Last night didn’t end as we’d hoped for the 2017 SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs, thanks to a couple bad calls by the ref, a few bad plays by folks on the field, and Nick Saban putting in a QB that was actually able to complete a pass in the second half. But the future is still bright in Athens. Even considering the departures of Lorenzo Carter, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Dominick Sanders, Roquan Smith, Isaiah Wynn, and others, there is a ton of talent for Kirby Smart to call upon as he goes in to 2018.
A trip to LSU cycles on to the schedule, and an early season visit to South Carolina loom large , but Tennessee, Auburn, and Georgia Tech all make the trip to Athens. With a bye between Baton Rouge and Jacksonville, there doesn’t appear to be a back breaking back to back set of games in the mix. Could 2018 possibly be better than 2017? It seems doubtful after wins in South Bend, at the Rose Bowl, and an SEC Championship, but the team will work hard to make that happen. Who will comprise that team? Let’s take a look.
QB- Jake Fromm returns for a sophomore season where he should have an even greater understanding of the offense, and can put in some work on improving his passing ability. Superstar recruit Justin Fields is already on campus and will go through spring practice as he likely claims the backup job assuming Jacob Eason heads to Washington as is rumored. Jim Chaney likely has plans for utilizing Fields during non-garbage time as well, but aside from those two the depth chart is reduced to walk-ons. Provided Fields and Fromm stay healthy, we can expect a bit of improvement at the position just by natural maturation as Fromm goes from freshman to sophomore.
RB- We lose Christian Payne at FB, along with of course #1 and #27 toting the rock, but the backfield won’t be barren. Finding a lead blocker from the remaining walk-ons like Nick Moore and Frank Sinkwich IV will help, but Chaney has seemed to phase that position out in favor of more WR and TE usage. D’Andre Swift seems likely to take over as starting running back, and will be backed up by Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien. Zamir White and James Cook add further depth to the ball carrier mix, and if White can make a full recovery from a late season ACL tear, the position should be plenty productive.
OL- The reason there may be minimal drop off running the ball despite losing two of the best backs Georgia’s ever seen will be the guys blasting open holes for them. Wynn is a loss at LT after a stellar career, but Sam Pittman returns the rest of his starters. He’ll combine that with arguably the nation’s best two OL classes in recruiting the past two winters to give a level of depth and competition for jobs we’ve not seen in Athens in a long, long time. Kendall Baker continually improved at LG, and will be joined by a fellow senior in C Lamont Gaillard. Ben Cleveland and Solomon Kindley held off Netori Johnson for starts this season at RG, but can they do it again next year? And then there’s Jamaree Sayler joining them in that competition for the three interior spots. On the edge, Andrew Thomas was a revelation at RT, and could either stay there or shift to LT. Freshman Cade Mays is already enrolled and looking to fight for minutes at wherever Thomas isn’t starting, but he’ll have to beat out the monsterous (even after losing weight and reshaping his body) Isaiah Wilson. D’Marcus Hayes also returns after sporadic action in his first post-JUCO season, and there may be a G slide outside considering Baker has experience there, while Cleveland, Johnson, and Kindley could handle the RT spot if they aren’t at RG.
Plain and simple, the offense could, if not should, be improved next year with a QB that isn’t in his first season as a starter for the first time since Aaron Murray and the potential for an upgraded OL.
TE- Isaac Nauta returns for his junior season, to be joined by fellow junior Charlie Woerner for an excellent pair of receiving TEs. Both are also solid blockers, and as said above, can allow Chaney to put both on the field at the same time for a pick your poison attack either keeping them tight for power runs or flexing them wide for spread passing without changing personnel. Jackson Harris will be back for his senior season to provide a more traditional threat here, and a pair of 6’6 freshmen in Luke Ford and John FitzPatrick provide further depth.
WR- Javon Wims had a breakout season, and his departure will be felt as Fromm often used him as a security blanket when plays broke down while also bailing him out by out muscling DBs on several jump balls. But the position brings plenty of speed back with Mecole Hardman and Terry Godwin returning, Riley Ridley stepped up big last night for promising signs of a junior rebound season, and Akhil Crumpton joins punt blocker that wasn’t Tyler Simmons to add more threats in the slot. The question is who backfills Wims’ void as the big target. Nauta and Woerner could fill that role to an extent, while sophomore Jeremiah Holloman seems the most likely returning wideout to step in to those shoes. Other than that one need, the offense lacks any noticeable question marks and should have plenty of familiarity with each other after this season plus another off season to put in work in the weight room, on the practice fields, in summer 7 on 7 work, and in the film room.
Ks and KR- Rodrigo Blankenship brings the goggles back for a junior season after improving his accuracy and distance in his sophomore affair. Hardman brings a big threat in the return game, but we must replace P Cameron Nizialek. Marshall Long redshirted this year, and freshman Jake Camarda likely battles him for the chance to replace the graduate transfer. With improving depth and a lot of returning talent, special teams also seems likely to suffer no drop off, if not be improved, in Kirby Smart’s third season on the sidelines.
DL- This, along with the OL, should be the strength of the team next year. Trenton Thompson has already said he’s returning for a senior season. So will Jonathan Ledbetter, and Daquan Hawkins Muckle. Tyler Clark, David Marshall, Michael Barnett, Julian Rochester, and Malik Herring provide depth along with them and the extremely physically gifted Devonte Wyatt can join them after a year at JUCO to get his grades in order. Smart and staff are still hunting for more difference makers in the trenches, so what looks to be at least a 2, if not 3 deep with no drop off in talent could get even better once Austin Peay comes to town.
LB- The talent in the front of the defense will be needed, because if there’s a question mark next year it’s right behind them in the LB group that loses Roquan Smith, Lorenzo and Reggie Carter, and Davin Bellamy. Natrez Patrick may or may not be back at ILB, and if he is that’s a huge boost in talent and experience. But his time away from the field allowed Monty Rice and Juwan Taylor to come in to their own. Nate McBride, Channing Tindall, and Tae Crowder provide depth at ILB behind them. D’Andre Walker seems certain to take over at one of the OLB spots. But who will be the fourth member in the Dawgs’ 3-4 remains to be seen. Walter Grant could be the guy, or Robert Beal, Jr. Maybe Jaden Hunter, Jaleel Laguins, or perhaps a freshman like Adam Anderson or Brenton Cox prove too good to keep off the field. But this area seems certain to have some drop off, although a DL that can keep them clean of blockers helps avoid much decline in production. Leadership, on the other hand, remains to be seen as Bellamy, Zo Carter, and Roquan were among the bell cows of the excellent defense we just saw.
DB- Dominick Sanders, Aaron Davis, and Malkom Parrish won’t be around anymore. But JR Reed and Deandre Baker return as potential stars at safety and corner. Tyrique McGhee seems to be in the lead to start at corner opposite Baker, while rising sophomores Richard LeCounte, Deangelo Gibbs, and Tray Bishop look to step up at safety and the star spots. Freshman Divaad Wilson is already enrolled and getting acclimated to the step up, with fellow south Florida product Nadab Joseph and Atlanta’s Chris Smith coming in as well here. We’re pursuing some of the nation’s highest rated CBs to add to the class in February, along with a Wildgoose, and a handful from last year’s class will also look to have a bigger impact on the field in their second season on campus with the aptly named Ameer Speed, Eric Stokes, Mark Webb, William Poole, and Latavious Brini also around. Bodies are here, but who will step up and make plays come fall Saturdays is anyone’s guess.
Well, that’s what I’m thinking about for the 2018 version of Georgia football. A good team that could again be great, and should win the SEC East in the least. Can they do more? Give your thoughts in the comments below.