Will Georgia football be able to run it back in 2023?
A formidable Georgia lineup followed up a 14-1 season in 2021 when they went undefeated in 2022 as they rolled through their conference schedule and beyond. They capped off a dominant season with a 65-7 win over the TCU Horned Frogs in the National Championship.
In what could be the third-straight year of the Bulldog, defensive back Christopher Smith had a strong take about Georgia when asked how they made a run at the National Championship despite losing a record 15 players to the NFL draft at Senior Bowl Media Day.
“A lot of people didn't know the amount of talent we had then, and the amount of talent we still have there,” Smith said, per dawgnation.com.
“We definitely have the capacity to go win another one. Three-peat is definitely legit, we have all the talent in the world to be able to do it. We have the best coaching staff in the nation and the best fanbase, and I know those boys will go in there and go in there and work.”
Quarterback
Who will take up the mantle once held by quarterback Stetson Bennett?
Fourth-year quarterback Carson Beck, a former four-star prospect out of Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida, may be able to take up the starting role after playing in 12 total games throughout his Georgia football career. Beck has earned 486 passing yards and 36 completions on 58 attempts since 2020.
Beck received high praise from defensive tackle Warren Brinson when he spoke with former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray.
“Carson is a grinder,” Brinson said, according to Mike Griffith of Dawg Nation. “He's the first quarterback in the building. The last two years, you'll see his truck parked out there first, he's there, and he's leaving last.”
Quarterbacks Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton can take up the spots right behind him. Stockton, a former four-star recruit out of Rabun County High School in Tiger, Georgia, helped complete a 2022 recruiting class that featured five 5-star recruits and one transfer.
Defensive Ends
Georgia football managed to land five-star edge rusher Damon Wilson out of Venice, Florida. Wilson chose the program over 26 other schools, including Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, South Carolina and USC. The Bulldogs' 2023 recruiting class featured two other edge rusher commitments, including IMG Academy's Samuel M'Pemba and Gabriel Harris.
The high-level recruits will have to push through an experienced group on the defensive line, including junior Chaz Chambliss, who played in 26 total games in two years with Georgia, and freshman Mykel Williams, who played in 15 games as a freshman in 2022.
Wide Receivers
Newly-acquired Georgia receiver Rara Thomas, a transfer from the Mississippi State Bulldogs, will likely have to take up a starting role on his new team. Thomas earned 626 receiving yards during his 2022 season with the Bulldogs, leading the next-highest receiver, sophomore Rufus Harvey, by 154 yards.
Receiver Dominic Lovett, who announced his intent to enter the transfer portal in November, joined the Bulldogs just hours after Thomas committed to the program.
One junior and one senior, Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, may be in contention to see rotational snaps in a talented Georgia receiver corp. McConkey finished with 762 receiving yards last season, putting him in second place for Georgia, while Rosemy-Jacksaint's 337 put him in fifth on the team.
Georgia football's spring game will be played on Saturday, April 15th, in Sanford Stadium. No broadcast details or kickoff times have been released, according to BetMGM.
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