This will be a planned Sunday feature where DawgNation can show the path between the nation’s top-rated recruiting class for 2018 onto the playing field. That 28-point win on Saturday offered another chance to note the contributions of a few key redshirt and true freshmen Bulldogs.
Potential + Preparation = Performance
Bet you missed that: James Cook finished as the second-leading rusher for the Bulldogs on Saturday with his seven carries for 56 yards.
The Justin Fields stat line: He had four carries for 18 yards, but also completed 3 of his 6 passes for 53 yards. This contest offered more of a chance to see what he could do from the pocket than the two attempts he had last week against Tennessee. Fields was also taken down one time for a sack in the game.
Did you see: That eye-opening James Cook touchdown run? That 78-yard romp was a beauty, but it was wiped off the scoreboard when they replay review caught that he stepped out of bounds after a mere 22-yard gain. If it stood, it would have been the longest scoring play of the year for the Bulldogs.
Best game as a Bulldog, Part I: Channing Tindall had a season-high three tackles last week against Tennessee and built upon that against Vanderbilt. He came up with five assisted tackles for a new career-high in tackles. He now has eight of his 11 tackles for the season across his last two games.
The obligatory recruiting ranking review for Channing Tindall: Tindall finished up his prep career rated as the nation’s No. 5 ILB prospect on the 247Sports Composite rankings. That was good enough for No. 103 overall. But his pure 247Sports rating had him as a 5-star recruit and as the nation’s No. 23 overall prospect. I tend to agree with the latter rating on Tindall rather than the former in this case.
Did you see: Freshman receiver Kearis Jackson came up with an all-out effort play trying to snag a pass right at the home sideline end zone boundary. “King Kearis” went deep into the hedges face first as he pulled up trying to make the play. He caught the ball out-of-bounds. Bet he will never forget the first end zone pass that came his way as a Bulldog.
How many freshmen played (true or redshirt): 23
Who started (all freshmen): P Jake Camarda; CB Tyson Campbell; OG/OT Cade Mays; OT Isaiah Wilson
The 18 true freshmen who played against Vandy: Camarda + Campbell + Mays and :
- OLB Adam Anderson
- OT Owen Condon
- RB James Cook
- OLB Brenton Cox
- NG Jordan Davis
- QB Matthew Downing (preferred walk-on)
- C Warren Ericson
- QB Justin Fields
- TE Luke Ford
- OL Trey Hill
- WR Kearis Jackson
- DB Otis Reese
- OG Jamaree Salyer
- ILB Channing Tindall
- ILB Quay Walker
Who played (redshirt freshman column):
- OLB Robert Beal Jr.
- OG Netori Johnson
- WR Matt Landers
- CB Eric Stokes
- OT Isaiah Wilson (starter)
Position breakdown for the true freshmen who saw action against Vandy (with last weeks number):
- DB: 2 (3)
- ILB: 2 (2)
- OLB: 2 (2)
- OL: 5 (3)
- DL: 1 (1)
- P: 1 (1)
- QB: 2 (1)
- RB: 1 (1)
- TE: 1 (0)
- WR: 1 (0)
Bulldog debuts on Saturday: OT Owen Condon, OC Warren Ericson
The 10 true freshmen who have played in every game
Simply put, they can no longer use 2018 as a redshirt year.
- OLB Adam Anderson
- P Jake Camarda (6 starts)
- CB Tyson Campbell (6 starts)
- RB James Cook
- OLB Brenton Cox
- QB Justin Fields
- OL Trey Hill
- OL Cade Mays (3 starts)
- ILB Channing Tindall
- ILB Quay Walker
Participation report for the 2018 freshmen signees so far
This will be worth watching in terms of the new redshirt rules.
- OLB Adam Anderson: 6 games
- WR Tommy Bush: 1 game
- P Jake Camarda: 6 games
- CB Tyson Campbell: 6 games
- OT Owen Condon: 1 game
- RB James Cook: 6 games
- OLB Brenton Cox: 6 games
- OL Warren Ericson: 1 game
- QB Justin Fields: 6 games
- TE John FitzPatrick: 2 games
- TE Luke Ford: 5 games
- OL Trey Hill: 6 games
- WR Kearis Jackson: 4 games
- OL Cade Mays: 6 games
- OLB Azeez Ojulari: 1 game
- DB Otis Reese: 5 games
- OL Jamaree Salyer: 5 games
- DB Chris Smith: 3 games
- ILB Channing Tindall: 6 games
- ILB Quay Walker: 6 games
- RB Zamir White: 0 games (Redshirt-Summer ACL injury)
- DB Divaad Wilson: 0 games (Spring ACL injury
Best game as a Bulldog, Part II: UGA head coach Kirby Smart said he wanted to review the film to see how Jordan Davis played overall for the Bulldogs. But he had a good series early in the second quarter. He came up with the solo tackle on a 4th-and-1 snap at the UGA 14 that was one of the true momentum plays of the game.
The Bulldogs held a 7-3 lead at the time, but took over on downs and then drove 86 yards for a 14-3 lead. Davis got more time after the injury suffered this week in practice by sophomore DL Devonte Wyatt.
Fields first came into the game when: He entered the game in the second quarter at the Vanderbilt 24. Elijah Holyfield got the ball on a read play from Fields and scampered 24-yard to soar to the pylon for a touchdown with 7:49 left to play in the half.
PICTURE THIS, PART I
True freshmen players who did not play: WR Tommy Bush; TE John FitzPatrick; OLB Azeez Ojulari; DB Chris Smith; RB Zamir White (out for the season); DB Divaad Wilson (likely out for at least 3-4 more weeks.)
2017 signees who did not show on the game participation report: R-Fr. DB Tray Bishop; R-Fr.DB Latavious Brini; Redshirt junior OT D’Marcus Hayes; ILB Jaden Hunter; Sophomore CB Ameer Speed.
PICTURE THIS, PART II
Freshman moment you might have missed: Former 5-star OLB prospect Adam Anderson crashed down hard and chased Vanderbilt QB Kyle Shurmur in the second half. He didn’t get the back as Shurmur jettisoned the ball away just in time, but he had Anderson on his back and the young freshmen took him to the ground.
PICTURE THIS, PART III
(Redshirt and true) Freshmen of distinction: Offense: Cook, Mays, Wilson; Defense: Campbell, Davis, Tindall.