Following the exit of Len’Neth Whitehead from the Georgia football roster on Monday, the Bulldogs added to the running back room with a legacy player. Gannon Hearst, the son of Bulldog legend Garrison Hearst, has joined UGA as a walk-on for the 2024 season.
Gannon Hearst transferred to Georgia from Limestone College, a small Division II school in Gaffney, South Carolina. He had a small amount of playing time in 2022, when he accrued 84 yards on five carries. In 2023, Gannon recorded eight tackles. He played high school football at Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross, Georgia.
His father spent three years with the Bulldogs, rushing for 1,547 yards and 19 touchdowns along with 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his final year in 1992. He finished third in the Heisman voting that year and was selected third by the Phoenix Cardinals in the NFL draft. Hearst was recently nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2025 class.
Georgia has six scholarship tailbacks on its 2024 roster: Trevor Etienne, Roderick Robinson, Branson Robinson and freshmen Chauncey Bowens, Nate Frazier and Dwight Phillips Jr.
Former UGA running back and former defensive tackle considered for 2025 College Football Hall of Fame
The ballot for the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame class was announced early Monday, and two Bulldogs legends were among those included. Former running back Garrison Hearst and former defensive tackle Richard Seymour were listed among 77 total players on the ballot to be considered for induction.
Hearst played three seasons for the Bulldogs from 1990 to 1992, culminating in a junior year campaign that saw him rush for 1,547 yards on 228 carries with 19 touchdown runs. Hearst would win the Doak Walker Award and finish third in the Heisman Trophy voting for that year. He would go on to be drafted by the then Phoenix Cardinals third overall and play 12 seasons in the NFL.
Seymour played four years for the Bulldogs, earning all-conference selections in his junior and senior seasons. He would also earn all-American honors as a senior, recording 78 tackles and 10.5 tackles-for-loss in his best statistical year as a Bulldog. Seymour would also play 12 seasons in the NFL, winning three Super Bowls during his time with the New England Patriots. He was elected to the pro football Hall of Fame in 2022.
21 former Georgia Bulldogs are currently in the Hall of Fame. Hearst’s lack of inclusion is particularly notable based on his high standing in Georgia football history as well as the recency of some other running backs included on this year’s ballot such as Kenjon Barner and Montee Ball. The official announcement of the class will be made in early 2025.
Georgia currently has 21 former players and coaches in the CFB HOF. Can it add two more?
On Monday, 78 former college football players were named to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame ballot by the National Football Foundation.
Included in that is former Georgia running back Garrison Hearst and former UGA defensive lineman Richard Seymour.
Hearst was also on the ballot for both the 2022 and the 2023 class. Mark Richt (2023) and Champ Bailey (2022) are Georgia’s two most recent inductees.
The announcement of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2024, with specific details to be announced in the future.
Hearst was a vital player for the 1992 UGA team, contributing over a third of the team’s offensive production and scoring more than half of their touchdowns. He led the nation in touchdowns and scoring during his junior year, setting SEC and school records in various categories. Hearst received multiple accolades, including being a consensus All-America, winning the Doak Walker Award, and being named the SEC’s player of the year. He finished his college career as the second-leading rusher in Georgia history and was chosen as the third overall pick in the 1993 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
Seymour was inducted as a member of the 2022 NFL Hall of Fame class after he totaled 57.5 sacks in his 12 season NFL career. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft, Seymour played college football with Georgia from 1997-2000. He recorded 9.5 sacks and 223 tackles during his career with the Bulldogs. He was a First-Team All-American in 2000.
There are 21 former Georgia players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. You can see them all here.
The Georgia Bulldogs are already well-represented in Atlanta’s College Football Hall of Fame, and soon there may be two more Dawgs added to the club.
Georgia had two former greats included on the ballot for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame class —former head coach Mark Richt and former running back Garrison Hearst.
Hearst was one of 80 former FBS players included on this year’s ballot, while Richt was one of nine coaches. Also included on the ballot is former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson.
Hearst was on the ballot as well for the 2022 class. Former Georgia defensive back Champ Bailey was inducted as part of that class.
This year’s class will be announced early in 2023
Mark Richt:
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt reacts to fans after the Bulldogs defeated Kentucky at Sanford Stadium on Nov. 7, 2015. (Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
In 2001, Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley took a shot on Florida State quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Mark Richt to become the new head coach in Athens. Richt, a former Miami quarterback, had been at Florida State for 15 years, taking one year off to coach at East Carolina in the late 1980s. Brought back by legendary Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden, Richt guided the FSU offense to the top of college football. Richt coached six FSU quarterbacks to the NFL, including Heisman winners Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke.
In 2001, Richt’s first season at Georgia, the Bulldogs were only able to win 8 games, yet it was obvious things were trending upward in Athens. Richt’s first season at Georgia featured a win over a top-five Volunteers team on the road (Hobnail Boot).
In 2002 under Richt, Georgia began its ascension towards becoming a consistent college football powerhouse. The Bulldogs finished the year 13-1, which included an SEC Championship win over Arkansas and a win over his former Seminoles in the Sugar Bowl.
In 2005, Georgia won yet another SEC Championship. With star quarterback D.J. Shockley under center, the Bulldogs delivered a beatdown over LSU in Atlanta. Richt had won two SEC titles in his first five years at Georgia.
Richt came close to returning to the top of the SEC on a couple more occasions as well. In 2011, Georgia rebounded from an 0-2 start to finish the regular season with 10 straight wins. The Dawgs jumped out to a great first half vs LSU in the SEC Championship but were unable to finish the drill in the second half. The following year, Richt produced maybe his best team while at Georgia. The 2012 Bulldogs featured Aaron Murray, Todd Gurley, Keith Marshall, Tavarres King, Arthur Lynch, Jarvis Jones, Alec Ogletree, Shawn Williams, Bacarri Rambo, etc. However, the Dawgs fell just short to Alabama in the SEC Championship, a game that had Georgia won, the Bulldogs would have likely cruised to a national title win over an overrated Notre Dame.
Following the 2015 season, a year that saw Georgia finish with 10 wins, Richt was let go from his post at Georgia. He returned to Miami to assume to the position of head coach at The U. Richt is currently retired from coaching football.
Garrison Hearst:
Sep 12, 1992; Athens, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Georgia Bulldogs running back Garrison Hearst (5) in action against the Tennessee Volunteers at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Hearst meant everything to his 1992 UGA team. More than a third of Georgia’s offensive production came from Hearst, who scored over half of the team’s touchdowns. During his junior year, the Lincolnton native led the nation in touchdowns (21) and in scoring (11.5 points per game).
Hearst broke SEC and school records for most points scored in a single season (126), total touchdowns (21), rushing touchdowns (19) and average yards per carry (6.8).
A consensus All-America, Doak Walker Award recipient and SEC’s player of the year in 1992, he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Hearst finished his college career second on the Georgia records list in rushing yardage (3,232), all-purpose yardage (3,934) and 100-yard rushing games (16), trailing only Herschel Walker. He was the third pick in the 1993 NFL draft, selected by the Arizona Cardinals.
Today’s play of the day comes from the 1993 Florida Citrus Bowl featuring Georgia versus Ohio State.
Georgia star running back Garrison Hearst had a huge game where he rushed for 163 yards with two touchdowns and was named the game’s MVP.
Georgia faced a third and goal from the Ohio State 5-yard-line when Hearst took an inside hand off, spun passed a tackler and dived into the end zone for the score.
Watch it here:
Georgia would go on to win 21-14, you can watch a 40-minute condensed version of the game with all the big plays here:
