Georgia figures to be well represented in the 2023 NFL Draft. One of its draft-eligible prospects is kicker Jack Podlesny.

Podlesny is listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. He is from St. Simons Island, Ga.

Jack Podlesny followed a Georgia legend

Rodrigo Blankenship was a Georgia icon following his time with the school. Someone had to replace him starting in the 2020 season. Nobody expected it be Podlesny, as Georgia had signed Jared Zirkel to a scholarship to replace the Blankenship.

Yet Podlesny won the place-kicking job and never relinquished it. Over his time as Georgia’s starting kicker, Podlesny made 61 of his 74 field goals. Podlesny made 82 percent of his field goals in his time at Georgia, the same rate as Blankenship.

Podlesny ended up winning SEC Special Teams Player of the Year in his final season at Georgia. In addition to having the top offense of the Kirby Smart era, Podlesny put forth a strong case for being the best kicker of Smart’s tenure.

Jack Podlesny made some clutch kicks

Podlesny played in a number of big games during his college career. He won two national championships. Doing so put Podlesny in a number of big situations.

More often than not, Podlesny came up big. He made both of his field goal attempts in the 2022 National Championship win over Alabama, giving the Bulldogs their first national championship in 41 years.

Podlesny capped off his first season as a Georgia kicker with perhaps his most iconic make. With Georgia trailing Cincinnati by 2, Podlesny nailed a 53-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a win in the 2021 Peach Bowl.

Podlesny proved throughout his career that he could be trusted to make big kicks for the best program in college football.

Jack Podlesny began his career as a walk-on

While Podlesny was a big-name kicker in his time at Georgia, he did not begin his career as a scholarship player. He walked on after a high school career at Glynn Academy in St. Simons Island, Ga. He actually grew up playing more soccer than football.

Podlesny was placed on scholarship for the 2021 season. He made 13 of his 16 attempts during the 2020 season, his first as Georgia’s kicker.

As a senior, he made a career-high 26 field goals. He also took on the kickoff duties in 2022. Of his 109 attempts, 72 went for touchbacks.

Georgia did have a specialist taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, as Jake Camarda was a fourth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Podlesny may not hear his name called — Blankenship was not drafted coming out of college — Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the No. 3 ranked kicking prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft cycle. He will be a coveted free-agent option, in the event he is not drafted.

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