Georgia offensive players absent on All-SEC preseason 1st- and 2nd-team in popular magazine

ATHENS — Kirby Smart won’t need to push the “No Respect” theme to his offensive unit this season.

The preseason All-SEC and All-American teams are trending toward doing that for him.

The voluminous Phil Steele preseason magazine, packed with so many statistics and passages that reading glasses are sometimes necessary, was noticeably shy on Georgia offensive players.

There were no Bulldogs on Steele’s first-team All-SEC preseason offense — or his second-team preseason All-SEC offense.

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If Steele didn’t have a third- (and fourth-team), UGA players like Nate Frazier (third-team RB), Zachariah Branch (fourth-team WR) and Earnest Greene (fourth-team OL) would not have been mentioned at all.

Those were the only three players — Frazier, Branch and Greene — to be mentioned among the first-, second-, third- and fourth-team offensive picks in the SEC.

Perhaps the most surprising omission of Georgia players on Steele’s preseason team came at tight end, where the Bulldogs failed to place a player among the first-, second-, third- or fourth-team.

Isn’t Georgia supposed to have one of the best tight end rooms in the nation?

Preseason teams are fodder, of course, and Smart won’t put any stock in the opinion of analysts, as he’s well-aware the on-field results and postseason accolades are the ones that matter most.

But in the world of perception, it’s interesting to think that Georgia remains considered among the championship contenders, even as some players start the season without much of a celebrated identity.

Athlon Magazine only published a first-team All-SEC preseason unit in its magazine, and there were no Georgia players on its 13-member offensive unit.

Lindy’s preseason magazine, however, had one Georgia player on its first-team offensive unit, listing Southern Cal receiver/return man transfer Zachariah Branch as an All-Purpose pick.

Other Bulldogs noted in the Lindy’s Magazine included Frazier and Greene as second-team picks, along with tight end Oscar Delp and offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.

Center Drew Bobo and offensive guard Micah Morris were third-team picks on offense.