With the vast amount of talent that Georgia is returning from the previous season, it also lost some key contributors from the past season.
The loss of Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift, and five offensive linemen and Rodrigo Blankenship will be some of the departures that could have a long-lasting impact on the program. Defensively the loss of JR Reed is a huge one but one that can be replaced by this season with the emergence of Lewis Cine. The Georgia staff did a great job this offseason by bringing in recruits who can contribute immediately this season for Georgia as a freshman. Not only did they bring in freshmen, but they dipped their feet into the transfer market. Former Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman and former Florida State tight end Tre’ McKitty will both bring veteran experience to their positions. But they are five players specifically that need to be highlighted as players who need to step up for Georgia to be successful in 2020. Zamir White White came to Athens with a torn ACL after he tore in his senior season coming out of Scotland County High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina. A big physical back with speed and shiftiness. When he got to Athens he tore his other ACL which would effectively end his freshman season before it could even get started as he tore it during spring practice. After a redshirt year, this past season was Georgia’s first glimpse of Zamir White in a Georgia uniform. He has shown a lot of potentials, especially with his speed and power. He has a great ability to be a protector in the pocket and can leave the backfield and be a receiver. One thing that was missing from White this season was his shiftiness that he showed in high school. Now that can be expected when someone is coming back from an ACL injury, but the fact is White is coming back from two. The performance he put up in the Sugar Bowl and throughout the season is a testament to his character and determination that he has to succeed. If White can put it all together next season, he will be the feature back for years to come. Demetrius Robertson Demetrius Robertson, the former California Golden Bear, transferred to Georgia two seasons ago with high hopes that he would provide another reliable receiving threat to go alongside Riley Ridley, Mecole Hardman, and Terry Godwin. In his first season at Georgia, he dealt with a few injuries, and we didn’t see much of him. This past season he was primarily healthy but didn’t put up the numbers that many expected from him when he first announced he’d be coming to Athens. D-Rob is going into his senior season and has a lot to prove if he has aspirations of going to the NFL after next season. He will need to step up big time for Georgia next year as defenses will likely key in on George Pickens as the primary threat out wide. If Robertson can prove a solid threat at receiver for Georgia, then the offense will be dangerous. Monken’s past systems have been primarily through the air and using all different types of receivers. Malik Herring The defensive line for Georgia next season is expected to be one of the best it has had in Athens in a long time. Malik Herring will be one of the guys to watch as he enters his senior season in Athens. Herring has seen some of his best performances against Florida as he has been able to pressure the quarterback. Which is one of his best attributes as he is a constant threat to any offensive line that he faces. While Herring has been dominant in the run game where he usually lines up inside of the tackle and guard, he could improve on getting to the quarterback. Herring was ranked third among all defenders in pressuring the QB with 18 last season. If he wants to make it to the NFL, he needs to rack up more sacks. One of his best plays last season was against Florida, where he assisted a sack with Jordan Davis. The Georgia defensive line will be looking to Herring’s senior leadership next season. Nakobe Dean Another rising sophomore who showed a lot of potential last season for Georgia on defense. Dean was a highly recruited linebacker coming out of high school and choose Georgia as his school for the next 3 or 4 years of his football career. Dean is a talented inside linebacker who was dominant in pass coverage for Georgia a season ago, although he was just a freshman. He also was one of the best blitzing linebackers for Georgia last season as his speed was able to pressure the quarterback. Dean will be playing alongside senior Monty Rice, who has shown to a do it all middle linebacker for Georgia. Dean is talented enough to play the role of Tae Crowder as he stops the run and helps out in coverage. Not only that, but he can be used as a pass-rushing threat up the middle or even off the edge. Dean is the middle linebacker of the future for Georgia. Lewis Cine Lewis Cine, also known as “Lewis Sixteen,” was the breakout star that Georgia was looking for at the end of the season. Cine got his first two collegiate starts against LSU in the SEC Championship and had a total of 6 tackles (career-high). His second start came a few weeks later against Baylor, where he filled in for JR Reed, who didn’t travel for the Sugar Bowl because of injury. Cine ended up playing very well alongside fellow safety Richard LeCounte. Cine is already being penciled in as the replacement for Reed as Cine has proven to work well in coverage and can fill the role of reading the quarterback and going to make a play on the ball. Cine has big shoes to fill as JR Reed had a great season last year, which saw his draft stock rise. If Cine can continue to learn and improve, he and LeCounte could be a formidable opponent for any offense that Georgia may face.
0 Comments
With the cancelation of all spring sports, the campus for the University of Georgia is nearly empty as only a few essential staff members and the construction crew is on campus.
For the football program, the abrupt cancelation of spring practice hasn’t stopped the team from continuing to get better. While the team may not be on the same field with pads and a practice jersey or hear the sound of a coach’s whistle. Players have taken it upon themselves to get better. Rising sophomore edge rusher Nolan Smith posted a video of his workout that he has been doing on his own time. In this short video, he ends up calling out the rest of the Georgia defense to follow suit and post their workout videos. Eric Stokes answered the challenge along with Monty Rice and running back Prather Hudson has even responded to the challenge that was sent out by Nolan Smith. Spring football is arguably the most crucial part of the offseason for a football team as it is the first time since the ending of the prior season for the players to put back on the pads and start hitting again. This is also time for coaches to begin installing their systems. With this pandemic uprooting normal lives for many people all around the world, it doesn’t take away from the fact that every football program will have an uphill climb as they prepare for the start of the regular season. Fall camp will be the first time for players to put back on the pads and for coaches to install their systems on the field. This will be a short amount of time for new Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken to install his Air Raid offense in Athens. It will come as a big transition for players as they will be moving away from the Pro-Style attack that has been run in Athens for as long as we can remember. For many years the SEC East has been known as one of the weakest divisions in football. In the last three years, the throne has belonged to the University of Georgia. In the first four years under Kirby Smart, he has won the East the previous three years. While only losing to Florida once in his first four years. Smart also boasts a winning record against every SEC East foe. While many still believe that Georgia is still firmly entrenched in the throne of the SEC East. Many feel that two teams could push Georgia to the limit in 2020. As always, Florida is in the talk for the SEC East, but someone new has entered the title talks. Tennessee has also seen its stock rise in the last year. While the Volunteers started last season with a terrible 1-4 start where they lost to teams like Florida and Georgia, their most embarrassing losses came to the hands of Georgia State and BYU. Those two losses came right at the beginning of the season. The Volunteers then turned that embarrassment into motivation as they finished the regular season 7-1. As their only loss was to the Crimson Tide of Alabama. Coming off a win in the Gator Bowl over Indiana, the Vols have springboarded into the division title picture. Like always, the Gators are in the talks for winning the SEC East. Florida has always been the favorite of the media when it comes to talking about who will be in the SEC Championship game. But as of the last three years, Georgia has been penciled in from the very beginning of the season. In their second year under Dan Mullen, the Gators finished their season with a New Year Six Bowl win over Virginia, which contributed to an 11-2 record overall as their only losses were to the eventual SEC Champion LSU and the SEC runner-up Georgia. The big story of the season was at the quarterback position. Felipe Franks started the first three games of the season for Florida until, in the middle of his third game, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Kentucky. A new star was born in that game when Kyle Trask came in as the backup quarterback and led Florida to an 11 win season while he passed 2,941 yards and 25 touchdowns. Now, after his Cinderella-type story to the starting job, Florida has been thrust into title talks for the SEC. After winning the Sugar Bowl with a few men down, Georgia saw another mass exodus of its team for the NFL. Kirby Smart and his staff will is being tasked with replacing
A big task, but Georgia like always has been preaching the next man up mentality. They brought in another number 1 recruiting class in the nation, along with a few graduate transfers to come in and fill a few holes. Jamie Newman, former Wake Forest quarterback, will be in Athens to try and take the reins of the Georgia offense that will be different from the one run by his predecessor. While Newman is new to Athens, he is on a level playing field with the rest of the offense as with he cancelation of spring ball; they will all be waiting on the installation of Monken’s new offense. This could go both ways for Georgia next season, but the offense will have time in the summer and fall to learn together and gel as a team before the regular season is at its peak. Newman is walking into a better situation this year at receiver then Fromm was at this time a year ago. George Pickens and Blaylock will be the most productive returning starters at receiver for Georgia this season while we do expect one of the incoming freshmen to have a breakout year much as Pickens and Blaylock did a year ago. Ultimately the SEC East will be a battle for years to come as both Tennessee and Florida are starting to put the pieces in place to contend. But questions remain for each of them. Tennessee has yet to find it’s the quarterback of the future. At the same time, Florida needs to recruit at an elite level to be able to compete with Georgia, along with finding a way to out coach Georgia. Georgia is still the Top Dawgs in the SEC East, and it’s their yard, while everyone else is just living in it. |
Harrison Reno
Is the founder and author of Top Dawg Blogging. Harrison has been blogging for the past 4 years Archives
April 2020
Categories |