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Tyler Simmons talks about becoming a meme

If you’re a Georgia fan, at some point this offseason either you or a friend made a joke about Tyler Simmons being onside. Even new Georgia basketball coach Tom Crean did.

For those who don’t remember, in the national championship game Simmons appeared to block a punt that would’ve set Georgia up with great field position. A score would’ve extended Georgia’s lead early in the third quarter and potentially have Georgia the game. But instead, it was ruled that Simmons was offside.

As you can see below, it was an incredibly close call.

Alabama ended up still punting again, but instead of starting inside of Alabama’s 20-yard line, Georgia started on its own 36.

We bring all of this up again because Simmons met with the media on Friday and obviously him becoming an internet meme was a major talking point. Every Georgia fan knows who he is, not because of a play he made but because of a call made by an official.

With months to reflect on the play and everything that’s happened since, Simmons wasn’t wallowing on a missed opportunity. At least publicly, he says he doesn’t think about the play anymore.

“You just have to keep going,” Simmons told the media on Friday night. “We can’t look back, really. It was a call that was made.”

Simmons is right. It’s time to move past the “Tyler Simmons was onside” jokes and memes. The best thing that reference is ever going to represent is a missed opportunity for Georgia fans. Just about every Georgia fan believes that if that play breaks the right way, Georgia wins its first national title since 1980.

As for his on-field play, Georgia coach Kirby Smart has praised Simmons effort in the preseason. While he’s been renowned for his special teams play, he’s also trying to get reps in Georgia’s talented receiving corps. Last season, Simmons only caught three passes for 26 yards.

Hopefully, Georgia fans take up Simmons’ mindset. Because Georgia’s future is very bright and reminiscing on missed opportunities does no one any good.

It’s game week, finally

The long off-season will finally come to an end as Georgia will play an actual football game, in Sanford Stadium, on Saturday. Sure the opponent is Austin Peay, who will be without their starting running back, and not an Oregon or a Notre Dame, but the fact that Georgia fans get to watch their team play in a college football game is something to be celebrated. That’s plenty of reason to get excited.

DawgNation will have tons of coverage in the lead-up to the game, with Mike Griffith and Chip Towers covering Kirby Smart’s press conference on Monday. Brandon Adams will keep you up to date with DawgNation Daily. And if you’re jonesing for recruiting coverage, Jeff Sentell has you covered there as well. And on Wednesday’s at 3 p.m., Adams and Sentell will team up for Before the Hedges, which will bring you all of the latest news regarding Georgia recruiting.

So make sure to check out DawgNation throughout the week on both the website and the app, which you can download by clicking here on your mobile device.

Another one for Kirby Smart

Saturday was another good day for Georgia on the recruiting trail, this time for the 2020 recruiting class. Jamil Burroughs, the No. 4 defensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting cycle announced his commitment to Georgia on Saturday

“It feels amazing,” Burroughs told DawgNation’s Jeff Sentell. “Knowing that I am now part of a great school and also a great program.”

In addition to Burroughs, Georgia has 2020 commitments from 5-star offensive tackle Broderick Jones and 4-star defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse. All three prospects come from the state of Georgia, as Burroughs plays at McEachern in Powder Springs, Ga. Tyler Simmons and junior defensive tackle Julian Rochester also both played for McEachern.

With Burroughs now in the fold, Georgia has the No. 9 overall 2020 class, to go along with the No. 1 class in the 2019 cycle. With only a handful of spots still open in the 2019 class, Georgia fans can expect a lot more news regarding the 2020 class in the coming months.

Jeremy Pruitt looks thrilled

This is the face you make when you have major question marks about your team coming off a season in which you lost to every SEC opponent, your school had one of the most bizarre coaching searches in recent memory and open up against a top-25 team in West Virginia.

And if things weren’t bad enough for Jeremy Pruitt and Tennessee, its top-rated signee, J.J. Peterson, still hasn’t reported to the team. It looks like its going to be another terrible year for Tennessee, which should at least provide some laughs for Georgia fans.

Georgia welcomes Pruitt and the Volunteers back to Athens on Sept. 29.

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