Morning, y’all!
On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, I first wanted to take a moment to honor those who lost their lives and the first responders who heroically sprang into action.
I know this is a sports newsletter, but I hope you’ll allow me to share this guest column in the AJC about the importance of and appreciation for first responders.
I also hope you’ll allow me to share this week’s Feature Friday, even though talking about sports can feel odd on a day like today.
This week, I was torn on what direction to go for my prompt to the DawgNation team. I very nearly went a different direction, since Georgia’s Week 1 win was so lopsided.
How much can we really tell from a 60-point win against an FCS opponent? And I get that sentiment, I really do. But I also feel like each game has value.
So this week I asked: What player flashed the most in the season opener? Or, who did you leave wanting to see more of?
Here’s what the team had to say:
Mike Griffith: “Tight end Jaden Reddell is the obvious answer on offense, as far as a player who flashed, but more importantly in the big picture, it was safety Kyron Jones, returning from the foot injury that sidelined him the final eight games of last season, who impressed me from the opening hit he flexed the first time UGA’s defense took the field. Jones is an underrated player who will make a bigger impact when games are on the line than some might expect.”
Connor Riley: “Chris Cole. He was all over the field for Georgia. He had .5 sacks and a pass breakup and very nearly got another one. It’s clearly a big year for Cole and he got off to a great start in the season-opener.
Jeff Sentell: “While Zykie Helton and Jaden Reddell flashed for sure, those two are known commodities by now. I want to see more of Ryan Montgomery. Ryan Puglisi got a good sample size, but we only saw Montgomery attempt two passes. He completed both and left with a golden highlight after a 54-yard scoring strike to Jeremy Bell. How close is that battle to back up Gunner Stockton? An extended window for Montgomery would help clear that up.”
Cody Chaffins: “Nate Frazier housing three of his four touches definitely drew my attention. One of my biggest questions in Frazier’s first two years is can he be a home run hitter. He showed that against Tennessee State and we’ll see if that is a sign of good things to come. I am excited to see if the sack and a half from PJ Dean is a result of overmatched competition or if the Dawgs may have a real contributor to the pass rush.”
Kaylee Mansell: Kaylee picked Reddell as the player who flashed the most (and can you blame her, with all the Brock Bowers comparisons pouring in?), plus running back Chauncey Bowens and safety Tyriq Green as players she can’t wait to see more of.
And now for my answer: I know we’ve given a lot of love to the tight ends lately (how could you not, with the talent in that group), but I’m going to go with Elyiss Williams as the player who flashed a lot in the opener and someone I’m excited to see more of.
It wasn’t just his viral leaping touchdown (Williams admitted he may need to work on the landing a bit), but his downfield blocking that impressed me, with his blocking helping pave the way for Talyn Taylor’s touchdown.
Even though Georgia’s tight end room is loaded, I think we’re in for some exciting plays from Williams and his 6-foot-7 frame this season.
Trivia time
How many yards of total offense did Georgia tally in its season opener?
Cole shows why Smart doesn’t like making comparisons to past Georgia greats
Smart doesn’t like to make comparisons between players.
Even if it helps put players in a frame of reference for outsiders, it’s usually not fair to either player. The Bulldogs have had so many great players over Smart’s tenure, especially at the linebacker position.
And if Cole sustains his start to the season, he’s going to turn into one of those players you just don’t compare others to.
“We kind of keep it to he’s his own person,” Smart said. “He’s a tremendous leader, and he’s one of the hardest workers, practice guys we’ve had.”
Cole did it all for Georgia in its 63-3 win over Tennessee State. He finished with three tackles, a pass breakup and 0.5 sacks. With Georgia up by so much, the Bulldogs didn’t ask Cole to do much in the second half of the game.
In the opening 30 minutes, though, Cole was able to display why there’s so much excitement about what he brings to the Georgia defense.
“Yeah, he’s a dude, he’s a stud for sure,” Williams said. “Just the way he flies around, we practice every day. And just like how he practices, he practices full speed every play. And that’s just who he is.”
It did not take Cole long to make an impact against Tennessee State. On the game’s opening third down, Cole and Georgia defensive end Gabe Harris crushed the opposing quarterback as he fired an errant pass.
Cole just missed a sack. He would later team with freshman Dean at the end of the first quarter to secure the first sack of the season for the Bulldogs.
Georgia finished with three sacks on Saturday.
Cole has made it a point this offseason to improve as a pass rusher. Despite leading the team in sacks last season, he had only 4.5. As a team, Georgia had 20 sacks in 2025, ranking last in the SEC in that category.
If the Bulldogs are to improve on that front, as they showed against Tennessee State, Cole is going to have to be one of the main reasons why.
“Obviously my pass rush is getting better but just being a better overall leader and just being better at my position in linebacker,” Cole said on the state of his game.
Read Connor’s full story here.
How Georgia can avoid repeating last season’s Game 2 mistakes
Last season, you may remember Georgia had a pretty rough showing against Austin Peay in Week 2.
The Bulldogs may have won 28-6, but the offense was disjointed and the execution wasn’t there.
So how does Georgia avoid a Week 2 letdown against an opponent it should dominate? Connor and Kaylee talked about this, and much more, in Thursday’s “DawgNation at Large” episode.
Trivia answer
660
