Quartet of Georgia Bulldogs named to Too-Early All-American list
ESPN released its “Way-Too-Early All American Team” for 2023 late last week, and to no surprise the way-too-early No. 1 team has a couple of players on it. Four Georgia players made Chris Low’s list – all four of whom have earned some sort of All-American status before.
Tight end Brock Bowers was an All-American in many eyes in 2022 (as well as 2021), so it’s no surprise that he makes the list. A native of Napa, Calif., Bowers has led Georgia in receiving each of the last two seasons, finishing with 63 catches for 942 yards and seven touchdowns. With his rushing stats included (nine carries, 109 yards, three touchdowns), Bowers topped the 1,000-yard total and scored 10 times. With a new quarterback taking over Georgia’s offense next fall, having a guy like Bowers – plus the other weapons that exist in the form of wide receivers Ladd McConkey, Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas and Arian Smith among others – certainly will be helpful.
Like Bowers, linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was already an All-American to several people this past season. He finished as the team’s second-leading tackler after leading the way for the majority of the season. Taking over for Nakobe Dean in the middle of the defense, his job was more than just to put up numbers. He had to be a leader in 2022, and he did that. Georgia will be excited to get both Dumas-Johnson and his playing partner Smael Mondon back in 2023 as one of the top linebacker duos not only in the SEC, but in the country as a whole.
From two players that just wrapped up their second season with the program, attention turns to a pair of those who put the finishing touches on their freshman campaigns a matter of weeks ago.
Malaki Starks and Mykel Williams were both named Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, ESPN and On3 – among others. Now ESPN is highlighting them as All-American in general for 2023.
Starks started 14 of 15 games for Georgia this season on its way to a second straight National Championship, and the only game he didn’t – Oregon – was one of his most impressive during his first year on campus. Starks came down with an interception on the second drive of the game and helped set the tone in a 49-3 Bulldog victory. Overall on the season, he had 68 tackles – good for third-best on the team – with a pair of interceptions, tied for second-best among all Bulldogs.
As for Williams, he started just two of the 15 games but had about as big of an impact on the defensive line as anybody. In Georgia’s final five games, Williams had 4.5 tackles for loss including sacks each each of the College Football Playoff games. He totaled 28 tackles with 6.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks, hurrying the quarterback 30 times for an average of twice per game.
