Tag: Georgia

The Athletic’s 2-round mock draft has Saints drawing from blue-chip programs

There have been a lot of complaints about the Saints spending early-round picks on small-school prospects. That isn’t a problem in The Athletic’s mock draft:

The 2025 NFL draft class is beginning to take shape with underclassmen declaring whether they’ll turn pro and seniors telling their schools goodbye. And while the there’s been plenty of criticism for the New Orleans Saints spending early-round draft picks on prospects from smaller programs, that wasn’t an issue in this two-round mock draft.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler argues the Saints should start their 2025 draft by picking Georgia safety Malaki Starks at No. 9 overall:

Safety might feel like a luxury option for a Saints team that needs help at quarterback, pass catcher and on the defensive line. But Starks can play across the secondary and be a playmaker in different ways. With his athleticism, football IQ and makeup, he will be an easy sell in NFL war rooms.

Starks is an intriguing talent, and if he’s able to play every down defensively he could be well worth the pick. The Saints lack a sure thing next to Tyrann Mathieu on the back end and had to platoon older pros like Will Harris (861 snaps), Ugo Amadi (527), and Johnathan Abram (115) far too often last season. We didn’t see the hoped-for second-year leap out of Jordan Howden, who was limited to 552 snaps across 17 games. Maybe Starks could help them get younger and more dynamic at that spot even if it isn’t as clear an immediate need.

Starks would be a perfect young player to have lock down the secondary for the next few years in New Orleans. He is a smart player that can do a lot across the defense.. The defensive back had 197 career tackles with six interceptions and 17 passes broken up. He is mostly known for making highlight plays in coverage, but that isn’t all he does.

This was a two-round mock draft, and while Brugler didn’t go into detail about the Saints’ selection at No. 40, he did have them picking Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden. And that might be a controversial decision. Golden has the production you look for from players coming out of a blue-chip program — he led the Longhorns this season with 987 receiving yards and 9 touchdown catches — but he’s got a similar frame to Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed at a listed 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds. He wouldn’t add much of a size element fans have been looking for since Michael Thomas left the team.

Still, Golden was the fourth receiver taken in Brugler’s mock draft (out of seven). He would be an absolute steal in the second round, as some consider him to be in the conversation for the best wide receiver prospect in the draft class. At some point the team needs to just draft the best players available and raise the roster’s overall talent level. Olave’s history of concussions and looming contract issues can’t be ignored. Assuming the Saints pick up his fifth-year option this spring, he’ll be up for free agency in 2027 with Shaheed hitting the market in 2026. Drafting Golden in 2025 could give the Saints a viable successor for at least one of those two receivers.

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Vols score 49 second-half points to defeat Georgia

No. 6 Tennessee defeats No. 23 Georgia in SEC basketball play.

No. 6 Tennessee (16-1, 3-1 SEC) defeated No. 23 Georgia (14-3, 2-2 SEC), 74-56, in a top 25 matchup at Food City Center on Wednesday.

Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The Vols outscored Georgia, 49-30, in the second half. The Bulldogs led, 26-25, at halftime.

Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey led all scorers with 19 points. He converted 6-of-12 field goal attempts, 1-of-4 three-point attempts and 6-of-6 free-throw attempts. Gainey also recorded seven rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Zakai Zeigler led the Vols in assists (7) and Igor Milicic Jr. was Tennessee’s leading rebounder (9).

Tennessee recorded 11 steals and Georgia committed 19 turnovers.

Tennessee leads the all time basketball series against Georgia, 100-62, dating to 1913. Rick Barnes is 7-5 versus the Bulldogs as Tennessee’s head coach.

The Vols have won five consecutive games in the series.

Tennessee’s 100 wins versus Georgia are its second-most against any school, trailing only against Vanderbilt (131).

The Vols will play at Vanderbilt on Saturday. Tipoff slated for 3:30 p.m. EST (SEC Network) at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tennessee versus Georgia injury report: Latest updates, news

All the latest updates and news on Tennessee’s injury report ahead of the Vols’ basketball game versus Georgia.

No. 6 Tennessee (15-1, 2-1 SEC) will host No. 23 Georgia (14-2, 2-1 SEC) on Wednesday at Food City Center.

Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Tipoff between the Vols and Bulldogs is slated for 8 p.m. EST and will be televised by SEC Network. Brian Custer (play-by-play) and Richard Hendrix (analyst) will be on the call.

Beginning with the 2024-25 athletics calendar, Southeastern Conference schools will provide public reports on availability of student-athletes to participate in each conference game in football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball.

Tennessee sophomore forward J.P. Estrella is listed as out against Georgia. Estrella will miss the remainder of the season due to a foot injury.

All Georgia basketball players are listed as available at Tennessee.

PHOTOS: Rick Barnes through the years

J.P. Estrella (13). Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network

Dolphins’ top 2025 draft prospects: Georgia OG Tate Ratledge

Tate Ratledge brings the kind of nastiness and power to the interior that the Dolphins lacked in 2024.

If you’re looking for toughness and power to add to your rushing attack, Georgia’s Tate Ratledge is your guy. Ratledge is a perfect blend of strength, smarts, and tenacity that could be an immediate game-changer for the Miami Dolphins offense.

With great size and athleticism, Ratledge is a ready-made lineman who can knock defenders off the line of scrimmage and be a factor in space at the next level as well. He has a ferocious style of play and can finish his blocks consistently.

In 2023, Ratledge earned Second Team All-American and First Team All-SEC honors. A year later, he was a Third Team All-American and again earned a spot on the First Team All-SEC squad. Ratledge has the size to be a tackle, if needed, but his strength is on the interior. In 2,081 snaps over his collegiate career, Ratledge was credited with allowing only two sacks and committed just five penalties.

Position: OG
Projected round: Rounds 2-3
Height: 6’6
Weight: 320

Fit for Miami

The Miami Dolphins are desperate not only for offensive line improvement, but a change in mentality up front. Ratledge’s physicality would be a major factor in shifting the team’s offensive identity from speed to a mix of power, as well.

The Dolphins have decisions to make in free agency with most of their interior offensive linemen from last season set to hit the market in March. That includes 2021 second-round pick, Liam Eichenberg, along with Robert Jones and Isaiah Wynn.

The Dolphins have three starting offensive linemen back in 2025 in tackles Austin Jackson and Patrick Paul, along with center Aaron Brewer, and may also have Terron Armstead back for another season. They just have to solidify their guard spots.

Bottom line

Miami’s No. 48 overall selection could be a tad early for Ratledge, but for the Dolphins’ need up front, it may warrant the pick anyway. Ratledge is the type of player who could change the mindset Miami has on short-yardage situations.

Too many times, head coach Mike McDaniel has called plays on third- or fourth-and-short, which scream that he’s afraid to call a direct, inside rush. It’s clear he doesn’t believe in his team’s ability to get a push when it needs just a yard or so. It’s hard to blame him. Miami must invest in a run-blocking presence, and Ratledge is a blue-chip talent in that area.

If Miami doubled up on the offensive line by taking a tackle in the first round followed by Ratledge in the second (or possibly even the third), it would be a fantastic start to the 2025 NFL draft for the Dolphins.

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3-round Chargers 2025 mock draft: End-of-year edition

The Los Angeles Chargers take two of Jim Harbaugh’s former players.

The Chargers’ 2024 season is over, so the focus shifts to the offseason. Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz will look to revamp their roster with the pieces to get deeper into the playoffs.

L.A. will hold the No. 22 overall selection in the first round.

With that in mind, here’s our first mock draft of the 2025 off-season.

Round 1, No. 22

Colston Loveland | TE | Michigan

The Chargers need to add a tight end who can make an impact in the passing game, something they haven’t had since Hunter Henry. Los Angeles fulfills that with Loveland, who reunites with Jim Harbaugh. With his skills as a pass-catcher, Loveland would quickly become one of Justin Herbert’s go-to targets. He possesses the athleticism and route-running chops to separate from coverage, the speed to threaten the seam vertically, and a great catch radius to go up and reel anything thrown in. He is also a willing blocker in the run game, which Greg Roman would appreciate.

Round 2, No. 55

Tate Ratledge | IOL | Georgia

I would not be surprised if the Chargers spend big money on the interior part of the offensive line in free agency. But since it’s still so early in the offseason, we will draw out a scenario where they don’t. Trey Pipkins struggled and dealt with injuries late in the season. When he was on the field, Pipkins struggled in pass protection. While giving Herbert the playmakers he needs is imperative, so is keeping him upright. Ratledge is a plug-and-play right guard who plays with the desired play strength, football IQ and physicality. He is also battle-tested against SEC-level competition.

Round 3, No. 86

Josaiah Stewart | EDGE | Michigan

The Chargers might address this position earlier in the draft if Joey Bosa is a cap casualty and Khalil Mack is not back with the team, whether that’s him retiring or signing with another team. Regardless, the edge defender room needs more juice to complement Tuli Tuipulotu. Stewart’s first season with the Wolverines was the year Harbaugh led them to a national championship. This past season, he led Michigan in sacks with 8.5. Stewart is an explosive pass rusher with a quick first step and an arsenal of counters that will translate to the next level from Day 1.

Should USC have pursued Carson Beck in the transfer portal?

No one at USC should lose any sleep over not getting Carson Beck for 2025.

Entering the 2025 season, there are still some major questions surrounding the state of USC football’s quarterback room. This is why it certainly raised eyebrows, when, on Thursday, Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck entered the transfer portal. Beck started the past two seasons for the Bulldogs, throwing for nearly 7,500 yards and 52 touchdowns and leading them to back-to-back SEC Championship Games.

Barely 24 hours later, however, Beck was off the market, as he committed to Miami on Friday.

With Beck headed elsewhere, however, it raises the question: Should Lincoln Riley and USC have pursued him in the portal?

USC’s QB room heading into spring practice consists of Jayden Maiava, Sam Huard, and Husan Longstreet. Maiava is currently considered the favorite to win the job, as he started the final four games of USC’s 2024 season, going 3-1. However, he should be pushed heavily by both Huard—a former five-star recruit who will be on his fourth different school in five years—and Longstreet—a five-star signee in the class of 2025.

While all three quarterbacks have upside, none have the proven track record of a guy like Beck, who has proven that he can play well against elite competition. So should USC have pursued Beck, then?

On the surface, Beck would be an upgrade over the guys that the Trojans currently have in their QB room. In today’s era of college football, however, it is hardly that simple. Landing Beck would have required a significant investment of NIL funds, which in turn would have meant less money to spend elsewhere.

Beck is a very good quarterback, but is he good enough to justify spending millions of dollars that could have otherwise gone towards upgrading other positions? That’s hard to say.

If Beck lights the world on fire at Miami and wins the Heisman/leads the Hurricanes to the playoff, then we will certainly question the decision by USC not to pursue him further. Given Riley’s success with quarterbacks and the numerous other holes on the Trojans’ roster, sitting this one out feels like a reasonable move on USC’s part.

UGA WR Dillon Bell announces NFL draft decision

UGA wide receiver Dillon Bell announces his NFL draft plans

Georgia Bulldogs junior wide receiver Dillon Bell is returning to UGA for his senior season instead of entering the NFL draft. Bell is a versatile playmaker for the Georgia offense.

In 2024, Bell recorded 43 receptions for 466 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Bell is physical after the catch and is also an effective rusher. In fact, he was Georgia’s third-leading rusher this past season with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound receiver did struggle with drops at times in 2024, but Bell provides continuity for the Georgia wide receiver room. The Houston, Texas, native has improved every season of his college career and there’s no reason to think that will stop.

“Let’s run this back,” said Bell in a post via social media. Bell projects as one of Georgia’s top receiving threats in 2025 along with Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas, USC transfer Zachariah Branch, Nitro Tuggle and London Humphreys.

Bell is Georgia’s leading returning receiver with Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett both headed to the NFL draft.

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All-SEC Georgia edge rusher declares for NFL draft

Projected first-round pick Georgia edge rusher announced he’s declaring for the 2025 NFL draft.

Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher Mykel Williams announced his decision to declare for the 2025 NFL draft. Williams was a second-team All-SEC selection during the 2024 college football season.

“Georgia will always be home, and I will forever be proud to call myself a Dawg,” Williams said in a social media post announcing his plans. “Thank you for everything.”

Willliams was a former five-star recruit from Columbus, Georgia, before signing with Georgia in 2022. Ever since then, he’s developed into one of the Bulldogs’ best edge rushers.

With Georgia, he racked up 67 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks in 40 games. He especially shows up in big games. In every preseason game dating back to his debut in 2022, he totaled five sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Williams joins several Georgia players, including star defensive players Warren Brinson, Malaki Starks and Jalon Walker. He’s been mocked in several drafts as a top-10 pick, and according to the Mock Draft Database, he’s second on the big board of edge rushers.

Georgia safety Malaki Starks makes NFL draft decision

Georgia safety Malaki Starks is declaring for the 2025 NFL draft. Likely a first round pick

Georgia Bulldogs junior safety Malaki Starks is declaring for the 2025 NFL draft. Starks is projected as a first-round pick and could be the first safety selected in the draft.

Starks, a former five-star recruit, immediately made an impact at Georgia in 2022. In his first career game, Starks made an acrobatic interception of Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Starks started for the Bulldogs on their undefeated national title team in 2022.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound safety from Jefferson, Georgia, will be difficult to replace. Starks recorded 77 tackles, one interception and three pass deflections in 2024.

In all three of Starks’ seasons at UGA, he totaled at least 50 tackles, one interception and three pass deflections. Starks along with UGA safety Dan Jackson are both expected to enter the NFL draft.

Starks is a two-time SEC champion and one-time national champion. His impact at Georgia goes beyond the game of football.

Starks thanks Georgia fans, coaches, and his teammates via social media. “I am grateful and excited for the next chapter in my life. I am officially declaring for the 2025 NFL draft,” said Starks.

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Tale of the Tape: Notre Dame offense vs. Penn State defense

Can the Irish solve the Nittany Lions’ talented defenders?

It wouldn’t be fair to say Notre Dame’s offense had an impressive showing in the Sugar Bowl. For a variety of reasons, it was one that many might say was consistent with Irish offenses of the past. It did just enough though, so the Irish are heading to the Orange Bowl, one of the semifinals in this year’s College Football Playoff.

While Georgia proved to be forgiving of the Irish’s pedestrian offense, that likely won’t be the case against Penn State, which has perhaps the most stacked defense the Irish will face so far this season. If the Irish’s amazing running corps gets bottled up like it easily could be, that could spell trouble for this game because points will be rare if not impossible. But this season’s Irish have pulled off a lot of shockers, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see one more.

Here’s how the Irish’s offense stacks up against the Nittany Lions’ defense: