Three Bulldogs who have played pivotal roles within the team have decided to opt out of Georgia’s upcoming bowl game, ending their time in the red and black. Among those players are graduate senior tight end Tre’ McKitty, senior defensive back DJ Daniel and senior inside linebacker Monty Rice.
UGASports.com initially broke the news, followed by multiple reports confirming the opt outs.
No. 8 ranked Georgia (7-2) could very well play Clemson in the Orange Bowl, should Notre Dame beat the Tigers in the ACC Championship Game today. If Clemson comes out on top, the projection is that Georgia will likely face off against Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl.
Isaiah Wilson, J.R Reed and Andrew Thomas all skipped last year’s Sugar Bowl victory over Baylor and Deandre Baker skipped the Sugar Bowl during the 2018-19 season. This is starting to become a trend, especially for Georgia’s defensive players trying to stay healthy for the NFL draft.
There are still some question marks surrounding other players on the Dawgs’ roster. UGASports additionally reported that defensive backs Mark Webb, Richard LeCounte and Eric Stokes are also leaning towards an opt out, as is offensive guard Ben Cleveland.
Although this season didn’t turn out how Dawgs fans wanted, there is a bright future in Athens with head coach Kirby Smart locking in the 3rd best recruiting class in the nation so far. Georgia’s bowl game will be announced Sunday afternoon following the conference championships on Saturday.