Morning, y’all — and happy Feature Friday!
This week’s question for the DawgNation team was simple: Halfway through the regular season, which Georgia player has surprised you the most?
With some of what Georgia has shown so far, we probably could have guessed (like Gunner Stockton taking a solid leap forward and the Bulldogs’ tight end room always being reliable).
But others would have been impossible to predict.
Here are our answers, and remember, we’ve got more football news and trivia at the bottom of the newsletter, too:
Kaylee Mansell: “Halfway through the season, the player that has surprised me the most has been Dwight Phillips Jr. We’ve always known that Peanut had the speed, but this year he has risen to the occasion every time he’s been called upon and that it not easy to do.
“Even if the rumors are true that Chauncey Bowens will be out for the rest of the season, Dwight Phillips Jr. looks like he can step into the RB2 role with consistency and confidence.”
Mike Griffith: “Dwight Phillips Jr.’s recent breakout has come out of necessity, but also, validated the confidence Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has had in him throughout the offseason. To think, Phillips came out of spring drills widely considered the No. 4 option behind Nate Frazier (rib injury), Bowens (foot injury) and transfer Dante Dowdell (ATV accident) says much about the depth and development at the position.
Cody Chaffins: “Craig Dandridge was an AJC Super 11 Pick, so it’s not like he was totally off the radar, but for him to be such a big part of this offense and so quickly in his freshman year, it’s a bit of a surprise. A very pleasant one for the wide receiver room that was the biggest unknown of the offseason.”
Connor Riley: “There was a lot to like about this Georgia defensive line entering the season, but I don’t think anyone had Jordan Hall playing this well. Injuries have been a big reason why it’s taken Hall so long to pop but he’s turned into Georgia’s most disruptive defensive line. Every week he finds a way to make plays for this unit. And don’t overlook what Hall brings to the table from a leadership standpoint either.”
And here’s my biggest surprise: “I’m tempted to say Phillips, too, but you know who owns Georgia’s longest rush of the season by a running back? Bo Walker, with a 59-yard pickup against Vanderbilt. The fact that Georgia is missing their top three running backs and still has this great of a 1-2 punch is truly impressive. So I’m going with running back depth overall.”
Bama releases statement regarding fan interaction with Wilson
Fan behavior was a big talking point coming out of Saturday’s Georgia-Alabama game.
While some Alabama fans reacted to the loss and officiating by throwing water bottles onto the field, one spectator came down from his seat and got in the face of and shoved Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson.
The University of Alabama released a statement regarding the interaction on Thursday, stating it had identified the fan in question.
“Alabama has identified and taken appropriate action against the individual involved in videos circulating on social media following Saturday night’s football game,” Alabama athletics said in the statement. “We take matters of this nature seriously and will not tolerate this behavior.”
Wilson, a starting linebacker for the Bulldogs, initially downplayed the interaction following Saturday’s incident. In a post on Instagram, Wilson stated he thought the fan in question was actually a Georgia supporter.
Wilson led Georgia in the win against Alabama with nine tackles.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart commented on the incident between his player and the fan when Smart spoke to reporters Monday.
“You want people to make good decisions and do things the right way, and Raylen certainly did there,” Smart said. “There’s so much that goes into that. He thought it was a Georgia fan and probably helped him react the way he did initially. It’s disappointing behavior by any fan, and certainly nothing we condone, and I’m sure Alabama doesn’t condone it either.”
Read Connor’s full story here.
Trivia time
Which Bulldogs defender leads Georgia in both tackles and sacks?
Bolden downgraded heading into Auburn game
Georgia provided an updated availability report for this weekend’s game against Auburn.
While offensive lineman Marcus Harrison was removed from the report, Georgia safety KJ Bolden was downgraded from questionable to doubtful.
- Defensive back Tyriq Green (ankle) — out
- Outside linebacker Amaris Williams (knee) — out
- Wide receiver Thomas Blackshear (shoulder) — out
- Wide receiver Isiah Canion (right leg) — out
- Running back Chauncey Bowens (lower leg) — out
- Safety KJ Bolden (right leg) — doubtful
Bolden has been one of Georgia’s most important players this season. He has 22 tackles, two pass breakups, two tackles for loss and an interception. He led Georgia in snaps played against Alabama.
In the event he doesn’t play, Georgia does have options in the secondary. The Bulldogs could slide Rasean Dinkins over and play he and Kyron Jones at safety. Doing so would allow Georgia to keep Khalil Barnes at the star position. The Clemson transfer has excelled in that role for Georgia this season.
Other possibilities include Zion Branch, Ja’Marley Riddle and Blake Stewart. Green would also be worth monitoring, but he is out once again after suffering an ankle injury against Western Kentucky.
Frazier is once again absent from the availability report for Georgia, indicating he’s able to play. That was the case last week, before Frazier was held out of Georgia’s win over Alabama.
Read Connor’s full story here.
Don’t overlook improvements made by Georgia CB Jones
Georgia’s secondary passed its toughest test of the season against Alabama. The Bulldogs allowed just 185 yards passing on 16 completions to one of the top passing offenses in the SEC.
Ellis Robinson IV was his usual lockdown. But so too was fellow corner Demello Jones.
In particular, his efforts against Ryan Coleman-Williams made a big impact on the game.
With time winding down in the first half, the Crimson Tide tried a one-on-one pass to Coleman-Williams in the end zone. Jones played it perfectly and broke up the pass.
“Being in a good position, I knew that when they be isolated like that, what they like to try and what players they like to go at,” Jones said. “So (Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann) just put me in a great position and I just played a great technique that I’ve been practicing on.”
Later in the fourth quarter, Jones broke up another pass directed at Coleman-Williams over the middle, which ended with a huge hit by Bolden. That resulted in the Crimson Tide receiver exiting the ballgame.
Coleman-Williams torched the Georgia secondary when it last visited Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2024. He finished with 177 yards and the game-winning touchdown. This time around, he had only 39 receiving yards.
As the game came to a close, Jones was seen on the sidelines sharing a moment with Smart. Jones said he was just showing his appreciation toward the head coach and was glad to get a win for him.
He also credited Smart for accelerating his development since arriving in Athens in 2024. A former Georgia defensive back himself, Smart knows what Jones is going through.
Read Hunter DeLauder’s full story here.
Trivia answer
Raylen Wilson with three sacks and 33 tackles.
