georgia vs. Missouri: Potential Chargers 2021 NFL draft prospects to watch

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out the prospects that Los Angeles could have their eyes on.

The college football season is winding down, with bowl season now in hindsight. That also means that scout’s traveling to watch prospects at various programs across the nation is close to coming to an end.

Here are a few prospects to watch in the matchup between Georgia and Missouri on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

The Bulldogs boast a trio of cornerbacks that could serve as a long-term option, Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell and DJ Daniel. Stokes has the prototypical build for the position with speed, physicality and plus coverage ability. Campbell is a physically gifted and reactive athlete with great length that possesses speed, excellent closing speed and instincts. Daniel is a sub-package ace who is quick and agile with very good mirroring skills.

With Melvin Ingram slated to be a free agent after this season, finding an edge defender to compliment Joey Bosa could be something that the Chargers look to do early on. Azeez Ojulari has seen his stock increase with his strong play this season. Ojulari is an explosive and athletic player with the pass rush ability, bend and range to be a solid starter at the next level.

Linebacker Monty Rice has gone under the radar. Rice uses quickness, football intelligence and coverage ability to make impactful plays in pass defense, and his read and react and speed to make plays against the run. With Denzel Perryman set to hit free agency and Drue Tranquill coming off a serious lower body injury, the Chargers could be looking to the middle rounds to address the position.

The Chargers could be looking to upgrade the interior part of the offensive line, as Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney are both slated to hit free agency, which is why someone like guard Ben Cleveland could draw some interest. Cleveland is a solid interior lineman with great size, strength, hands and awareness to flash dominance in the run and pass game.

While Georgia draws the majority of the attention, Missouri has a couple of defensive backs that could be on the Bolts’ radar. Joshuah Bledsoe and Tyree Gillespie, who both accepted their invites to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, have different, yet appealing skillsets that could be nice additions to the defensive side of the ball.

Bledsoe has a combination of physicality, play speed and coverage skills to serve as a back-end safety/slot defender and special teams ace while Gillespie is a big guy who could be a productive single-high due to his range, ball skills and finishing ability.

Matchup between Alabama, Georgia will feature handful of potential Chargers prospects

Nine prospects from the matchup between Alabama and Georgia could appeal to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The weekend is near which means that there will be plenty of football to soak in.

For Chargers fans, this would be a good time to catch some of the college football action on Saturday. One, the team is on their bye week. Two, a handful of them are already looking towards the future with Los Angeles sitting at 1-4.

One of the marquee matchups that’ll be featured is between Alabama and Georgia, which will start at 5:00 p.m. and will be televised on CBS. The showdown between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will have a large grip of players who the Bolts could have their eyes on.

Let’s take a look at who could be drawing the team’s attention:

Alabama

CB Patrick Surtain

Surtain is touted as one of the top corners in this year’s draft class. The 6-foot-2 and 205 pounder has been lockdown, only allowing three catches for 38 yards this season. Surtain is a long, smooth athlete who has impressive instincts and ball skills. He could afford to get more involved in the run game, but overall, he has the makeup of an All-Pro cornerback.

Projected Round: Top-10

OT Alex Leatherwood

Leatherwood, the 6-foot-5 and 313 pounder, has made 31 starts so far for the Crimson Tide with 13 of them coming at right guard in 2018. Leatherwood is an excellent pass protector who possesses great size, length and physicality to grow into a very reliable tackle or guard at the next level.

Projected Round: 1st

WR Jaylen Waddle

Speed kills. Waddle, the 5-foot-10 and 182 pounder, is a pass-catcher with elite phone booth quicks and legitimate breakaway speed to threaten a defense vertically. He can line up all across the formation as well as serve as a return man.

Projected Round: 1st

WR DeVonta Smith

While Smith may not have the track speed like Waddle, the 6-foot and 172 pounders plays with a well-rounded route tree, excellent footwork, and brings the separation tactics to thrive at the next level. Through four seasons, Smith has 2,425 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Projected Round: 1st-2nd

CB Josh Jobe

Surtain is the No. 1 corner but opposite of him is another player who has proven to put the clamps on receivers. Jobe, who leads the team in passes defensed (3), has good length and size at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, reactive athleticism and ball skills.

Projected Round: 3rd-4th

Georgia

CB Tyson Campbell

Campbell, the 6-foot-2 and 185 pounder, is a physically gifted and reactive athlete with great length that possesses speed, excellent closing speed and instincts. Through three games, he has three passes defensed.

Projected Round: 1st-2nd 

CB Eric Stokes

Stokes has been a ball magnet for the Bulldogs, totaling three interceptions and four passes defensed through the first three games. He now has 18 passes defended over his first two seasons. The 6-foot-1 and 185 pounder has the prototypical build for the position with speed, physicality and plus coverage ability.

Projected Round: 2nd

CB DJ Daniel

Overlooked due to the presences of Campbell and Stokes, Daniel, the 6-foot and 182 pounder, is a sub-package ace who is quick and agile with very good mirroring skills. In 2019, the JUCO transfer had eight passes defensed.

Projected Round: 2nd-3rd

G Ben Cleveland

Cleveland’s continuity has helped a partly revamped offensive line after three were drafted in this past draft. The 6-foot-6 and 342 pounder is a solid all-around interior lineman with proven durability and experience who is a strong blocker in the run game and has good awareness in pass protection. Most recently, Cleveland helped allow Georgia’s running backs to go for 202 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries last weekend against Auburn.

Projected Round: 3rd-4th

Georgia football at Arkansas: Key player matchups

We take a look at some key player matchups to keep an eye on going into Georgia football’s season opener at Arkansas.

There is officially only one day until Georgia football returns for the 2020 season, kicking off in Fayetteville, Arkansas against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Dawgs are favored by a whopping 26.5 points (odds courtesy of BetMGM) but there are still some marquee matchups to be seen played out on the field this Saturday.

Georgia LB Nakobe Dean vs. Arkansas RB Rakeem Boyd:

Arkansas senior running back Rakeem Boyd has shown his ability to catch passes in the past, catching a total of 19 last season. The Razorbacks’ new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles will likely try and get creative with this matchup and get Boyd much more involved in the passing game.  Georgia sophomore linebacker Nakobe Dean will need to read Boyd and Briles well this game to not only contain Boyd as a rusher but also as a receiver.  Eliminating Boyd from this game will most likely paralyze Arkansas’ offensive scheme, and it all starts with Dean.

Georgia RB Zamir White vs. Arkansas LB Bumper Pool:

Georgia running back Zamir White is coming off of his biggest game in last years Sugar Bowl, where he rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.  White also has had a strong preseason camp, his knee looking as healthy as ever.  Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool has some great instincts at the linebacker position and is also a very solid athlete. He was second on the team in tackles and had five pass breakups in 2019.  White will open up a lot of options for Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, forcing Pool to focus on the run game.  With the addition of junior running back James Cook, ready to take on a much bigger role with D’Andre Swift now in the NFL, Georgia’s running backs could be a matchup nightmare for the Hogs’ linebackers.

Georgia QB D’Wan Mathis and OC Todd Monken vs. Arkansas DC Barry Odom:

Georgia’s offense and Arkansas’ defense both feature a number of new faces this year.  There will be a lot of feeling the other team out early on in this game since neither side has had much of an opportunity to scout the other.  Monken is well know for taking advantage of mismatches so lookout for some deep balls thrown to sophomore wide receiver George Pickens in the Arkansas secondary.  Monken will also probably try and use Cook a lot in the short receiving game once Pickens starts to draw multiple defenders deep.  Georgia has the edge on paper here but they are still starting redshirt freshman quarterback in D’Wan Mathis, who no one has seen much of lately.  Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom will likely lay some early pressure on Mathis and the new Georgia offensive line.  Mathis and the Dawgs offense will need to stay poised and put trust in Monken’s play calling even if they take some hits early on.

Georgia’s secondary vs. Arkansas WR Treylon Burks:

Arkansas sophomore wide receiver Treylon Burks is a complete offensive Swiss-Army Knife.  He stands at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds and was used in the Arkansas run and pass game very well his freshman season.  He was the Razorback’s leader in receiving yards as a freshman but had no touchdowns.  Kendal Briles will definitely try and get Burks involved early with some big plays but he will need to get past a mean Dawgs secondary in Eric Stokes, Tyson Campbell, Mark Webb and DJ Daniel.  This should be one of the best matchups of Saturday’s game.

UGA football player card: DB DJ Daniel

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back DJ Daniel transferred to Athens from Georgia Military College.

DJ Daniel (#14):

Class: Senior

Height: 6-1

Weight: 185 pounds

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

High School: Spalding High School

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back DJ Daniel transferred to Athens from Georgia Military College. He was a four-star JUCO prospect and has lived up to the hype.

Daniel played in 13 out of 14 games last season and started the final eleven contests. He took over for former five-star recruit and uber-talented CB Tyson Campbell, who battled a nagging turf toe injury last season. The two will compete once again in the fall.

Daniel started opposite number one cornerback Eric Stokes. He was often picked on, but lived up to the challenge.

Daniel totaled over forty tackles last season and deflected eight passes. He helped break up a last minute pass versus Notre Dame. He was up for the challenge on a key play against Auburn. The same type of play burned stud LSU cornerback Derek Stingley.

Dec 7, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back DJ Daniel reacts after a pass break up against the LSU Tigers in the second quarter in the 2019 SEC Championship Game. Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

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Georgia football player profile: CB Tyson Campbell

Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Tyson Campbell came to Athens as a highly touted five-star recruit from American Heritage High School.

Cornerback Tyson Campbell (#3):

Class: Junior

Height: 6-2

Weight: 185 lbs

Hometown: Plantation, Florida

High School: American Heritage

Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Tyson Campbell came to Athens as a highly touted five-star recruit. Campbell helped lead American Heritage to a state championship in 2017.

Campbell is a key piece of UGA’s roster in 2020. If Campbell can step up, then Georgia will have two elite corners on the outside (Campbell would join Eric Stokes). Campbell has work to do before taking the starting job. Last season D.J. Daniel took over Campbell’s starting spot following the third game of the season.

Campbell is now a veteran and certainly has the talent to contribute to Georgia’s elite defense. Additionally, he missed five games last season with a turf toe injury. His position battle with D.J. Daniel will be one of Georgia’s most intriguing intra-squad competitions to start the 2020 season. Georgia has solid depth at cornerback either way.

Campbell and sad Georgia Tech fans will never forget his second career touchdown (video per GeorgiaHeroes):

Sep 8, 2018; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Bryan Edwards makes a catch covered Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tyson Campbell  at Williams-Brice Stadium.  Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

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Georgia’s Eric Stokes has chance to be All-SEC

Georgia football’s Eric Stokes is coming off an impressive 2019 season. Does he have what it takes to be All-SEC in 2020?

Eric Stokes is coming off an impressive 2019 season, where he was among the best corners in the SEC. Stokes will have his work cut out for him in to be All-SEC in 2020. In order to be the SEC’s best corner in 2020, Stokes will have to outplay LSU’s all-world cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., so Stokes may have to settle for All-SEC.

Stingley Jr. put together an impressive freshman campaign and only got better as the season went on. Stingley is the SEC’s highest graded corner returning according to PFF:

Georgia’s Eric Stokes Jr. checks in at number four on the list. Stokes will be looking for either D.J. Daniel or former five-star recruit Tyson Campbell to step up on the other side of the field to totally lock down opposing passing attacks. Campbell (7th) and Daniel (8th) are two of the top eight returning corners in the SEC according to PFF.

Georgia additionally adds talented 2020 corner recruits in Kelee Ringo and Jalen Kimber. Both of these players have the skills to step into a starting role should they be called to action.

Eric Stokes will have a chance to make All-SEC because of his ability to limit the big-play:

Stokes will have more great safety play behind him in Richard LeCounte and Lewis Cine this year. Look for him to be targeted sparingly in 2020.

Next page (sorry – didn’t want to slow down browsers): Eric Stokes is putting in off-season work and may be aided by another area of Georgia’s elite defense.

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Georgia versus LSU: keys to winning the SEC Championship

The Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers face off in another classic SEC Championship Game. Kirby Smart will try to slow down LSU’s Joe Burrow

The Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers are set to face off in another classic top-five SEC Championship match-up. LSU is favored, but both teams are facing arguably their biggest challenge of the season. It’s the best defense LSU has seen and the best offense Kirby Smart and Georgia will face all season.

Georgia must win the turnover battle, get off the field on third downs, and put pressure on Joe Burrow. Georgia will have to look to limit Burrow the way the Auburn Tigers did weeks ago. Georgia’s defensive line hasn’t gotten the recognition that Auburn’s defensive line has received, but Jordan Davis, Tyler Clark, and Devonte Wyatt have been rock-solid inside. The defense has yet to allow a running back to rush for a touchdown all season (Bo Nix scored the only allowed rushing TD).

At the very least, Georgia must shut down LSU’s run game and make the Tigers offense one-dimensional. LSU will be tough to stop, but sacks can throw any offense off schedule. LSU’s offensive line allows significantly more sacks than Georgia’s elite offensive line:

Georgia is eighth in the SEC with 26 sacks. The Bulldogs must disrupt the timing of LSU’s passing game. LSU will be willing to abandon the run game, like they did in their road game at Texas, if they don’t have any success running the ball. LSU ran the ball at-will against Auburn, Florida, and Alabama. Joe Burrow was a large factor against the Crimson Tide touting fourteen carries. LSU will try to involve him in the run game if they can’t get the dynamic Clyde Edwards-Helaire going.

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Three overlooked Georgia at Auburn plays; what they mean moving forward

Georgia Bulldogs football won 21-14 over the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium last night. D.J. Daniel made an awesome first half play.

The Georgia Bulldogs got a massive 21-14 road win over the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium last night. The Bulldogs played excellent, but let Auburn creep back into the game, much like LSU did when they defeated Auburn 23-20 in Baton Rouge.

Auburn’s defense has had similar stifling effects on Oregon, LSU, Florida, and Georgia. Auburn may have the best defensive line in the country.

In order for Georgia to win, it took numerous clutch plays down the stretch. Lots of these plays standout, but I’ve picked three that have significance moving forward.

At first glance, the D.J. Daniel pass break up isn’t too special, but you must factor in several things. Daniel is lines up against Auburn’s fastest player in Anthony Schwartz, who gains separation with his speed. Daniel keeps sound technique and a never-out-of-position mindset. He doesn’t panic and get interference. Instead, he makes an excellent well-timed play on the football:

That’s not all. What’s impressive is Daniel’s pre-snap focus. Daniel is not fooled by the look to the sideline and quick-snap that Tua Tagovailoa and Alabama used to trick LSU’s touted freshman Derek Stingley for a touchdown last week:

It’s a copy-cat sport, so don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last Georgia sees of this play. UGA defensive backs must be prepared for this, so they don’t give up a cheap touchdown moving forward.

Another play I’d like to highlight was perhaps Auburn’s last true chance to remain in the game:

Gus Malzahn called an excellent play, but Auburn quarterback Bo Nix couldn’t connect with his open receiver. This is a play that LSU’s Joe Burrow hits with ease. Georgia’s pass defense must tighten up moving forward. One way UGA can limit an elite passer like Joe Burrow is with pressure. The Dawgs must be more disruptive in a potential SEC Championship against LSU. The now healthier Tyson Campbell will continue to battle with D.J. Daniel for the second corner spot.

Punter Jake Camarda played his best game of the season yesterday. Camarda launched eleven punts(!!!) for 558 yards at Auburn. He consistently pinned Auburn’s offense against their goal-line in the first half with punts like this one:

If Camarda can continue to play at a high-level, then it will put UGA’s defense in much more favorable positions and give Georgia elite specials teams play, if the Dawgs can get down the field and cover kicks. Georgia has to limit special teams penalties moving forward to dominate the field-position battle. Georgia’s defense will need all the help it can get against LSU’s high-flying offense.

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