Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
How did 10 potential #Philadelphia #Eagles draft picks do in major bowl games? #CFBPlayoff
The Eagles have three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft and that allows for a ton of maneuverability, or Howie Roseman could just nab the three best players on the board.
Whether it be the national championship game or other bowl games, several prospects that could potentially land in Philadelphia made their case over the past two weeks.
Here’s how several top prospects did in bowl games.
Dalvin Cook’s brother starred for Georgia in the Orange Bowl
Football runs in the genes of the Cook family.
Dalvin has been one of the best running backs in the NFL for years.
And his younger brother, James, put on a show for Georgia against Michigan in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
James Cook caught a touchdown pass from Stetson Bennett, good for 39 yards, as the Dawgs opened a 34-3 lead in the fourth quarter.
What a performance from the Dawgs 😤#CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/YfyW7SO1R5
— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2022
That gave James Cook four catches for 109 yards and he added six rushes for 32 yards as Georgia was well on its way to a rematch with Alabama in the College Football Playoff championship game on Jan. 10.
James Cook is a 5-foot-11, 191-pound senior RB. He had 619 rushing yards in 2021 and scored 7 TDs on the ground.
“He’s a versatile back so I expect that from him,” Dalvin said in 2020 of James. “I’ve got big expectations for him, bigger shoes than anybody can imagine for him and he can imagine for himself. He knows how hard I am on him, how hard I push him. I think he’s just scratching the surface of the things you’re going to see this year. It’s not a surprise to me, but to everybody else.”
NFL draft scouts like the versatility of Georgia Bulldogs senior running back James Cook.
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NFL draft scouts like the versatility of Georgia Bulldogs senior running back James Cook.
Cook has 218 career rushes for the Dawgs. Given NFL teams are always wary of running backs with too much wear and tear, Cook’s light workload will benefit his long-term career in the NFL.
Despite his low volume, Cook has 19 career touchdowns and has averaged over six yards per career in all four seasons of his UGA career.
Cook will attend the 2021 Senior Bowl following the College Football Playoff. Jim Nagy, the Senior Bowl’s executive director, is a former NFL scout. Nagy thinks Cook could line up as a wide receiver during practice to showcase his receiving ability.
Two years ago we played Memphis WR Antonio Gibson (yes, that Gibson) exclusively at RB during @seniorbowl week. Last year, UCLA RB Demetric Felton repped at WR. Both hugely benefitted from showcasing that versatility. James Cook will be listed at RB but could show out at WR too. https://t.co/jwcZaKQiz8
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) December 6, 2021
Cook has accumulated 603 career receiving yards during his time in Athens. He is a mismatch for many linebackers and could see immediate playing time as a third down back in the NFL.
Additionally, NFL draft analyst Matt Miller thinks that Cook is a sleeper at the position. Cook is being overlooked by some scouts. Miller believes that Cook will end up as a second- or third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
Georgia RB James Cook remains one of my favorite prospects at the position. Not sure why some are giving him Day 3 grades, but his tough running style at 190 lbs is eye candy. He's also a pretty dang good receiver and has open-field moves.
More on him in Scouting Notebook 2mrw
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) December 9, 2021
Cook can elevate his NFL draft stock with a strong performance in the CFP. Georgia will need Cook in the passing game in the Dawgs’ pursuit of a national championship.
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5 Bulldogs to watch as Alabama and Georgia battle for the SEC Championship!
It’s that time of year again, the two best teams in the SEC head over to Atlanta to battle it out for the SEC Championship.
This year, like several years in the past, is a matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. It’s Nick Saban vs. Kirby Smart.
Smart will lead the top-ranked Bulldogs into the contest, securely in the playoffs. Smark will also look to knock off his former boss for the first time ever. Saban brings the Tide into the matchup most likely needing a win to ensure a spot in the playoff.
Either way a lot is on the line and coach Saban and coach Smart won’t take one single snap in the contest. They will prepare their teams and it will be up to the guys between the lines to make the plays.
Today we will look at five Georgia Bulldogs that you should be keeping your eye on.
James Cook is having a MONSTER game for the Bulldogs…
Senior running back James Cook is having the game of his career versus Tennessee.
Cook has racked 104 yards rushing and 43 yards receiving, that’s 147 yards from scrimmage, while adding three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 receiving).
Cook’s last score, a 16-yard rush, put the Bulldogs up 34-10 over Tennessee early in the fourth quarter.
Have a day, James Cook!
His 3rd TD of the game and an exclamation point for @GeorgiaFootball❗️ pic.twitter.com/Ww7h6WLTdl
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 13, 2021
You can catch Cook and the Dawgs right now on CBS.
Kirby Smart on UGA’s RBs: ‘I got a lot of trust and faith in all five of those guys’
Georgia has five running backs who can get the job done.
Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh, Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards. All five of the ball carriers are capable of starting almost anywhere in America and all produce consistently on a weekly basis for the Bulldogs.
Kirby Smart knows how fortunate he is to have recruited so well at a position where depth is important.
But this is nothing new for Georgia, which is considered RBU for a reason. They simply reload every year.
And that depth has been a blessing so far this season, especially now that Georgia enters into the thick of a tough SEC schedule.
“I feel good about our backs. I think we’ve got good depth there,” Smart said.
Georgia’s spread the rock around pretty evenly this year. White is obviously Georgia’s No. 1 guy at the position with Cook sitting right behind him.
Here is a breakdown of Georgia’s top-five running backs’ stats through five games.
| Player | Carries | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Zamir White | 53 | 275 | 4 |
| Kendall Milton | 36 | 167 | 1 |
| James Cook | 34 | 210 | 2 |
| Kenny McIntosh | 29 | 127 | 1 |
| Daijun Edwards | 21 | 76 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 173 | 855 | 9 |
As you see, Georgia has no problem sharing the ball. That keeps players fresh, wears down defenses and keeps Georgia healthy.
“I got a lot of trust in all those guys, including Daijun (Edwards), he does a tremendous job, he gets to work. Sometimes against our defense, and sometimes with our offense, but I got a lot of trust and faith in all five of those guys.
I think Dell (McGee)’s done a tremendous job keeping those guys balanced, keeping them fresh. We’ve been able to avoid most significant injuries, outside of Kendall (Milton)’s and Zamir (White)’s been banged up some of the time, but those guys have done a good job of staying healthy.”
The Georgia Bulldogs have named their team captains for the Clemson game. The two rivals face off in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
The Georgia Bulldogs have named their team captains for the Clemson game. The rivals will face each other in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, which is held in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Quarterback JT Daniels, running back James Cook, and linebacker Nakobe Dean will captain the Bulldogs for their 2021 season opener. Kirby Smart and UGA need big performances out of all three of Georgia’s captains.
The 65th edition of Georgia-Clemson is expected to be the top nonconference game in college football this season. No. 5 Georgia faces No. 3 Clemson at a neutral site for the first time in over 100 years.
The game has College Football Playoff implications and should be one of the more entertaining games of the season.
Georgia will need strong leadership to prevail. JT Daniels must be effective as a passer despite a depleted arsenal of receivers. Naboke Dean and the Georgia defense will have the tough task of trying to limit Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who looked sharp in two starts last season.
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We project who will be Georgia’s top running back among a stacked backfield including Zamir White, Kendall Milton, James Cook, and more.
The Georgia Bulldogs return a stacked backfield for the 2021 college football season. In fact, Georgia will return its seven leading rushers from last season.
Zamir White led the team with 779 rushing yards in 2021. Additionally, James Cook was a matchup problem in the passing game. Cook finished with 225 receiving yards including a long touchdown reception against Alabama.
Overall, Georgia has a deep backfield once again. The Dawgs have depth and versatility at the position with each back bringing something different to the table. All five of Georgia’s top running backs are capable of handling a significant number of carries. Fortunately, offensive coordinator Todd Monken will rotate a lot of backs and will not have to rely on any one runner in particular.
The Doak Walker Award, given annually to college football’s best running back, recently released its 2021 preseason watch list.
The Doak Walker Award, given annually to college football’s best running back, recently released its 2021 preseason watch list.
Two veteran Georgia ball carriers, Zamir White and James Cook, both made the list.
Zamir “Zeus” White came to Athens as a five-star recruit. White was the top-rated RB prospect in the class of 2018 despite tearing his ACL in the high school playoffs as a senior. White tore it again before his first season at Georgia in 2018. White took a redshirt that season, so he is only a junior despite this being his fourth season in Athens.
Zeus was the co-winner of David Jacobs Award for overcoming injury during the 2019 season along with quarterback D’Wan Mathis. White changed the script in 2019, when he stayed healthy en route to 408 rushing yards on 78 carries.
White started at running back for all 10 of Georgia’s games in 2020. White is a physical running back who can remain upright through a lot of contact. He finished the 2020 season with 779 rushing yards on 144 carries.
Cook is projected to start for the Dawgs in obvious passing situations. Cook, who was Georgia’s fourth-leading receiver last season, finished his 2020 campaign with 16 catches for 225 yards.
He is Todd Monken’s most versatile back. He can run between the tackles and is a mismatch for linebackers in the passing game. Cook ran for 303 yards on 45 carries in eight games in 2020. He may be Georgia’s best 2022 NFL draft prospect at the running back position. NFL teams put great value on versatile running backs with less tread on their tires.
This season, he’ll compete with Zamir White, Kenny McIntosh, Daijun Edwards, and Kendall Milton for carries. Cook gave the Dawgs a boost when he decided to return to Athens for another season.
Georgia football, or ‘RBU’, has one of the best backfields in college football. Where does UGA rank in Bleacher Reports’ top backfields?
Bleacher Report recently released its list of the top college football backfields for the 2021 season. Georgia football, referred to as ‘RBU’ by many, came in at No. 7 on the list, ahead of only Texas (8).
UGA’s backfield is once again loaded headed into 2021. Leading rushers from a year ago, Zamir White and James Cook, return for their senior seasons, along with junior Kenny McIntosh and sophomore Daijun Edwards and perhaps the most talented running back in the room, sophomore Kendall Milton.
Here’s what Bleacher Report wrote on Georgia’s No. 7 ranking:
“Considering the college-to-pro pipeline Georgia has established in the last 10 years, it’s no surprise top-ranked running backs have flocked to Athens. The level of talent in this position room is absurd, really. Over the last two seasons, Zamir White has rushed for 1,187 yards and 14 touchdowns. James Cook has posted 300-plus yards from scrimmage in each of the last three seasons, including a career-best 528 last year. Kenny McIntosh added 362 scrimmage yards, and Daijun Edwards ripped off a 100-yard game late in 2020, too. For good measure, Kendall Milton tallied 193 yards on just 35 carries. All five players are expected to return in 2021, giving Georgia a near-unending supply of upside in the backfield.”
But who could possibly be ranked ahead of Georgia here?
No. 3 – Oregon (CJ Verdell, Travis Dye)
See the full rankings here.
