ESPN writer expects Georgia football to ‘underperform’ in 2022 season

Of course, it is going to be hard for Georgia to replicate the success it had last season. You don’t lose Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Travon Walker and others all at the same time and get better going into the next season.

The Bulldogs have a lot of work to do if they are to repeat as National Champions, something no team in the sport has done since Alabama won in 2011 and 2012.

Yet one writer for ESPN, Ryan McGee, thinks the Bulldogs will do more than fall short of repeating. In a recent roundtable with its college football writers, McGee tabbed the Bulldogs as the team that will underperform in the sport next season.

“Big pieces are missing from that historically great defense and Stetson Bennett’s time as a folk hero among the fanbase seems to have lasted about a week,” McGee wrote. “Will the Bulldogs win the SEC East? Probably. Will they win double-digit games and play in Atlanta in December? More than likely. Will that be enough? Not a chance.”

Georgia sent 14 players to the NFL combine last month, tying the record for any program. And if you’ve heard what Kirby Smart has had to say this spring, you can understand why there is some pessimism out there. Smart has mentioned how thin the Bulldogs are at wide receiver and defensive back this spring.

He’s also shared a pretty big concern about the leadership, or lack thereof, on the team at the moment. Smart has even publicly mentioned that he would like to see Bennett become a better leader.

“In terms of leadership, we are still working on that. We are not where we need to be in terms of leadership and guys challenging guys,” Smart said last Tuesday.

Bennett agrees with Smart. If the Georgia quarterback is going to take the next step forward, he has to be unafraid in how he goes about leading the team. That there is no JT Daniels around should prevent the waters from getting muddied.

“There’s a comfort level and a respect level from both sides that I can go up and say ‘hey, we’re not going to do that, we’re going to do this,’” Bennett said. “I don’t want to be the parent, we’re all brothers on the same football team.

“If you see me doing something wrong, a drop, whatever, come let me know. But it’s more of a comfort thing, and being more vocal.”

Still, as ESPN’s Mark Schlabach points out in the same roundtable discussion, Georgia has plenty of talent. There’s Jalen Carter on the defensive line, Brock Bowers at tight end and a number of talented but unproven options at seemingly every position. Georgia has signed a top 5 recruiting class in each of the previous five recruiting cycles, a feat matched only by Alabama.

The Bulldogs also don’t have a treacherous schedule. Based on opponent rankings, Oregon might be the toughest foe on the schedule. That game will be played in Atlanta and Oregon head coach Dan Lanning will be in his first career game as a head coach. The month of November could get tricky for Georgia, as it hosts Tennessee before traveling to Mississippi State and Kentucky in consecutive weeks to close out SEC play.

Georgia began last season as the No. 5 team in the country and finished as the No. 1 ranked team. The Bulldogs are likely to begin the season in the top 5 once again. They are also favored to return to Atlanta as SEC East representatives.

How well things go for Georgia largely comes down to how this team develops of the course of spring and fall practices. Fans will get their first chance to see the new Bulldogs on April 16 for the annual G-Day scrimmage. The event is set for a 1 p.m. ET start, with ESPN2 broadcasting the game.

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