By: Browntown C.
Week one of college football is here, and for Georgia football fans kickoff can’t get here soon enough. After experiencing one of the most memorable seasons since Herschel Walker donned the red and black, a bitter end to an otherwise remarkable season has left a bad taste in the mouths of the collective Dawg Nation. Losing the National Championship in such heartbreaking fashion was a brutal way to end the season, but the immense success of year two of the Kirby Smart era has expectations among the Bulldog faithful at an all-time high. Add in the haul the Dawgs compiled in a historic recruiting class and anything less than a return to the College Football Playoff would be a huge disappointment for most fans.
As we enter year three for Kirby and company, are expectations TOO high? Can this team be expected to play at the same level despite the losses of Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Lorenzo Carter, Roquan Smith, and Davin Bellamy? While it’s hard to measure intangibles like the leadership they brought to last year’s team, there is a stash of talented newcomers that could potentially fill the holes left by the draft & graduation. There are some familiar names that should be major contributors, and some not-so-familiar names that could also break through and make a big-time impact as the 2018 team looks to take the next step in building a perennial championship contender.
Returning Impact Players
Offense
Jake Fromm: You’d have to be living under a rock not to know who Jake Fromm is and the kind of impact he had on last year’s success. The affable, all-american kid from the small town of Warner Robins came in to Athens with plenty of fanfare and didn’t disappoint when he was thrust into action just two series into the first game. Fromm replaced the injured Jacob Eason against Appalachian State and never relinquished the job, putting up 2,615 passing yards passing, 24 TD and a passer rating of 160.1 (good enough to land in the top half of the league). While the pressures of leading the offense were lightened by the dynamic running game of Chubb, Michel, and company, when was asked to come through in the clutch, more often than not Fromm delivered.
Now with a year under his belt is Fromm ready to take the next step? He attempted just 19 passes a game last season, and only eclipsed the 300-yard mark one time for the SEC’s top rushing offense. Can he shoulder some of the burden left by the absence of Chubb and Michel and be counted on to make plays consistently in the passing game? All indications are that he can; he seems primed to be a centerpiece for the offense this season. He doesn’t have the other-worldly arm strength of Jacob Eason or the mobility of highly touted freshman Justin Fields, but both Jim Chaney & Kirby Smart have raved about his outstanding poise and leadership skills, he took great care of the football last season, and showed fantastic touch on his deep ball -- all as a TRUE freshman. He seems to have the intangible makeup of a winner and displayed the ability to makes those around him better. As ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit put it earlier this week, “Fromm has that ‘It’ factor.” With the plethora of offensive talent around him Fromm should be able to build on his 2017 SEC Freshman of the Year campaign and help this offense become even more explosive.
D’Andre Swift: Is it possible for a team that relied so heavily on two senior running backs to actually have a better rushing attack the next year? It is when your next back up is D’Andre
Swift. Swift’s combination of power, speed, and versatility gives him the potential to be an even better back than both of his predecessors. In a season where he rushed for 618 yards in limited action and averaged an eye-popping 7.6 yards per carry, he showed the ability to go between the tackles and lower the boom as well as hit the edges and blow past everybody...just ask Auburn.
Swift will be Georgia’s featured back, and if healthy, is likely to eclipse 200 carries and get a fair share of targets in the passing game as well. He is joined by super-talented juniors Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien, and five-star freshman James Cook (brother of former Florida State Seminole and current Minnesota Viking Dalvin Cook). Swift’s dynamic ability headlines a backfield that has the talent to surpass the production and dominance of last year’s stellar group.
Mecole Hardman: Hardman displayed several glimpses of incredible playmaking ability (see the GIF above) and few players in the country are scarier with the ball in their hands. After a freshman year that Smart admits was wasted by trying to convert him into a defensive back, last year made it obvious that Hardman is most valuable with the ball in his hands. He averaged over 16 yards a catch on his 25 receptions, scored six TD (two in the ground), and finished second in the SEC in yards per kick return. Whether he was taking a jet sweep or fielding a punt, it always seemed he was just inches from breaking one open. Last year Hardman battled stretches of dropped passes, so if he can show more consistency there and continue to blossom on special teams, this year could be a special one for him.
Offensive Line: For evidence of the impact of returning starters Andrew Thomas, Lamont Gaillard, Kendall Baker, and Solomon Kendley look no further than Georgia's gaudy rushing numbers for a year ago.
Total Yards: 3,876 (SEC Rank - 1 / National - 5)
Yards per game: 258.4 (SEC Rank - 1 / National - 9)
Yards per attempt: 5.8 (SEC Rank - 1/ National - 7)
TD: 42 (SEC Rank - 1, National - 5)
Defense
Tyler Clark: Last season began with Trenton Thompson expected to be the star of the Georgia defensive line. The former #1 recruit in the nation had developed into a good player for the Dawgs heading into his junior year, and it seemed a foregone conclusion he would have a breakout season wreaking havoc in opposing backfields. Because of injuries and other issues Thompson never got on track and didn’t have nearly the impact that was expected expected. Enter Tyler Clark.
Clark stepped up in a big way last year and was a force during the CFP contests against Oklahoma and Alabama. In those games he totaled 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack while being a constant disruptive force. He surpassed any expectations set by a quietly solid freshman year, and the expectations Thompson faced a year ago will likely be transferred to Clark for this season. His stats may not jump off the paper (though they could), but he was the most impactful lineman on of the best defenses in the country, and could very well develop into one of the best defensive lineman in the country this year.
Jonathan Ledbetter: Ledbetter has become an anchor for the defensive line unit; a great story considering all he’s gone through. Early in his career he stayed in trouble with the law because of a drinking problem, and after his final arrest many thought Kirby Smart would kick him off the team. Smart instead elected to kept him around and after a lengthy suspension, counseling, and additional support from the program, he finally got the opportunity to make an impact on the field.
Again, his stats don’t necessarily jump off the page (2.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss), but his impact is felt in his ability to seal the edge of the offensive line and let his outside linebackers have open lanes to the backfield. He has a unique combination of speed and strength at 280 pounds and has developed into a great leader for this defense.
Deandre Baker: Baker is the shutdown corner every defensive coordinator covets. Despite not hearing his name much on the national stage last year, he’s found his way onto several preseason All-American lists, and is currently the #10 player on Mel Kiper’s 2019 Draft big board. He’s that good. While his numbers are rather pedestrian -- three interceptions and nine passes defensed -- he showed the ability to shut down an entire side of the field. He has excellent length, tackles well (fourth on the team), and contests the ball well in the air. His ability to shadow top receivers was evident late in the season as opponents like Oklahoma, Auburn, and Alabama went away from Baker and targeted Malkom Parrish and Aaron Davis to substantial success. Expect teams to avoid Baker again this year, and for him to build on his on stellar 2017 campaign.
Inside Linebackers: The biggest loss for the defense has to be the departure of All-American Roquan Smith to the NFL. It could be argued nobody had a bigger impact on the team than Smith. The Dawgs will look to sophomore Monty Rice, experienced seniors Natrez Patrick (if he can stay on the field) and Juwan Taylor, and junior Tae Crowder to fill the enormous void Smith leaves. Patrick has legit NFL talent and was one of the leading tacklers during the 2016 campaign, but his well-documented drug and legal problems left him sidelined for much of the 2017 season. While no one player can duplicate the range and production Smith had on his way to winning the Butkus Award, the hope is that someone will step up at a position where the Dawgs have outstanding overall depth. Who that is remains to be seen.
Richard Lecounte III and J.R. Reed: Reed made his mark as a surprise starter last season after transferring in from Louisville. He has good range and is a strong tackler with surprising pop at just 194 pounds. With Dominick Sanders and his 16 career INT gone, can he help Lecounte realize his immense five-star potential and create a dynamic back-half for the defense?
The New Guys
Justin Fields: Again, you would have to be living under a rock not to have heard this name mentioned around the Georgia program the last couple of years. After flying under the radar as a recruit early in his high school career, he burst onto the scene at “The Opening” the summer before his senior year and sky-rocketed up recruiting boards all over the country. He started drawing comparisons to Cam Newton with his impressive arm strength and ability to run over and by people, and before all was said and done he ascended to a top-two quarterback ranking before committing to continue his career in Athens.
Despite having a great returning quarterback in Jake Fromm, Fields will play this year due to the incredible athletic ability he brings to the field. The QB situation will be very similar to when D.J. Shockley arrived on campus after a stellar freshman campaign by David Greene, and Shockley got limited but consistent playing time as Greene’s back-up. Fields' arm strength and mobility will open up options the Dawgs haven’t had since Shockley, but the question is, how much will he get to see the field? That remains to be seen, but if he excels in the special packages and goalline sets many think he will be used in, Georgia could face an Alabama-like QB situation heading into next season.
Demetris Robertson: Robertson was one of the most highly-recruited players in the 2016 class, but shockingly chose Cal over UGA, Alabama, and several other traditional powerhouses. He caught 50 passes and eight TD as a true freshman for the Golden Bears, but followed that with an injury-marred 2017 season. Robertson, a Savannah-area native elected to transfer back closer to home, and the NCAA has granted him a hardship waiver making him eligible to play for the Dawgs immediately. The former five-star will have an IMMEDIATE impact at receiver, and was actually ranked above the aforementioned Mecole Hardman coming out of high school -- a testament to his dynamic play-making ability. Robertson is an elite vertical threat and excellent in the red zone, giving Georgia yet another explosive playmaker on an already loaded offense.
Adam Anderson: An elite defensive end recruit from Rome, Georgia, the 6' 5", 225 pound true freshman has the look of guy ready to come in and chase down quarterbacks immediately. Anderson is slotted to play outside linebacker in Georgia's 3-4 scheme, and with the losses of Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter he could get a chance to put his pass rush skills to work early in the 2018 campaign.
Other Names to Know:
Jay Hayes - Sr.,Grad. Transfer (Notre Dame), Defensive line
Luke Ford - Freshman, TE
James Cook - Freshman, RB
2018 Forecast
Without question, the expectation is for Georgia to duplicate the success of the 2017 season. While Smart has only been the head man for two years and his win totals match those of Mark Richt’s first two years in Athens, there appears to be a different vibe under Smart’s watch. He has recruited at unprecedented level, and the product on the field has matched the accumulation of talent. Whether real or not, Smart has people believing that Georgia has taken the next step to becoming a perennial powerhouse and it’s only a matter of time before the Bulldogs start winning championships.
Whether the program has truly reached that point remains to be seen, but the talent is there. On offense the Dawgs return four of five starters on one of the nation's best offensive lines, boast the nation's deepest backfield, and have the most NFL-caliber receiving talent since the days of Fred Gibson, Reggie Brown, and Terrence Edwards. On defense they replace experienced, battle-tested seniors like Dominick Sanders, Davin Bellamy, and Malkom Parrish with newcomers that are unproven, but arguably more talented such as Richard LeCounte III, Adam Anderson, and Tyrique McGhee. The net result seems more likely to be a reload as opposed to a reset, and if the Dawgs even approach their defensive dominance of a year ago, the embarrassment of riches on offense seems likely to make them one of the most complete teams in the country.
This year presents the very real possibility that a CFP championship trophy could grace the halls of Butts-Mehre. The schedule sets up favorably, but no SEC schedule is without its pitfalls. South Carolina will be a tough test in week two of the season, followed by a trip to play the explosive Missouri offense two weeks later, and to Death Valley to play LSU in in October. There is also the ever-unpredictable trip to Jacksonville to play a rebuilding Florida, and a visit from preseason top-10 Auburn in early November. With the talent assembled on this team and level of coaching Smart’s staff has displayed in years one and two, it’s difficult to see this team losing more than one game in the regular season. The Dawgs seemed destined for a rematch with the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship on December 8, with a chance to get revenge and to earn a spot in the playoffs again this year. This team has the talent and depth to finish what the 2017 team started and end this season as the national champions.
Comments