Tag: uga football roster

Georgia DL Bill Norton enters transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Bill Norton is the first UGA player to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

Georgia defensive lineman Bill Norton is the first Bulldog to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Norton, a junior from Memphis, Tennessee, has 12 total tackles in his for season career for Georgia.

Bill Norton played high school football at Christian Brothers High School. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound defensive lineman additionally played four years of basketball during his high school career.

Georgia defensive lineman Bill Norton (45) hands his game gloves to a fan after the Chick-fil-A Kickoff college football game between Oregon and Georgia in Atlanta. Joshua Jones/Online Athens

Norton came to the University of Georgia as a talented four-star recruit from Christian Brothers High School. Norton had three tackles in 2022 and played in the SEC championship game.

The Bulldogs still have some solid depth at the defensive line position. Georgia has players like Nazir Stackhouse, Warren Brinson, Bear Alexander, Zion Logue, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, who all have eligibility remaining and could return for the 2023 college football season. Jalen Carter is expected to enter the 2023 NFL draft, but has not made an official announcement.

The former four-star recruit announced that he would be entering the NCAA transfer portal via Twitter:

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Georgia football OLB Nolan Smith is returning

Georgia Bulldogs outside linebacker/defensive end Nolan Smith is returning for his senior season!

Georgia Bulldogs outside linebacker/defensive end Nolan Smith is returning for his senior season. Smith’s return is huge for the Georgia defense. Now, the Bulldogs will have a top pass rusher with several years of experience.

Nolan Smith has played in 38 career games. Smith has 8.5 sacks in his three year career with the Bulldogs. He recorded 3.5 sacks, 56 tackles, one interception, and three forced fumbles in 2021.

Smith will be a leader on Georgia’s defense in 2022. Smith came to Athens as an elite five-star recruit. He was the nation’s top prospect in the class of 2019 according to various recruiting sites.

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nolan Smith records a sack in the college football national championship game. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Smith played both defensive line and running back in high school. The Savannah, Georgia, product transferred to IMG Academy for his senior high school season.

The former five-star recruit is projected to start at outside linebacker for the Dawgs in 2022. Five-star outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. is expected to see immediate playing time as a freshman in 2022.

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Georgia football walk-on RB enters transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs football walk-on running back Anthony Summey has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

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Georgia Bulldogs football walk-on running back Anthony Summey has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Summey is a redshirt sophomore and will have four remaining years of eligibility.

The 6-foot, 210-pound running back is from Ocean Township, New Jersey, and is looking for a larger role at his new home. The former St. Peter’s Preparatory High School star has not seen playing time during his career in Athens. He primarily serves as a scout team running back.

Summey has played in four career games at UGA. He recorded five carries for 16 yards in 2021. Summey played against UAB and Charleston Southern this season.

Summey came to the University of Georgia as a two-star recruit as a member of the class of 2019. Summey redshirted in 2019.

He played high school football at St. Peter’s Preparatory. Summey plays with a steady style, but lacks game-changing speed. Summey initially committed to the University of Georgia as a preferred walk-on.

Summey thanked Georgia coaches and announced he would be entering the transfer portal via Twitter

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Key Georgia football DB tears ACL

Key Georgia football DB Tykee Smith tears ACL and will be out for the remainder of the season.

The Georgia Bulldogs will be without defensive back Tykee Smith for the rest of the 2021 college football season. Smith transferred to the University of Georgia from West Virginia this offseason.

Tykee Smith has battled a foot injury to start the season. He was just getting healthy and then tore his ACL. Smith, a junior, recorded three tackles against Auburn and will be able to redshirt this year. Smith’s NFL aspirations may have to wait another season following his injury.

Smith entered the season ranked one of the top safeties in the country. He transferred to UGA partially to be reunited with Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, his former position coach at West Virginia.

Smith was counted on to start at safety or nickel for the Bulldogs in 2021 alongside Christopher Smith and Lewis Cine. Christopher Smith suffered a separated shoulder last week against Auburn.

Dan Jackson, David Daniel, William Poole, Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter, and Lovasea Carrol are among the players Kirby Smart will turn to in the absence of Tykee Smith and Christopher Smith.

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Tykee Smith had the difficult task of guarding explosive passing attack in the Big 12 last season, but he helped the Mountaineers have the top passing defense in the country.

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Georgia football RB named SEC breakout player

Georgia football RB Kendall Milton named SEC breakout player

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ESPN and SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic has named Georgia Bulldogs running back Kendall Milton one of the top breakout players in the SEC.

Cubelic considers Missouri wide receiver Mookie Cooper, LSU tight end Kole Taylor, South Carolina wide receiver EJ Jenkins, and Auburn wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson to be his other offensive breakout players in the conference.

Milton is extremely talented. He came to Athens as a five-star recruit in the class of 2020 and impressed after enrolling early as a freshman. Milton grew stronger this spring and may have another level to his game.

He played in seven games throughout his first season in Athens. Milton recorded 193 rushing yards, broke lots of tackles and showed a good burst. However, Milton sprained his MCL against Florida and missed Georgia’s remaining regular-season games.

Milton was available throughout spring practice and was impressive in the spring game, in which he scored a touchdown.

This offseason, Milton has changed from No. 22 to No. 2. The No. 2 jersey fits him quite well.

In order for Milton to break out, he will have to emerge from Georgia’s crowded backfield of Daijun Edwards, Zamir White, James Cook and Kenny McIntosh. Georgia returns all of its leading rushers from last season.

Milton may have the highest potential of any Georgia running back on the roster. He is explosive and difficult to tackle. His receiving skills need polish, but nobody wants to tackle him in the open field.

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Georgia football player card: LB John Staton

Georgia linebacker John Staton transferred from Samford. In 2019, he recorded 116 total tackles and was named All-Southern Conference

John Staton, Linebacker (No. 35):

Class: Graduate student

Height: 6-1

Weight: 225 pounds

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

High School: The Lovett School

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker John Staton IV transferred to Athens after having an impressive career with Samford. Staton elected not to play in Samford’s spring 2021 college football season.

Instead Staton elected to finish his college football career with Georgia. In 2019, Staton recorded 116 total tackles and was named first team All-Southern Conference. Staton recorded an incredible 22 tackles at Mercer in 2019.

John Staton graduated from Samford in 2020. He played in 34 career games with Samford, where he recorded 149 total tackles. His father, John III, played football at UNC.

Will Staton be able to earn playing time at linebacker for Georgia? Dan Lanning and the Bulldog defense have lots of talent like Nakobe Dean, Trezmen Marshall, Channing Tindall, and Quay Walker at inside linebacker.

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Georgia football player card: RB Daijun Edwards

Georgia Bulldogs running back Daijun Edwards finished the 2020 college football season with 218 rushing yards on 37 carries

Running Back Daijun Edwards (No. 33):

Class: Sophomore

Height: 5-10

Weight: 201 pounds

Hometown: Moultrie, Georgia

High School: Colquitt County High School

Georgia Bulldogs running back Daijun Edwards finished the 2020 college football season with 218 rushing yards on 37 carries. Edwards played in nine of Georgia’s 10 games and saw additional playing time after Kendall Milton suffered a knee injury.

Edwards recorded one reception for three yards, so he will need to continue to work on that aspect of his game to boost his NFL draft stock.

Edwards came to Athens as a four-star recruit in the class of 2020. The Colquitt County graduate was rated anywhere between the No. 13 and No. 33 best running back in the country.

Edwards will compete with Kendall Milton, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh and more for playing time. Georgia returns all of its leading rushers from last season.

Cook is the most explosive player of the group and is an excellent pass catcher, but he isn’t as polished between the tackles as White. McIntosh is a versatile back who is very elusive. Milton, a former five-star recruit, is powerful like Nick Chubb and has a high ceiling.

Edward has displayed flashes of a rugged, tough style on tape. Edwards saw lots of playing time throughout his high school career at Colquitt County and is quite experienced.

Here’s a look back at his first career touchdown for the Bulldogs:

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April 17, 2021; Athens, Georgia; Georgia Bulldogs running back Daijun Edwards (33) is taken to the ground by linebacker Trezmen Marshall (15) during the Georgia Spring Game at Sanford Stadium. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia football player card: LB Chaz Chambliss

Will Georgia Bulldogs freshman linebacker Chaz Chambliss be able to crack Dan Lanning’s linebacker rotation this season?

Chaz Chambliss, Linebacker (No. 32):

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-2

Weight: 250 pounds

Hometown:Carrollton, Georgia

High School:  Carrollton High School

Will Georgia Bulldogs freshman linebacker Chaz Chambliss be able to crack Dan Lanning’s linebacker rotation this season? Chambliss enrolled early at Georgia, so he should have a head start on some of the other freshmen. Additionally, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound linebacker has the size to play immediately.

Chambliss comes to Athens after being rated as a four-star linebacker. The Carrollton star finished rated as the No. 360 recruit in the class of 2021 and the No. 40 linebacker.

During his recruiting process, Chambliss had his mind set on UGA. He never released a list of top schools. However, he did receive dozens of scholarship offers, including elite programs like Alabama, Florida, Clemson, and Ohio State.

The Georgia defense does not have as much depth at outside linebacker following the departures of Azeez Ojulari and Jermaine Johnson. Georgia still has elite talents like Adam Anderson and Nolan Smith, but the Dawgs likely won’t have as large of a rotation as last season.

The four-star linebacker is a part of Georgia’s incoming class of 2021, which featured four highly-ranked linebackers: Xavian Sorey Jr., Smael Mondon, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, and Chaz Chambliss.

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Georgia football player card: DB William Poole

Georgia Bulldogs senior defensive back William Poole saw action in six of Georgia’s ten games in 2020.

William Poole, Defensive Back (No. 31):

Class: Senior

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190 pounds

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

High School: Hapeville Charter High School

Georgia Bulldogs senior defensive back William Poole saw action in six of Georgia’s ten games in 2020. The Atlanta, Georgia, native has played in 22 total games throughout his Georgia career and has accumulated 13 career tackles.

Poole came to the University of Georgia as a four-star recruit. Poole redshirted in 2019 when he played against Murray State, Arkansas State, and Georgia Tech and recorded three tackles.

He saw a good amount playing time a sophomore in 2018. That season he played in eight games and secured ten total tackles.

Poole and fellow Georgia defensive back Christopher Smith were teammates at Hapeville Charter.

Georgia is looking less thin in the secondary following the additions of West Virginia transfer Tykee Smith and Clemson transfer Derion Kendrick.

The Dawgs have Kelee Ringo, Ameer Speed, Jalen Kimber, and more returning at cornerback. Georgia’s defensive front is expected to be elite once again next season.

Sep 8, 2018; Columbia, SC, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back William Poole (31) brings down South Carolina Gamecocks running back Ty’Son Williams (27) in the first half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

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Georgia football player card: RB Anthony Summey

Georgia Bulldogs running back Anthony Summey has primarily served a scout team role during his two-year career in Athens

Running Back Anthony Summey (No. 28):

Class: Redshirt sophomore

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210 pounds

Hometown: Ocean Township, New Jersey

High School: St. Peter’s Preparatory High School

Georgia Bulldogs running back Anthony Summey has not seen playing time during his two-year career in Athens. He primarily serves as a scout team running back.

Summey came to the University of Georgia as a two-star recruit as a member of the class of 2019. Summey redshirted in 2019.

He played high school football at St. Peter’s Preparatory. Summey plays with a steady style, but lacks game-changing speed.

The Ocean Township, New Jersey, native is expected to compete with Kendall Milton, Zamir White, James Cook, Kenny McIntosh and Daijun Edwards for playing time. Kirby Smart and Georgia have a stacked and experienced running back room heading into the 2021 college football season.

Here’s a look at how Summey initially committed to the University of Georgia as a preferred walk-on:

 

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