Tag: Kendall Milton

UGA football player card: RB Kendall Milton

Georgia Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton comes to Athens as a five-star recruit out of California.

Running Back Kendall Milton (No. 22):

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-1

Weight: 220 pounds

Hometown: Clovis, California

High School: Buchanan High School

Georgia Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton comes to Athens as a five-star recruit. He’s a member of the class of 2020. The California product was rated pretty much universally as a top ten running back recruit in his class.

Milton be competing with Daijun Edwards, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh, and more for playing time. With the departure of D’Andre Swift, fans should expect a lot of competition at the running back position.

James Cook is the most explosive returning player and is an excellent pass catcher, but he isn’t as polished between the tackles as Zamir White. Both Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton are touted recruits and have the talent to earn significant carries or even start as freshmen.

Kendall Milton comes from an excellent football background. His brother, Ka’Lonn, is a senior defensive back at Fresno State. Kendall’s uncle, Kevin Hardy, won the Butkus Award at Illinois, was a first round draft pick, and played in the NFL from 1996-2004.

Milton will look to be the next great running back at the University of Georgia.

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UGA football player card: RB KJ McCoy

University of Georgia Bulldogs running back KJ McCoy attended East Georgia State College from 2017-2018. 

Running Back KJ McCoy (No. 39):

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 5-10

Weight: 200 pounds

Hometown: Swainsboro, Georgia

High School: Swainsboro High School

Georgia Bulldogs running back KJ McCoy is a redshirt freshman. Before attending the University of Georgia, McCoy attended East Georgia State College from 2017-2018.

He impressed during the 2019 spring game, when he gained 46 total yards on seven total touches. McCoy’s cousin, Isaiah, also walked on to the team in 2019.

McCoy played both football, basketball, and track at Swainsboro High School.

McCoy will be competing with Kendall Milton, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh, and more at the running back position. McCoy would surprise a lot of folks if he earned touches in Georgia’s very talented backfield. He’s projected to be primarily used as depth on the scout team next season.

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A look at Georgia’s 2020 running back room

A breakdown of Georgia football’s running backs for the upcoming 2020 college football season.

It seems like every time an elite running back leaves the University of Georgia, there is another one ready to step in the very next year.

This offseason headlines the departure of running backs D’Andre Swift and Brian Herrien.

Swift was selected 35th overall by the Detroit Lions in the second-round of the 2020 NFL Draft, while Herrien signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns.  Herrien finished with 1,413 yards and 13 touchdowns during his career at UGA. Swift finished with 2,885 yards and 20 touchdowns in a year less.

Georgia’s offense will lose a lot of production with these two gone, but now it’s time to look at who will be carrying the load for the Dawgs in 2020 and beyond.

1. Zamir White (RS So.) –

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Nobody has dealt with adversity as well as Zamir White has. Coming in as the No. 1 running back in the 2018 class, White endured two knee surgeries in under two years. White redshirted his freshman year and has begun to show why he was the top running back recruit in the country.

White was the third back in 2019, playing behind D’Andre Swift and Brian Herrien. He showed glimpses of greatness in this year’s Sugar Bowl, getting 18 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully White will be able to maintain his health and have a breakout year for the red and black as RB1.

2. James Cook (Jr.) –

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

James Cook has had it tough during his time in Athens.  With a seriously talented backfield ahead of him for the past two years, the former five-star could see his opportunities increase drastically this season.

Cook is a great receiving back and could be used perfectly outside of the backfield with the Dawgs’ new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.  Monken was known to use his running backs as receiving threats during his time as OC on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns, which will be fun to watch with Cook. Cook averaged 9.2 yards-per-reception, capitalizing on his few opportunities. Look for Kirby Smart and Monken to get creative with the way they use Cook in 2020.

3. Kenny McIntosh (So.) –

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny McIntosh could potentially take the No. 2 spot behind White this season over Cook. Now entering his sophomore season, McIntosh was ranked as the #11 running back prospect in the country for the 2019 recruiting class. He didn’t get that many touches last season, but made them count when he did. McIntosh eluded an Arkansas State defender this year on his way to a 61-yard touchdown.

4. Kendall Milton (Fr.) –

Kendall Milton is an incoming freshman that could make a huge difference for Georgia’s offense this year.  Milton is listed as the 7th running back in the country, per 247Sports.  Milton is the ideal all-around back with power, size, speed, vision and elusiveness. The Clovis, California native was at the top of many teams’ wishlists, but Milton chose the Dawgs.

If you watch Milton’s high school film, he plays with amazing vision and poise that you typically see out of elite college and NFL backs. His patience and his power are his two strongest attributes. Milton is expected to make a big splash in the SEC this season.

Watch Milton’s senior highlights here:

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.

Georgia football increasingly inks out of state talent

Under head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia football attracts more out of state talent than ever.

Looking down the list below of all the new Georgia Bulldogs football players, illustrates the full shift of the Georgia brand from regional to national prominence. UGA went national more than ever, with the addition of key graduate transfer students, in the early signing period and on traditional national signing day. More kids than ever across the country want to play football in Athens.

2020 Incoming Players:

Carson Beck QB 6-4 225 FL

Warren Brinson DT 6-4 305 FL

Jalen Kimber CB 6-0 170 TX

Chad Lindberg OL 6-6 315 TX

Justin Robinson WR 6-4 210 GA

MJ Sherman LB 6-2 235 Washington DC

Nazir Stackhouse DT 6-3 305 GA

Devin Willock OL 6-7 330 NJ

Major Burns DB 6-2 175 LA

Marcus Rosemy WR 6-3 195 FL

Jalen Carter DT 6-4 305 FL

Tate Rutledge OL 6-6 315 GA

Jared Zirkel K 6-3 185 TX

Kendall Milton RB 6-1 220 CA

Arian Smith WR 6-2 180 FL

Austin Blake OL 6-5 280 GA

Jermaine Burton WR 6-0 190 CA

Darnell Washington TE 6-7 260 NV

Kelee Ringo DB 6-2 205 AZ

Daijun Edwards RB 5-10 201 GA

Cameron Kinnie DL 6-3 265 GA

Ladd McConkey WR 6-0 175 GA

Broderick Jones OL 6-5 275 GA

Daran Branch DB 6-2 178 LA

Sedrick Van Pran OL 6-4 305 LA

Jamie Newman QB Grad Transfer-Wake Forest NC

Tre’ McKitty TE Grad Transfer-FSU FL

In all, six players played football in Florida last year, three in Texas and three in Louisiana. Four players came from out West and two from up in the Eastern Seaboard.

In his four year head coaching career to-date, Kirby Smart’s Dawgs created a growing full-country impression by winning the SEC, winning three of four at the big neutral site game in Jacksonville, beating Notre Dame twice, playing in three straight SEC championship games, winning a Rose Bowl and making a national championship game.

One clear goal remains.

 

 

 

Kirby Smart on importance of Georgia football’s 2020 RB signees

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart discussed the importance of bringing in two running backs in the UGA recruiting class.

After Georgia football landed college football’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class, head coach Kirby Smart spoke with the media about why he recruited each position group the way that he did.

As for the running backs, Georgia is losing starter D’Andre Swift to the NFL Draft and back-up Brian Herrien as well.

Waiting behind those two are former five-stars Zamir White and James Cook. But Georgia football coaches knew they needed to take two ball carriers in this class to reload the running back room, so they brought in 4-stars Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.

The running back recruiting was a juicy story this recruiting cycle thanks to the drama that accompanied 5-star back Zach Evans, who Georgia eventually just passed on it sounds like.

On Wednesday, Smart discussed the significance of bringing in a second running back in this class to go with Milton.

“Getting a second back in this class was key for us. We’re excited about the young man we have, we’ve been after him for a long time, he’s come up to a lot of camps. He plays in what probably is one of the toughest divisions, regions in our state and he’s played a high level. You talk about the people he’s had to play against, he’s been a really good player, I’m talking about Daijun Edwards, and Kendall joining mid-year has been a big addition, too.”

Georgia football finishes with No. 1 recruiting class for second time in three years

Georgia football finishes with the #1 ranked recruiting class in all of college football for the second time in three years.

This Wednesday at 11:42 a.m., 247Sports called it quits in the recruiting battle mayhem.

Via Twitter, they officially crowned the Georgia Bulldogs as the #1 recruiting class in all of college football for the second time in just three years.

The Dawgs have 4 5-stars, 15 4-stars and 6 3-stars ready to go for the 2020-2021 season this coming fall.

The SEC has 9 of the top 25 recruiting classes, along with six teams in the top 8.  It is safe to say that with the exception of Clemson and Ohio State, the SEC swept the recruiting frenzy with the Dawgs leading the charge.

From the looks of it, Kirby Smart is fed up with falling short late in the season.  Since the arrival of Kirby the Dawgs have been having more success than they’ve had in decades, but it doesn’t seem to be enough for Smart and his staff.

Click here for a list of all Georgia’s signees, commits and transfers.

It’s a GREAT day to be a Georgia Bulldog.

Georgia football gets record payout of $44 million from SEC

Georgia football was one among other SEC teams to get paid $44 million this Thursday, in what was the largest payout in SEC history.

The Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said Thursday that they have reached a record high payout of $651 million for their 14 schools, and the Dawgs got paid.

The average payout per team was just shy of $45 million and Georgia received $44 million.  This total conference payout was up nearly four percent from the previous year of $627.1 million.

The SEC released in a statement that all of this revenue is coming from TV contracts, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC football championship, the SEC men’s basketball tournament, NCAA championships and a supplemental surplus distribution.

“The revenue distributed through the Southeastern Conference enables our 14 member universities to provide unparalleled support to their student-athletes through superior instruction, training, equipment, academic counseling, medical care, mental health and wellness support and life-skills development,” Sankey said in that statement. “It is this sustained conference-wide commitment to the student-athlete experience that makes this conference sound and its impact so meaningful.”

This payout is the largest in Georgia football history and should only be trending upwards with the recruiting classes Kirby Smart is crafting.

The Big Ten received more than the SEC this year, paying out an average of over $50 million per 14 schools, while the ACC paid out an average of $29.5 million.

Georgia football: A 2020 recruiting summary so far

Georgia football has jumped to the #3 spot on the 2020 national football recruiting rankings. They trail only Clemson and Alabama.

The Georgia Bulldogs have already had a very successful offseason recruiting wise.

The Dawgs now have three 5-star commits signed and still have more to go after.

5-star athlete/tight end Darnell Washington has signed with Georgia already and is ranked as the #1 2020 athlete and #6 overall prospect, on ESPN’s top 300.  The 6 foot 7.5 inch TE will bring a whole new dimension to the Bulldog receiving corps and will provide amazing protection to whoever is in the driving seat under center for Georgia’s offense next season.

5-star outside linebacker Mekhail Sherman has also signed with the Dawgs and is ranked as the #1 OLB recruit in the 2020 class.  Sherman is 6’3″ 234 lbs and his highlight tapes are scary good.  Sherman will help beef up an already strong UGA LB group and was a huge signing for Georgia.

The last 5-star so far for the 2020 class is offensive tackle Broderick Jones.  Jones is a 6’5″ 275 lb offensive lineman out of Lithonia, Georgia that could likely battle for a starting spot on next years team.  With Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson projected to go very early in the 2020 NFL Draft, there will be a massive hole to fill on the Dawgs O-Line, and Jones could be the man to fill that void.  Jones is ranked as the #2 OT in the 2020 class.

4-star RB signee Kendall Milton is the #6 ranked RB in the 2020 class and will play a major role in helping Georgia’s run game when D’Andre Swift departs for the NFL, currently favored to be the 1st running back selected in the 2020 Draft.

4-star OT Tate Ratledge will aid Broderick Jones in making up for some big offensive line losses this offseason.

4-star QB Carson Beck will be on the hunt for the starting job if Fromm decides to forgo his senior year and head to the NFL.  He will likely have to beat out Stetson Bennett and D’Wan Mathis (if healthy).

4-star safety Major Burns, who flipped from LSU late in his commitment will hope to step in and replace J.R. Reed, who will also be entering to the NFL Draft.

The Dawgs currently sit at #3 on the national 2020 recruiting list with three 5-stars, fourteen 4-stars, and three 3-stars all signed.

5-star RB Zach Evans hints on where he’ll be playing

The number one running back recruit in the country, Zachary Evans has just hinted at where he will be signing, Georgia football.

The #1 running back recruit in the country has just hinted at where he will be signing.

5-star RB recruit Zachary Evans out of Houston, Texas is set to announce where he will be playing at the Under Armor All-America high school all-star game on January 2nd.

Evans was interviewed by reporter Bud Elliott about his recruitment and where he is considering signing.  He told Elliott that he had it narrowed down to three schools.  Alabama, LSU and Georgia.

Evans didn’t just tell Elliott his top three, but also gave a massive hint at which would be the lucky winner.

“One of their backs just played in the super bowl as a freshman. That’s a hint,” said Evans to Elliott.

Sony Michel, the Dawgs former running back, just won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots last year, scoring the only touchdown in that game.

If what we hear is true, Dawgs fans can expect Evans to announce he will be signing with Georgia come Jan. 2.

Evans would be joining the #6 RB recruit in the nation, Kendall Milton, who has already signed with the Bulldogs.

RBU is all about the next man up, and it looks like the Kirby Smart and the Dawgs have secured the most elite RB class of the year.  Big things ahead for Georgia football.