Tag: uga wire

Details emerge on Brock Bowers’ massive rookie contract with Raiders

Former Georgia TE Brock Bowers’ rookie deal with Las Vegas worth over $18 million…

Former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is a Las Vegas Raider, and he’ll be paid handsomely in his rookie contract.

The No. 13 pick in the 2024 NFL draft will make upward of $18.1 million, fully guaranteed, over four years with a $10 million signing bonus. A much-deserved payday for one of the greatest Georgia players of all-time and the best tight end in college football history. Georgia rookies are projected to sign a combined $73.5 million in contracts.

Bowers is the only player to twice earn the Mackey Award, which is given to the nation’s top player at the position. He is also one of three Bulldogs to earn consensus All-American honors three times (Herschel Walker, David Pollack).

In 40 games over three seasons, Bowers racked up 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also added 193 yards rushing and five scores on the ground.

Bowers provides the Raiders with versatility. He can line up at almost any skill position and win reps. It’s only a matter of time before he makes his mark as a pro.

UGA’s Carson Beck ‘the most important player’ in the SEC for 2024 season

Carson Beck receives high praise from national CFB analyst…

Carson Beck has come a long way since playing backup to Stetson Bennett during back-to-back national championship seasons.

Despite the opportunity to play elsewhere in the transfer portal-era, Beck stayed in Athens and it has paid off. After an outstanding first year as a starter in 2023, leading the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record and a narrow miss at the College Football Playoff, Beck finds himself as one of the most talked about players in the sport ahead of his senior season.

While signal-callers like Quinn Ewers (Texas), Jaxon Dart (Ole Miss) and Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) are uber-talented in their own right, Beck leads arguably the best overall program in college football.

It’s not far fetched to say that the quarterback leading the football team which has won 29 of its last 30 games is important. For CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate, Beck should be considered the most important player in the SEC and possibly the nation ahead of the 2024 season.

“I think Carson Beck is the most important football player in the conference this year, because if I knew nothing more about the SEC this year then Carson Beck’s going to play at an A-minus or B level, I wouldn’t need to know anything else.” Pate said on a recent episode of the Late Kick podcast. “That’s the best team in the conference. They’re going to win it and may go on to win it all if Carson Beck does nothing more.”

Questions about Beck’s ability to step up in Bennett’s place were quickly answered with two second-half comebacks against Auburn and South Carolina early last season. That seemed to be the turning point in his confidence. Beck went on to lead the conference with 3,941 yards passing and 24 touchdowns to six interceptions and the Bulldogs finished fifth in the nation in points and yards.

“If I know nothing more than that dude is just going to play to his full potential, he’s going to justify everyone who’s mocked him in the first round of the NFL draft next year,” Pate continued. “Georgia’s good enough everywhere else. Georgia has got quarterback, head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator. They got continuity across the board. It’s one of, if not the best, cultures in college football.”

The Bulldogs return 16 players from the 2023 season, including Beck’s favorite target — outside of Brock Bowers — in Dominic Lovett at wide receiver. They also added seven transfers this offseason, including projected starting running back Trevor Etienne (Florida).

“They got a really good, and probably underrated, crop of receivers and that includes the tight end position. And that includes that dude out of the back field they got out of Florida.”

Beck’s prowess shouldn’t only strike fear into the hearts of opposing SEC teams. With the playoff expanding to 12 teams, Beck and the Bulldogs will likely be on a national stage in the postseason. Winning the SEC and securing a bye week is the first step in that direction.

“I think Carson Beck is an extremely important player, the most important in the SEC. You may be able to say he’s the most important player in the country, because a lot of the hopes that any other team has of getting through the SEC to Atlanta and winning has to do with maybe there being, oh, a wobbly tire or something along those lines, in Athens. If there isn’t, it’s going to be a tough out.”

Projecting Georgia’s highest impact true freshman for 2024 season

Brock Bowers, Malaki Starks, CJ Allen – which true freshman will follow suit and make the greatest impact in 2024?

Championship football teams don’t rely solely on returning talent and experienced starters. Often, the impact of a true freshman can provide the extra spark needed to make a postseason run.

Georgia’s 2021 season provides a great example. The Bulldogs broke a four-decade national championship drought thanks, in part, to the efforts of future three-time All-American tight end Brock Bowers. His 56 receptions led the nearest Georgia receiver by 21 catches (Ladd McConkey). Bowers also set several UGA records as a true freshman that year.

Safety Malaki Starks left a similar mark on Georgia’s 2022 squad that finished 15-0 and secured a consecutive national title. The former five-star recruit finished third on the team in total tackles (68) and led the team in pass breakups (7).

In 2023, it was inside linebacker C.J. Allen, who stepped up big when starter Jamon Dumas-Johnson went down with a season-ending injury. Like Bowers and Starks, Allen earned Freshman All-American honors and finished fifth on the team in total stops with 41.

So which 2024 signee could make a similar impact to those aforementioned?

Georgia’s No. 1 recruiting class provides a number of talented options, but my pick comes at a position of need for Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs. UGA faces the challenge of replacing star cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who is now a Houston Texan. Lassiter was the definition of a lockdown cornerback at Georgia, allowing just two touchdowns in his three-year career.

Five-star early enrollee Ellis Robinson IV, the highest-rated recruit at his position in the Smart-era, brings an elite level of talent to Athens. While we don’t typically see a true freshman cornerback play a consequential number of snaps in Smart’s defense, Robinson is that good.

Robinson (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) was considered the No. 1 cornerback and the No. 2 player in the country, per 247Sports. He maintains a blend of size, speed, physicality and ball skills that can compete for a starting spot in the fall. Daylen Everette returns as a starter, while young up-and-comers Julian Humphrey and Daniel Harris make up the top of the depth chart.

The IMG Academy product joined the team ahead of Orange Bowl practices and participated in the spring period, totaling three tackles during the G-Day scrimmage game.

Robinson’s athleticism and skill set, paired with joining the team early, points towards a large role, eventually, in Georgia’s defense moving forward. The only question is when exactly he will be trusted enough by Smart and company.

CFB analyst believes Ohio State tops Georgia with ‘best roster in the country’

Ohio State over Georgia? The evaluation starts, and ends, at quarterback…

Fox college football analyst Joel Klatt is known for giving the Big Ten extra love. It’s no surprise that he recently included Ohio State at No. 1 in his post-spring college football top-25 rankings.

While rankings this early in the year aren’t worth noting in my mind, Klatt’s reasoning for listing Georgia at No. 2 behind the Buckeyes is worth some exploration, though. According to the former Colorado quarterback, Ohio State is the best team in the nation because of its star-studded roster.

“There was a lot of debate about who should be No. 1 between Ohio State and Georgia,” Klatt wrote for Fox Sports.

“I was initially going to put Georgia at No. 1 because the Bulldogs have a strong incumbent quarterback in Beck. But that couldn’t make up for the fact that Ohio State’s roster is the best in the country.”

Georgia’s 2024 squad sits at No. 1 in both ESPN and CBS Sports’ way-too-early top-25 rankings. A top-tier roster propelled by Carson Beck’s return is an undeniable reason for UGA’s standing in both of those polls.

The Buckeyes’ situation at quarterback, on the other hand, is anything but established. That is a much bigger issue than Klatt admits here.

“Their quarterback situation is their biggest question and could cause some to hesitate from ranking them No. 1.”

Ohio State’s question at quarterback should cause more than hesitation. A similar situation arguably caused the Buckeyes to falter at the hands of Michigan last season with Kyle McCord at the helm. The Buckeyes also had a strong roster top-to-bottom in 2023, but didn’t have a signal-caller that could will the team past the Wolverines, who have won three-straight matchups between the Big Ten rivals.

Head coach Ryan Day and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly will choose from among Kansas State transfer Will Howard, five-star signee Julian Sayin and four-star signee Air Noland to take the keys of the Buckeye’s offense. A unit that will be without No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr.

Klatt is putting his faith in Ohio State’s defense to make up for the question at quarterback and the transition to a new offense under Kelly.

“The defense will also allow Will Howard or whoever is at quarterback to go through some growing pains. It allows Chip Kelly to get Ohio State’s feet settled on offense. Kelly’s effect on the run game can’t be overlooked. It hasn’t reached its potential in that element over the last few years, and he has the best backfield in the country with Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson.”

The Buckeyes defense does appear to be one of the top units in the sport after returning nine starters from 2023 and adding All-American safety Caleb Downs. The question is can that unit carry the Buckeyes past a new-look Michigan team in their own conference, nonetheless a program in Georgia that has lost one game in the last two seasons?

It’s probable that both Ohio State and Georgia make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, regardless of the pair winning their respective conference. This means that we likely won’t get to witness the Buckeyes face a uber-talented team until the postseason. A rematch of the 2022 Peach Bowl, a thrilling last second win by Georgia, would be a game of epic proportions and one that would be a tale tell sign of how these blue-blood programs actually compare on the field rather than in the month of May.

What the Buffalo Bills are getting in Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran

Sedrick Van Pran brings toughness, reliability to the Buffalo Bills offensive front.

Despite an outstanding career at Georgia, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger didn’t hear his name called in the 2024 NFL draft until the fifth round.

The team he landed to, however, may be perfect spot for the former UGA center. The Buffalo Bills took Van Pran-Granger at pick No. 141 and immediately added some toughness and reliability to their offensive front.

The anchor of Georgia’s stout offensive front over the last three seasons, Van Pran-Granger will go down as one of the best centers in UGA history. The New Orleans native logged 44 starts during his career in Athens and walked away with two national championships under is belt.

Van Pran ended his Georgia career with his best season to date, earning ESPN and Sports Illustrated All-America first-team honors while helping the Bulldogs to an outstanding season on offense and 13-1 record. UGA finished fifth in the country in total offense and Van Pran was named first-team All-SEC and received the 2023 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the conference’s best offensive lineman.

Van Pran-Granger seems like a perfect fit for the Bills, led by star quarterback Josh Allen. Toughness is a valued trait for that offense in the cold conditions of New York, and Van Pran-Granger has that characteristic in full.The 6-foot-4, 298-pound mauler also has some useful experience in blocking for former Georgia tailback James Cook. The pair won a national title together in 2021.

Van Pran-Granger has a good chance at starting as a rookie in the fall. Mitch Morse is now a Jacksonville Jaguar, opening the door for a new face at center. The next four months will be critical for Van Pran-Granger to make an impact as a first-year pro.

UGA’s Mykel Williams, Carson Beck first-two overall picks in 2025 NFL mock draft

NFL analyst projects Mykel Williams and Carson Beck to come off the board first in 2025 NFL draft…

Georgia football sent eight players through the 2024 NFL draft over the weekend, the lowest number of Bulldogs taken since 2021 (9).

Considering the returning talent UGA possesses on its 2024 roster, the 2025 NFL draft is shaping up to possibly contend with Georgia’s own draft record of 15 selections in 2022. More than 20 players will have the opportunity to declare, including underclassmen headed into their third season of eligibility.

Although its very early, one of the most intriguing 2025 NFL mock drafts comes from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. He has Georgia edge defender Mykel Williams as the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, followed by Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck at No. 2 overall to the Tennessee Titans.

Brugler writes of Williams:

“At this time last year, it was easy to put together the top of my mock, with stars like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. But the 2025 draft class doesn’t have that type of established star power, leaving the No. 1 pick wide-open.

A toolsy prospect, Williams’ 2023 tape doesn’t show consistency, but there are high highs, including what he did in the bowl game against Florida State.”

Brugler writes of Beck:

“If the Titans are drafting this high next April, the organization might be re-examining its quarterback situation.

In his first year as a starter, Beck got consistently better with each performance and put some beautiful throws on tape. He enters the season as the quarterback scouts like the most.”

It’s not crazy to think that Williams and Beck will hear their names called early next spring. However, it would be surprising for Georgia to produce the first two picks of the seven-round event.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker is the last No. 1 overall pick to come out of Athens (2022). The Dawgs have never had the first two overall picks.

Additionally, Brugler has Georgia safety Malaki Starks going No. 12 to the Indianapolis Colts and offensive tackle Earnest Greene II taken by the Cleveland Browns at pick No. 16.

Georgia produced five first-round picks in 2022. We could see a similar mark in the 2025 NFL draft.

Georgia WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint signs UDFA deal

Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint signs UDFA deal with NFC East team…

Georgia wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is a Washington Commander.

Despite going undrafted in the 2024 NFL draft over the weekend, Rosemy-Jacksaint quickly signed a deal with Washington on Saturday night as an undrafted free agent. He will have the opportunity to fight for a roster spot over the next four months.

Reliable is the word that comes to mind when evaluating Rosemy-Jacksaint’s career in Athens and what he can add to an NFL roster. He has strong hands and the ability to when jump balls, but he also isn’t afraid to show physicality as a blocker. Georgia asked a lot of Rosemy-Jacksaint in that role as a Bulldog and also as special team contributor at gunner.

After working his way back from a gruesome leg injury as a freshman in 2020, Rosemy-Jacksaint steadily improved each of his last three seasons in Athens. In 47 career games, he totaled 74 receptions for 1,028 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 13.9 yards per reception during his time in Athens and finished his senior season with career-highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.

Georgia DB Javon Bullard goes No. 58 overall to Green Bay Packers in 2024 NFL draft

Javon Bullard is a Green Bay Packer…

Georgia safety Javon Bullard is a Green Bay Packer.

The Packers took Bullard in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft on Friday night. As the No. 58 pick, he is the second safety taken off the board in this year’s draft (Tyler Nubin, Minnesota) and the latest in a long line of NFL defensive backs developed by Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs.

The Milledgeville, Georgia, native is a true testament to the development taking place in Athens. Bullard was recruited lightly coming out of Baldwin High School. He was considered a three-star recruit, rated as the No. 634 player overall in the 2021 class, per 247Sports.

Bullard started quickly at Georgia as a true freshman, appearing in 14 of 15 games en route to a national championship. The 2022 season is when Bullard broke out, starting at nickelback (star) and helping UGA to a second consecutive national championship. He earned Defensive MVP honors in both the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Peach Bowl and the national championship game.

Bullard (5 feet, 11 inches and 198 pounds) showed his unique versatility when he moved to safety in 2023, something that will make him a prized tool in the NFL. He earned second-team All-SEC honors in that role for the Dawgs.

In 32 career games, Bullard totaled 114 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, eight pass deflections, four interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Bullard joins former Georgia Bulldogs Eric Stokes, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt in Green Bay.

 

Raiders fans are not confident about Brock Bowers NFL draft selection

Raiders fans don’t know what to make of Brock Bowers pick in first round of 2024 NFL draft…

If you ask any Georgia Bulldogs fan, they will tell you that Brock Bowers is the best player in the 2024 NFL draft.

Los Vegas fans, however, don’t seem to know what to make of Bowers going No. 13 to the Raiders during Thursday night’s first round.

Las Vegas was expected to add a defender or a franchise quarterback headed into Antonio Pierce’s first draft as Raiders head coach. When Las Vegas was put on the clock at No. 13, all six of the best passers in the class were taken, but no defender had came off the board yet.

Surely the Raiders would go defense, right?

That wasn’t the case. Pierce and the Las Vegas elected to go with arguably the best player available, Bowers. You would think that even though fans were likely thinking defense, a generational talent that can change an offense would suffice. After all, the three-time All-American and two-time Mackey Award winner will go down as one of, if not the best, college football players of all time.

Here’s a look at a Las Vegas draft party where mixed emotions around the pick were evident:

On the surface, adding Bowers to a tight end room that already features former All-American and second-round draft pick, Michael Mayer, is an interesting selection that early in the draft. However, Bowers and the Georgia offense thrived in a two-tight end system for the last three seasons.

In three years at UGA, Bowers racked up an outstanding 175 receptions for 2,538 yards and 26 receiving touchdowns. He also added 19 rushing attempts for 193 yards and five scores on the ground.

Bowers is much more than a pass catcher. He can line up out wide, in-line or at H-back. He provides a level of versatility that can change any offense for the better.

2024 NFL draft: Georgia OT Amarius Mims goes No. 18 overall to Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals take Amarius Mims in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft…

Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims is a Cincinnati Bengal.

The Bengals took Mims with the No. 18 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night. He was the fifth offensive tackle off the board on Day 1.

Mims joins former Bulldogs offensive linemen Broderick Jones, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson and Isaiah Wynn as first-round draft picks under head coach Kirby Smart. The former five-star prospect is another prototypical tackle from UGA, standing 6 feet, 8 inches and 340 pounds.

Despite starting only eight games as a Bulldog (30 games played), Mims’ upside was too good to pass up for the Bengals. After all, Mims’ snap count wasn’t limited by his ability; he played behind future NFL draft pick Warren McClendon.

Mims did not allow a sack in 372 career pass-blocking snaps at right tackle for Georgia, including while protecting Carson Beck, the SEC’s leading passer. His season was limited, though, by an ankle injury that held him out of seven games.

Cincinnati star quarterback Joe Burrow has his new protector.