Georgia will host its spring game on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET. In addition to giving fans a chance to see the new-look Bulldogs, it will also be the first time the national media gets a peek at what this 2022 Georgia football team will look like.
The Bulldogs have to replace a number of key faces from last season’s team. Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Travon Walker and Nakobe Dean are all primed to be first-round picks in this month’s NFL draft, further demonstrating all the talent Georgia must replace from last season’s title team.
ESPN’s college football weighed in on the many spring games taking place this weekend. For Harry Lyles Jr., he’ll want to see which new players emerge for what should still be a talented Georgia team.
“Georgia is going to look different, especially on the defensive side of the football,” Lyles Jr. wrote. “The defensive line was arguably the Bulldogs’ signature, and with Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Travon Walker gone, Jalen Carter is viewed as the next star. Seeing who else prospers around him will be worth keeping an eye on.”
Carter and Zion Logue have already established themselves as key leaders on the defensive line this spring, with edge rusher Nolan Smith, inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson and cornerback Kelee Ringo also becoming marquee players on the defense.
The Bulldogs also have a new voice in terms of defensive coordinator, as Dan Lanning is now the head coach at Oregon. Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp will share co-defensive coordinator responsibilities this year.
On the offensive side of the ball, Georgia returns most of its key faces from last season, such as quarterback Stetson Bennett, center Sedrick Van Pran and running backs Kendall Milton and Kenny McIntosh.
Star tight end Brock Bowers will miss the game after having offseason surgery but that should open some things up for Georgia’s other pass-catchers. Two players who have really emerged this spring are wide receiver Dominick Blaylock and tight end Arik Gilbert.
Neither had much of an impact for Georgia last season, so G-Day should be a great opportunity for those two to remind people what they’re capable of.
“He’s a really savvy route-runner,” Kirby Smart said of Blaylock. “He made a play during two minutes that was a big play - a diving catch that set the offense up to win it. He’s getting better and getting more confidence in that knee. I’m excited to see where he goes, but more than anything I’m excited to see him get out there and play.
Related: Dominick Blaylock, Arik Gilbert among those looking to cap strong springs at G-Day
“Our team takes on a lot of his resiliency DNA, and it’s something we sell our players on.”
Even with all the turnover with Georgia, expectations remain high. The Bulldogs came in at No. 3 in ESPN’s preseason FPI rankings that came out on Thursday, and those same metrics gave Georgia a 73.5 percent chance of making the College Football Playoff once again.
Saturday represents the final practice of the spring for Georgia. After that, the Bulldogs will move on to summer workouts and then before you know it, the start of the 2022 season. Georgia will take on Oregon on Sept. 3 in Atlanta. The first game in Sanford Stadium is scheduled for Sept. 10 against Samford.
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