Tag: georgia bulldogs news

Georgia DCs Will Muschamp, Glenn Schumann ranked No. 4 among top CFB coordinators

Muschamp & Schumann are listed among the top DCs in CFB

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top defensive coordinators in college football with Georgia’s duo of Will Muschamp and Glenn Schumann coming in at No. 4 on the list.

“Eight players from Georgia’s historic 2021 defense were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, five of whom went in the first round. Not only that but the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator that year, Dan Lanning, was hired as the head coach at Oregon. Despite that massive turnover, Georgia’s defense was still sixth in the Power Five in terms of EPA per play. Schumann and Muschamp may share the title of defensive coordinator, but it was Schumann who called the plays in 2022, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.”

Head coach Kirby Smart brought then 25-year-old Schumann to Athens as an assistant shortly after taking the job in 2016. Schumann had yet to serve as a on-the-field coach prior to the move to Georgia.

Schumann went from inside linebackers coach to co-defensive coordinator paired with former Bulldog Will Muschamp after the departure of Dan Lanning to Oregon ahead of the 2022 season.

Muschamp joined the staff shortly after the 2020 season as a defensive analyst and eventually transitioned to special teams coordinator that year after Scott Cochran took time away from the team for personal reasons.

With Muschamp and Schumann at the helm in the 2022 national championship season, Georgia finished 10th in total defense, first in rush defense and and fifth in scoring defense.

The Bulldogs rewarded Schumann with a salary boost this offseason of over $805,000 to raise his number to $1.9 million annually. Muschamp is still drawing funds from his prior contract as South Carolina’s head coach.

 

 

 

Georgia transfer WRs are turning heads in spring practice

Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas are impressing at spring practice…

Georgia football added two of the top transfer wide receivers this offseason: Dominic Lovett (Missouri) and Rara Thomas (Mississippi State).

Both Lovett and Thomas led their respective teams in receiving last year and should add value to the Bulldogs receiving room after the departure of Dominic Blaylock to the transfer portal and Adonai Mitchell to Texas.

Georgia players are impressed with how Lovett and Thomas are practicing so far this spring.

“Bringing them to Georgia, it just increases the intensity at practice,” cornerback Kamari Lassiter said. “You know, the competition level between the receivers and the DBs. That’s some things like the guys like me — ultra-competitive guys, I like that, you know? I want the best guys to be here, and they want to go against the best guys as well. So just those guys being here, it’s really good for us.”

Star tight end Brock Bowers likes what he sees from the pair.

“RaRa’s just been out there making plays. I mean, he’s just an athlete. He’s going to be really good for us, and then Dom, he’s shifty and catching almost everything. So I mean, I think they’re going to be two good additions for our receiver room.”

Defensive back Javon Bullard knew Lovett before the former Missouri Tiger came to Athens.

“Dom’s like my little brother, man. He was one of the first guys that, like, when we came back, we were in the locker room just chopping it up. Very quick, very fast. Like I said, very agile, gets in and out of his breaks really good. Great route runner, knows how to play with his speed a lot, so I’m looking forward to seeing him play. And RaRa, I haven’t really gotten to guard RaRa just because he’s so outside. I know Kamari got to go up against him a lot, and just based off what he was saying he’s very quick off his first step off the release and has great hands, too. So like I said, I’m excited to see both those guys help us.”

You can catch Lovett and Thomas in action at the annual ‘G-Day’ spring game in Sanford Stadium on April 15 at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

 

 

Talented 5-star safety DJ Pickett sets Georgia visit

Pickett is rated as the No. 1 safety in the ’25 class…

Five-star 2025 safety D.J. Pickett, out of Tampa, Fla., has scheduled a visit to Georgia on April 15, the day of the annual ‘G-Day’ spring game in Sanford Stadium.

Pickett (6-foot-2, 170 pounds) is rated as the No. 1 safety, the No. 2 player in the state of Florida and the No. 5 player overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports Composite.

Here’s a look at Pickett’s sophomore season at Zephyrhills High School.

 

Georgia DE Mykel Williams out for rest of spring practice

Williams underwent minor foot surgery and will miss the remainder of spring practice…

Georgia edge defender Mykel Williams has reportedly underwent minor foot surgery and will miss the remainder of spring practice.

Williams led the Bulldogs in sacks (4.5) and quarterback hurries (31) as a freshman in 2022. The former five-star prospect is expected to have a starting role in 2023 following the departure of edge defenders Nolan Smith and Robert Beal Jr. to the NFL.

Injuries have piled up among multiple Georgia starters so far this spring. Running back Kendall Milton will miss the remainder of the spring with a hamstring injury and Daijun Edwards, the Bulldogs leading returning rusher, is dealing with an undisclosed injury.

True freshman tight end Pearce Spurlin will also miss the spring due to a broken collarbone.

 

 

‘UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton’: Former Georgia RB Richard Samuel talks Mike Bobo, Stacey Searles

Host J.C. Shelton is joined by former Georgia running back Richard Samuel to talk his career UGA’s Mike Bobo and Stacey Searles.

Host J.C. Shelton is joined by former Georgia running back Richard Samuel! 

Your friends at UGA Football Live and UGA Wire present your one-stop-shop podcast for all things Georgia football: “UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton.”

Streaming on Youtube as a part of The Pulse Sports Network or, listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Stats, analysis and interviews with some Georgia greats. We are here every week throughout the offseason to keep you up to speed on Georgia football.

In a new episode, former Georgia tailback Richard Samuel stops by to talk his recruitment, journey as a Bulldog and gives first-hand accounts of UGA offensive line coach Stacey Searles and new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

Watch here, on YouTube

Listen here, on Spotify:

Listen here, on Apple Podcasts

Also on the show:

  • Spring football updates: Georgia tight end out for spring 
  • Recruiting updates: UGA loses four-star running back commit 

Make sure to subscribe, rate and review! And check out one of our latest interviews with former Georgia great Rodrigo Blankenship! Watch here, or listen wherever you get your podcasts:

Injury issues plague Georgia RB room

Kendall Milton (hamstring) and Daijun Edwards (undisclosed) are projected as the top-two options at RB in ’23…

Georgia’s running back room has been plagued with injuries so far this spring.

With just over two weeks to go before the annual ‘G-Day’ spring game in Sanford Stadium, the Bulldogs’ top-2 returning rushers are banged up.

Kendall Milton, Georgia’s third leading rusher last season, is dealing with a hamstring injury that will hold him out for the remainder of the spring, and Daijun Edwards, who finished second on the team in rushing in 2022, has been limited in media viewing portions of practice with an undisclosed injury.

Bulldogs wider receiver Arian Smith confirmed Edwards’ injury as he shared advice for his injured teammates in a press conference on Tuesday.

“…I told K Milt earlier today, it happens man. My roommate Daijun (Edwards), he has been dealing with something too. Just keep your head straight, focus on the present and do what you can to be healthy.”

With Milton and Edwards hampered, rising sophomore Branson Robinson and true freshman Roderick Robinson have an opportunity to take valuable reps as the Bulldogs close out spring practice.

Rising redshirt freshman Andrew Paul is still recovering from an ACL tear suffered in the 2022 preseason and is on track to be cleared by the fall.

“[Ron Courson] would compare it to where Chubb was that first spring we got here,” head coach Kirby Smart said to open spring practice. “He is not cleared, but he’s on track. He’s going to do individual drills … We feel good about where he’ll be as far as fall camp”

 

Georgia WR Arian Smith shares advice to injured teammate Kendall Milton

‘Just keep your head straight, focus on the present and do what you can to be healthy.’

Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith is no stranger to dealing with injury. The speedster has missed multiple games in each of his first three seasons in Athens.

When UGA running back Kendall Milton went down with a hamstring injury during spring practice, Smith says he shared some advice he learned from his past experience.

“Really focus on the time, like the present. I try not to think about the future or past. It happened. Unfortunately, I’ve had three, so it happens a lot. I told K Milt earlier today, it happens man. My roommate Daijun (Edwards), he has been dealing with something too. Just keep your head straight, focus on the present and do what you can to be healthy.”

Milton dealt with a similar injury during the 2022 season and ended up missing two games. Even still, Milton had a strong season and finished as the Bulldogs third-leading rusher behind Kenny McIntosh and Daijun Edwards.

We’ve seen flashes of great ability from both Smith and Milton over their careers, but we have yet to see the pair play an entire season.

You can’t help but think how good this offense can be in 2023 with Smith and Milton at full force.

Major Georgia LB target Sammy Brown shows off in weight room

Five-star linebacker Sammy Brown is a major Georgia football target in the 2024 recruiting class. Brown shows off in the weight room here.

Five-star linebacker Sammy Brown is the top player in the state of Georgia, the No. 1 linebacker in the country and the No. 5 player overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Brown (6-foot-2.5, 225 pounds) is not only one of the premier football recruits in America, but also a Jefferson High School wrestling and track champion.

Brown’s athleticism and strength is on full display here in the weight room.

This is an outrageous amount of weight for a high school junior.

It’s easy to see why Brown, who plays linebacker and running back, has garnered so much attention from marquee programs.

The Jefferson, Georgia, native is scheduled to take an official visit to Athens on June 9.

Here’s a look at Brown’s junior season highlight tape. 

 

Georgia among top-5 schools for nation’s No. 2 safety

Five-star safety Xavier Filsaime has Georgia in his final 5…

Five-star safety Xavier Filsaime, out of McKinney, Texas, has included Georgia among his top-5 schools.

Filsaime (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) is rated as the No. 2 safety, the No. 6 player in the state of Texas and the No. 32 player overall in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Filsaime, who holds 33 scholarship offers, will choose from among Georgia, LSU, Florida, USC and Oregon.

Filsaime is scheduled for an official visit to Athens on June 16.

Click here for a look at Filsaime’s junior highlight tape. 

Georgia’s Smael Mondon talks freshmen LBs: ‘Everything you want in a linebacker’

Georgia has serious depth at ILB…

Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon is part of a talented group of inside linebackers in Athens.

The former five-star prospect helped revamp a defense that lost three players at the position to last year’s NFL draft, and finished first on the team in total tackles (76) in the 2022 national championship season as a first-year starter.

Mondon, a rising junior, recently spoke about the inside linebacker group highlighting some talented freshmen.

“Raylen and CJ — really all the freshmen, really — they’re all just like a really athletic group. They’re hard workers, strong, fast — really everything you want in a linebacker.”

Freshmen Raylen Wilson and C.J. Allen are among the top players signed to Georgia’s 2023 recruiting class, which finished second in the nation behind Alabama.

Wilson was rated as the No. 3 linebacker and Allen came in at No. 5, according to 247Sports.

Mondon noted the consistency of talent at the position since he joined the Bulldogs as a member of the 2021 recruiting class.

“Even when I first came in here, I feel like the linebacker room has always really been athletic with Quay, Channing and a lot of them guys that were here when I first got here versus now with me, Pop, Raylen, Sorey, all of them. I feel like we’ve always had an athletic linebacker room.”

Mondon enters his second season as a starter along side Jamon Dumas-Johnson, with Rian Davis, Xavian Sorey and EJ Lightsey as reserves.

Wilson, Allen and fellow freshman Troy Bowles, the No. 6 linebacker in the 2023 class, provide plenty of depth for the Bulldogs headed into the 2023 season.

You can catch the Dawgs in action during the annual ‘G-Day’ spring game scheduled for April 15 in Sanford Stadium.

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