Tag: Nolan Smith

UGA football names captains for national championship game

Who are Georgia’s captains for the national championship game against TCU?

The Georgia Bulldogs have a chance to win back-to-back national championships thanks to some excellent leadership. Georgia lost 15 players to the 2022 NFL draft, but fought hard to return to the national championship game.

Per BetMGM, Georgia enters the big game as a 13-point favorite over TCU. The over/under is set at 63.5 with the Georgia money line of minus-500 compared to plus-375 for the Horned Frogs.

Georgia relies on several veteran leaders. This will be the final time numerous players, such as Stetson Bennett, suit up for the Bulldogs. Georgia’s leaders will have an opportunity to go out on top.

Who are Georgia’s captains for the national championship game against TCU?

Browns overhaul front 7 in 2023 NFL Mock Draft with Nolan Smith, Ruke Orhorhoro

The Browns overhaul their front seven in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft.

The Cleveland Browns do not have much to look forward to as they have all but been eliminated from the playoffs after a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. This is why we are now seeing an uptick in 2023 NFL Mock Drafts. While they do not have a first round pick, the Browns do have a total of eight picks in this upcoming draft.

With needs at defensive end, defensive tackle, tight end, wide receiver, and more, what can the Browns do this Spring to upgrade their roster? Here is a 2023 NFL Mock Draft for the Browns as we attempt to plug some holes in Berea.

[listicle id=82151]

2 Georgia defenders ranked in top 10 NFL draft board

2 Dawgs go Top-10 in the ’23 draft per PFF

Pro Football Focus has two Georgia defenders in the top 10 of their 2023 NFL draft board.

Star defensive lineman Jalen Carter comes in at No. 5.

“Carter has been hampered by an injury in the early going and has been limited to only 65 snaps. However, his work as a sophomore in 2021 is enough to solidify his top-five draft stock, as he led the Bulldogs with a 90.0 pass-rushing grade.”

Edge defender and team captain Nolan Smith is at No. 10.

“Smith is next in the line of athletic marvels the Bulldogs have produced in recent years. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder can fly sideline to sideline. You also see him play with physicality at that size, with run-defense grades of 90.6 and 81.4 the past two seasons. He needs more ways to win as a pass-rusher, but you bet on the athlete.”

Smith suffered a season-ending pectoral tear that required surgery. Whether this will affect his draft status is unknown.

PFF also has UGA cornerback Kelee Ringo (15) and offensive tackle Broderick Jones (25) on the list.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=none image=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

5 Georgia Bulldogs selected in top 40 of NFL mock draft

How many Georgia Bulldogs will go in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft?

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs keep churning out NFL talent. Georgia is a contender to make the College Football Playoff, once again, thanks to an immense amount of talent.

Georgia is coming off a record-breaking 2022 NFL draft. The Dawgs will look to put more talent in the NFL after the 2022 college football season.

What five Georgia Bulldogs does The Draft Wire think will be selected in the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL draft?

Kirby Smart details new role for injured OLB Nolan Smith

“He is like an extra coach,” Kirby said about Nolan Smith

Outside linebacker Nolan Smith suffered a pec injury against Florida that will likely keep him out for the remainder of the year.

He’s set to undergo surgery on Thursday.

A senior from Savannah, Smith led the team in sacks, was an elite run-stopper and acted as the leader of the Georgia defense.

Though he may not be able to rush the passer or stop the running back, he’s still able to continue in his role as a leader, and that’s exactly what Kirby Smart has planned for him.

“I talked to him and asked to help lift spirits and push,” Smart said. “That has been his role when he is practicing, so I don’t want him to change now that he is not. He is out there flying around and helping us out. It is great to have him take that on. Not all kids do that. Sometimes you get dejected or down in the dumps. He is not like that….

He does a great job. He is like an extra coach because he is so enthusiastic and getting after it. He brings the energy.”

Through the first eight games, Smith ranks No. 5 on the team in total tackles with 18. He leads the team with 3 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hurries.

“The last two days, he is out there running to the ball, flying to the ball, coaching the guys, doing everything,” Smart continued. “It has been an incredible impact just on the energy of practice. I am very appreciative of all he has done.

It is an unfortunate part of football, but it is a very common injury and surgery. Roquan (Smith) has one when he was here. Roquan had one in the NFL. He will make it back from it, and he will be fine.”

With Smith out, look for Robert Beal and Chaz Chambliss to takeover in his spot, starting on Saturday when Georgia hosts No. 1 ranked Tennessee.

Chambliss spoke about losing Smith and what the message has been.

“Don’t let it drop off, and just prepare every day. Keep the standard that he would have kept,” Chambliss said. “Just because he’s out doesn’t mean our defense is going to drop any. It’s just next man up, and we’ve got to prepare and execute at a high level.

“He’s on us every single play with scripts, making sure our assignments are right, giving us tips, telling us what he would have done to just try and get us prepared.”

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=none image=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=80476]

Bad news for Georgia

Bad news for the Georgia football team was reported Tuesday. Outside linebacker Nolan Smith – the Bulldogs’ top pass-rusher who is viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft – will miss the remainder of the season with a torn …

Bad news for the Georgia football team was reported Tuesday.

Outside linebacker Nolan Smith — the Bulldogs’ top pass-rusher who is viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — will miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral muscle, according to multiple reports.

Georgia currently ranks last in the SEC with only 10 sacks this season, and Smith leads the team with three of those sacks. He also has a team-high seven tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hurries.

The senior from Savannah, Ga., didn’t return after suffering the injury in the first half of Georgia’s 42-20 win over Florida this past Saturday.

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Seahawks double up on Georgia defensive linemen in this 2023 NFL mock draft

There are several personnel issues to address, but boosting the pass rush should be high on the list.

The Seattle Seahawks are supposed to be one of the teams looking for a new franchise quarterback going into the 2023 NFL draft. The unlikely ascension of Geno Smith opens that idea up for debate, though. Smith is only one a one-year deal and he will turn 32 in a couple of days. That said, if he keeps performing the way he has through four games Seattle will be hard-pressed not to bring him back and start him again next season.

We still think picking a QB early is a good idea, even if the plan is to keep Geno as the guy. However, if they choose that route it would free the Seahawks up to use their considerable draft capital on improving their defense – the worst in the league outside Detroit. There are several personnel issues to address, but boosting the pass rush should be high on the list and the best place to find disruptive linemen right now is Georgia.

In a new 2023 mock draft from Luke Easterling at Draft Wire, Seattle doubled down on the Bulldogs defense, picking two DL thanks to the extra first-rounder they got from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade. Here’s who they got in the mock.

Pick No. 5 overall: Georgia DL Jalen Carter (6-foot-3, 310 pounds)

“If the Seahawks end up picking this high, they should be targeting overall talent more than any particular positional need. Lucky for them, in this scenario, they get a huge bargain with one of the most dominant defensive prospects in the entire draft. Even with last year’s loaded class of Bulldogs, Carter might have been the best of the bunch.”

Pick No. 11 overall: Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith (6-foot-3, 235 pounds)

“After landing one stud Bulldog for the interior of their defensive front, the Seahawks land another one here, this time for the edge. Smith’s skill set would be a perfect fit in this defense, and he could have easily been yet another first-round pick from this defense in this year’s draft.”

Hopefully Seattle is on the clock later than No. 5 with their own pick, but given the way their defense has performed so far it’s difficult to rule that scenario out, even as good as Smith looks.

[lawrence-related id=94606]

[vertical-gallery id=94708]

‘This team is going to be very good;’ Checking the pulse of Georgia fans leading up to kickoff

“I think most people are waking up to the fact that the Oregon offensive line is what’s going to be the biggest test for Georgia.”

Once you win a national championship, it’s natural not to be afraid of any opponent. That’s the view from Athens at the moment, according to radio host Bill Shanks, who covers Georgia on a daily basis for WZKO 93.1 FM out of Macon, GA.

He said that the Bulldog fans are excited for the game against Oregon and that while they respect the Ducks, the fans certainly are not afraid of the Pac-12 team.

[lawrence-related id=28514]

“Most Georgia fans believe this could be the biggest competition during the regular season,” Shanks said. “To be honest with you, I think there’s a confidence among Georgia fans that this team is going to be very, very good again. Since Georgia does not play Alabama, LSU or Texas A&M in the regular season, (Oregon) could be the best team they play in the regular season.”

If there is one concern among Georgia fans for this game, is that the Ducks bring an offensive line comparable to an SEC team. With Mario Cristobal recruiting at a high level over the past half-decade and bringing a physical mentality to Oregon’s offensive front, the Ducks stand apart from the rest of the Pac-12 when it comes to O-line talent. More than that, they also return a handful of starters from the 2021 season and have an abundance of experience up front.

[lawrence-related id=27723]

“I think most people are waking up to the fact that the Oregon offensive line is what’s going to be the biggest test for Georgia,” Shanks said. “We’ve got a situation with Georgia is having to replace their front three, and really, to be honest with you, six of their front seven. So, you know, there’s only really, really been one returning starter in Nolan Smith out of the front seven, in the  3-4 that they run. That’s gonna be a big test.”

One known factor for the Bulldogs is Bo Nix, who they faced three times while the quarterback was at Auburn. It didn’t go well for Nix in all three games. Even though Nix has changed jerseys, the Georgia fans expect more of the same.

“I just don’t think there’s a whole lot of fear in Bo Nix. To be honest with you, I wasn’t overly impressed in the three games against Georgia,” Shanks said. I don’t think it’s something that the fans are like, ‘Oh God, they’ve got to face Bo Nix again,’ because they handled it pretty well.”

Oregon is thinking Nix has better talent around him and that the fourth time is the charm for its new signal caller, especially considering the fact that he is once again with offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who was his OC and QB coach during his freshman season at Auburn where he won the SEC Freshman of the Year award.

From a Georgia perspective, and an Oregon perspective, this matchup looks different. While Duck fans are excited, there’s a lot of anxiety as they await to see if Dan Lanning’s new team can be all it’s cracked up to be in the very first outing. On the Bulldog side of things, they’ve done it before. The pieces are in place to be able to do it again.

[mm-video type=video id=01gbywkj3m8w2xwdfqsj playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gbywkj3m8w2xwdfqsj/01gbywkj3m8w2xwdfqsj-ca46be30a7eddc100e4f8dceaa0ca50e.jpg]

[listicle id=28545]

The best prop bets for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2022

A look at the 10 best prop bets for the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2022 college football season.

It is almost time for the Georgia Bulldogs to kick off their 2022 season in which they look to defend their national championship.

The Dawgs will be led by last year’s starting quarterback [autotag]Stetson Bennett[/autotag] once again. He returned to Athens and won the job from former USC QB J.T. Daniels, who is now at West Virginia.

The team also returns the leading receiver, tight end [autotag]Brock Bowers[/autotag]. He and [autotag]Arik Gilbert[/autotag] should provide a nice one-two punch in the passing game for Bennett.

Defensively, they will be led by standout cornerback [autotag]Kelee Ringo[/autotag] and [autotag]Nolan Smith[/autotag]. It all begins with the Oregon Ducks showdown in Atlanta, Georgia.

Oregon-Georgia Betting Odds per Tipico

Line: Georgia  (-16.5)

O/U: 53.5

Money Line: Oregon (+550) | Georgia (-800)

All prop bet odds via Tipico. Colorado and New Jersey residents can make their season-opening prop bets here at Tipico Sportsbook.

As the season sets to kick off, we break down the top 10 prop bets for the 2022 college football season.

Know the Opponent: Georgia’s defense aims to match last season’s historic level

Georgia lost a load of talent to the NFL last year, but they’re locked and loaded, looking to build on a historic season.

It would be completely understandable if the 2022 Georgia defense isn’t quite up to par in comparison to the 2021 version. That Bulldog defense was historically great and led UGA to the national championship.

They also lost linebacker Travon Walker, who ended up being the No. 1 overall draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He wasn’t the only defender to move on. Georgia saw five members of the defense go in the first round of the NFL draft and their defensive coordinator Dan Lanning took a head coaching job at Oregon. He was replaced by Will Muschamp, the former South Carolina, and Florida head coach.

[lawrence-related id=27723]

For most teams, losing all of that talent on and off the field would be crippling, and looking at a total rebuild. But the Bulldogs are not most teams.

For the 2022 season, the Georgia defense will be anchored by 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive lineman Jalen Carter. The junior, with a good season, is a heavy favorite to be the next Bulldog to be drafted in the first round. He was named as a preseason First Team All-American after being named to the coaches’ All-SEC Second team a year ago. Carter finished last year with 37 tackles and 33 quarterback pressures, three sacks, and 8.5 tackles for loss.

Next to Carter on the line will be 6-foot-5, 295-pound Zion Logue and 280-pound Travel Walthour, who will be taking over Walker’s position.

[lawrence-related id=28480]

Georgia will be looking to find a way to replace Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Channing Tindall, who were all taken in the NFL draft. But Nolan Smith is a good place to begin to rebuild a position group. Trezmen Marshall will likely step into the middle linebacker spot and Robert Beal has starting experience on the strongside.

In the secondary, safety Christopher Smith is the real deal and will be playing on Sundays soon enough. Tykee Smith will be at the other safety spot, and while talented, he’s had a hard time staying on the field due to injuries.

[lawrence-related id=28463]

Corner Kelee Ringo jumped onto the scene with his pick-6 that sealed Alabama’s fate in the national championship game. He’ll look to build on that to be a lockdown corner in the SEC.

They may have big shoes to fill when it comes to holding up the Georgia name on the defensive side of things, but these Bulldogs are well equipped to get the job done. The Ducks are going to have their hands full on Saturday.

[mm-video type=video id=01gbvbxnd0apacycc82h playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gbvbxnd0apacycc82h/01gbvbxnd0apacycc82h-6644b81f2c7b65e97ca36b2a1749b303.jpg]

[listicle id=28449]