ESPN bullish on future of Georgia offense
Georgia projects as a College Football Playoff contender again in 2024 and the return of key offensive pieces are a major reason for that. ESPN is certainly high on the Bulldogs future on the offensive side of the ball, ranking them No. 3 for the 2024 season.
That’s the exact same spot that UGA held a year ago. It also projects Georgia at No. 4 in future quarterback rankings.
The obvious reason that the Bulldogs hold such a lofty spot is the return of second-year starting quarterback Carson Beck. After a 2023 season that saw him come up just short of 4,000 yards passing, Beck eschewed a chance to enter the 2024 NFL Draft and came back to help Georgia get back to the top of the College Football heap.
That’s certainly a good start but, as ESPN points out, the Bulldogs return quite the supporting cast. Georgia added former Florida running back Trevor Etienne back in January and he’s expected to be the feature running back for Kirby Smart’s ninth team in Athens. UGA will also be gaining the services of former Stanford tight end Ben Yurosek to help offset the loss of two-time Mackey Award-winning tight end Brock Bowers.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when discussing all there is to like about the Georgia offense. The Bulldogs should also have one of the nation’s top offensive lines and a deep, talented, and diverse receiving corps.
“Despite losing NFL first round draft pick Amarius Mims and center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia’s offensive line projects well for 2024 and beyond. There’s great leadership with senior guard Tate Ratledge, a second-team AP All-America selection, and versatile senior Xavier Truss. Left tackle Earnest Greene III shined in his first season as a starter and will play at least through 2023. Fourth-year junior Jared Wilson is set to replace Van Pran-Granger at center, while juniors Dylan Fairchild and Micah Morris will compete for time this season and beyond. Redshirt sophomore Drew Bobo is a solid depth piece and Georgia has plenty of options through 2026, including Jamal Meriweather and four incoming freshman tackles rated in the ESPN 300. Senior Dominic Lovett returns to lead the receivers after a 54-catch season. He will be joined by senior Rara Thomas, promising junior Dillon Bell and Miami transfer Kolbie Young (930 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns). If there’s a knock on coach Kirby Smart’s stellar recruiting, it would be the lack of many truly elite receiver prospects.” – Adam Rittenberg
Mike Bobo is entering the second year of his second stint as offensive coordinator at Georgia. In his first season the Bulldogs ranked No. 5 nationally in scoring offense at 40.1 points per game. The Bulldogs ranked No. 4 nationally in yards per play and possessed the nation’s best third down offense, coverting 55.15% of it’s opportunites.
