Jack Podlesny performing at high level, confident in kicking
Throughout the 2022 season, and especially during this past weekend in Lexington, the Georgia Bulldogs have had their fair share of red zone woes. While this alone would be enough to handicap most football teams, the Dawgs are able to make up for this struggle with great defense and elite field goal kicking from Jack Podlesny.
So far this season, there have been four games in which Podlesny has taken three or more field goal attempts in a single game (Samford, Kent State, Missouri, and Kentucky). In these four outings, the St. Simon’s Island, Ga. native is 14 for 15 (93%).
With his days as a Dawg dwindling, Podlesny may in fact be peaking. He’s hit eight straight attempts including each of his three this past Saturday at Kentucky, what might have been his most impressive performance to date this season considering the difficult conditions. His three field goal attempts matched the same number of attempts as the Bulldogs’ last three games combined. While Podlesny would eventually go on to win SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week, he explained why he was able to overcome such a difficult situation in Lexington.
“At the end of the day, I like to think it’s a 70% mindset thing and 30% conditions. You have to go out there and do your job, whether that means aiming outside of the field goal post for the wind to take it back in, whether it means alternative kicks,” Podlesny said. “You have to go deep right, you have to go sky right, deep left – total mindset thing, but also I mean it’s fun when you get to face adversity and do different things.”
There’s no one more frustrated with the Bulldogs’ lack of execution in the red zone than Kirby Smart. However, if his offense can’t get into the end zone, then he understands the value of getting points out of each possession.
“Yeah, it’s awesome, but I’d rather have seven than three,” Smart said. “So, I mean, it’s — but the flip side of that is you have to go for seven if you don’t have that. And it is a luxury to have him. He’s been Mr. Consistency since he’s been here, and he’s mentally wired the right way and does a tremendous job for our program. But, you know, the more we use him, the more we realize that those are points left on the board.”
Kicking is all about confidence, and for Podlesny, it goes a long way to know that he has the confidence of Smart in each game.
“It definitely builds my confidence a little bit to know that he’s able to rely on me and that I can go out there and kick a field goal no matter the distance I can execute,” Podlesny said about Smart. “I’ve also just got to be comfortable with myself. A lot of it’s self-confidence.”
Podlesny has been the Bulldogs’ starting kicker since 2020 when he replaced Bulldogs legend Rodrigo Blankenship. While the senior kicker is eligible to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft or to return to Athens for the 2023 season, he is yet to make a decision.
“Yet to be decided if it will be my last home game,” he said. “That’ll come at the end of the season. but I think I’m looking forward to having all the fans in Sanford Stadium, packed out hopefully if it is the last time getting to go out on top with all the Georgia fans surrounding me.”
Georgia and Georgia Tech kickoff the season finale on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET.
