Georgia Bulldogs look flush with playmaking talent, primed for another offensive leap
Former Georgia Bulldogs Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Nakobe Dean all took part of a celebration inside Sanford Stadium on Saturday, receiving their national championship rings on G-Day. Four guys who were exceptional talents on a historically elite defense. Four players who likely will be selected in the 1st Round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
But while many in Bulldog Nation continue to fret about who isn’t on the defense anymore and who is the still the team’s starting quarterback, Saturday’s scrimmage served as a reminder that Georgia remains loaded with talent — especially an offense flush with playmakers that might finally receive some respect this fall.
“We’ve got a lot of good football players here today,” head coach Kirby Smart said after UGA wrapped up spring practice.
“We’ve got a lot of good football players leaving, too, and a lot of good football players on the field. I was excited about that.”
Reinforcements are on the way for Kirby Smart’s Redcoats, and I’m not talking about defensive talent.
The Bulldogs are always going to field a formidable defense under the former Alabama coordinator, but the Georgia Bulldogs now have as many dynamic offensive weapons as any team in America not named Ohio State. As evidenced throughout G-Day, third-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken has all sorts of toys to play with this fall, as former five-star hybrid tight end Arik Gilbert reminded everyone of his electric talent with a pair of crazy touchdown catches. Wideouts Arian Smith, Kearis Jackson and Dominick Blaylock all made plays Saturday, too, and freshman tight end Oscar Delp was targeted early and often.
None of those players were either on the roster or healthy last season, as Gilbert missed the entire year due to personal reasons, Jackson had a bum knee all season and Smith and Blaylock combined to play in just seven games.
They’re all back now though, and in the fall, they’ll be in the mix with Adonai Mitchell and Ladd McConkey, UGA’s top two returning receivers, as well Brock Bowers, the nation’s best tight end, and Darnell Washington, neither of whom were available this spring.
That’s a lot of options for opposing defenses to defend this fall, and Saturday just might’ve served as a teaser for another offensive leap for the Bulldogs in 2022.
The truth about the Georgia Bulldogs offense in 2021
Throughout Georgia’s run to the title last season, far too many in the media perpetuated the (false) narrative that the Bulldogs still were an old-school ground-and-pound team. That they lacked explosiveness. That they “were pedestrian” on offense.
It’s understandable that a generational defense would overshadow Todd Monken’s unit, but here’s the truth, Georgia’s offense was pretty damn good, too.
In 2021, the Bulldogs averaged 38.6 points per game — ninth nationally. That’s more than Lane Kiffin’s high-octane attack at Ole Miss. More than Cincinnati or North Carolina — two teams with future NFL quarterbacks.
But Georgia’s defense scored some of those touchdowns, Jesse!
Well, the Bulldogs ranked No. 4 in the country in yards per play (6.98). They had 80 plays over 20 yards, seventh-most in the country. They threw for 39 passing touchdowns, sixth-most in all of college football. Add it all up and Georgia finished NUMBER 2 in Bill Connelly’s final 2021 SP+ offensive rankings.
And yet, whether it’s because Stetson Bennett is the quarterback or because Kirby Smart is the head coach, too many ignored the reality of Georgia’s offensive leap in 2021.
Despite a bunch of injuries at receiver, the Bulldogs were effective, efficient and explosive.
Bennett legitimately improved last season, and that was despite missing George Pickens almost the entire year. And again, there was no Gilbert. No Blaylock. Three of Georgia’s top four receivers last season were freshmen. While Jermaine Burton bounced for Tuscaloosa this offseason, everyone else — and more — are back.
Monken has continued to grow more comfortable utilizing Bennett’s skill-set, and that has allowed Georgia’s offense to steadily grow and flourish in the last two season. The unit will be relied on more this fall, but I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.
While Georgia’s defense shattered all sorts of records in 2021, Bennett and his band of Bulldogs playmakers just might rewrite some records of their own in 2022.