Tag: go dawgs

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.

Concerns over Coronavirus result in UGA swimming, NCAA championship games to be held without fans

The NCAA released a statement Wednesday that it will hold all championship events without fans in attendance, due to the fear of spreading coronavirus. All championship games will be held with only limited staff and immediate family members, NCAA …

The NCAA released a statement Wednesday that it will hold all championship events without fans in attendance, due to the fear of spreading coronavirus.

All championship games will be held with only limited staff and immediate family members, NCAA president Mark Emmert announced in the statement.  This means both the SEC swimming and diving championships held at Georgia and the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held with no fans.

The decision was in hindsight a no-brainer. The Golden State Warriors, along with a number of professional sports teams world wide announced that they would not have fans for the remainder of their seasons.  The risk for all those in attendance would be too great to allow admittance to tens of thousands of fans.

“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel,” Emmert said in the statement. “Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance.

“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

This all has been sparked by the World Health Organization terming the virus a pandemic.

Emmert also told The Associated Press that there could very well be changes in game locations, especially for the Final Four, set to take place in a lonesome Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

$867.5 million in television and marketing revenue was brought in from last year’s men’s basketball tournament, according to the NCAA’s most recent financial statement.

Roughly 1,350 fans bought tickets to the swimming and diving championships in Georgia’s Ramsey Center.

All locker room media access will also be prohibited for all NCAA championships.

“The health and well-being of student-athletes and teams is an ongoing priority for the SEC,” the league said.

The Bulldogs take on Ole Miss Wednesday as the last game with fans in attendance for the SEC Tournament.

“Tonight’s SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament games will continue as regularly scheduled. We are evaluating plans for the remainder of the tournament.” said the SEC on Twitter.

“Not too many people touching me, putting their arms around me, nothing like that,” said Georgia superstar, and recently named SEC freshman of the year Anthony Edwards. “We’ll take pictures, but keep your distance…I’m not trying to get sick or anything like that. No disrespect to anybody.”

The current available number of confirmed cases in the United States is at 1,000, with the death toll at 31.

This is truly something we have never seen in our lifetimes, and the effects are now being seen in the sports world.

Prayers to all who have been affected by the virus so far and to keeping not just the country but the world safe.

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit congratulates David Pollack on CFB Hall of Fame induction

ESPN’s College GameDay’s Kirk Herbstreit congratulates Georgia football great David Pollack on being inducted to the 2020 CFB HOF class

A co-worker, but more so a good friend.

Kirk Herbstreit, who hosts ESPN’s College GameDay, congratulated his co-worker David Pollack on Wednesday after the news broke that Pollack will be inducted into the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame class.

Pollack had an illustrious career in Athens, earning the honor of being one of two players in UGA history to be a three time first team All-American.

The two have been on the program together since 2011 when Pollack joined the GameDay crew. Those who watch the show know these two go together like bread and butter on TV.

High praise from the Ohio State Buckeye alum as Pollack will be forever ingrained in College Football History.

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.

ESPN’s Todd McShay on Georgia’s Jake Fromm: ‘He’s a day 2 pick’

ESPN’s Todd McShay gives his evaluation of where he thinks former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm will land in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm did not have the most impressive showing at the 2020 NFL scouting combine.

Fromm was the slowest of the 13 quarterbacks that participated in the 40-yard-dash, clocking in at 5.01 seconds.

ESPN’s Todd McShay did not hold back when discussing Fromm and where he projected him to land after his collegiate career and combine performance.

“With Fromm, he comes out as a freshman and gets that job because of the injury and never relinquishes and has 5-stars transferring (Jacob Eason to Washington, Justin Fields to Ohio State) because he just turns into the guy,” McShay said Tuesday during a teleconference after the combine. “The past couple years, he had no receivers. With 3 injuries up front, protection was inconsistent, but you go back and study the tape when he had (talent at Georgia) on offense and he made plays. Watch him at the combine, his balls are floating. He’s a brutal evaluation.”

“I would argue he’s as smart football intelligence wise as any quarterback in this class,” said McShay, continuing. “You talk to anyone at Georgia about his work ethic and the length he goes to have success and you can see how he was able to overcome the lack of elite physical tools, but some of his throws aren’t going to work in the NFL. Eason, who he beat out, has a much better arm. Tua is such a natural. The ball just pops out. Burrow doesn’t have elite arm strength, but he can make all the throws.”

McShay gave his honest evaluation of Fromm but let’s not forget this is a quarterback who has dealt with adversity and has performed well on college football’s biggest stages these past three years.

Fromm was one play away from winning a National Championship, won a Rose Bowl and a Sugar Bowl.  There aren’t that many quarterbacks in the college football era that have a resume quite like his.

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.