Georgia football: Three sophomores likely to to step up in 2018
National Signing Day has past and Georgia football has the the no. 1 class. But lets not forget about the great class from 2017.
Right now, the 2018 recruiting class has the attention of the Bulldog Nation. But most of those players won’t become stars until next year or the year after. That means that for looking for the next breakout player on the Georgia football team, we should instead look back to the 2017 recruiting class.
Last year’s class was ranked third nationally and second in the SEC according to 247 Sports. So it was almost as star-studded as this year’s class. Two of the headliners, Jake Fromm and DeAndre Swift, have already become household names for Georgia fans.
So who will the next big stars from the 2017 recruiting class be? Here are three players who I think are the most likely to shine this coming season.
Richard LeCounte III
With Dominick Sanders and Aaron Davis exhausting their eligibility, there is a huge hole at safety. Fortunately, there’s a former 5-star safety from Hinesville, Georgia capable of filling that spot. 247 Sports ranked Richard LeCounte as the no. 2 safety and the no. 25 player in the country last year. So he’s clearly talented.
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This past year, he saw playing time in almost every game. Mostly on special teams, but he played safety on occasion and showed glimpses of the player he can become. This year, he’ll have a full year of experience, complete with two springs. He’ll be more than ready to take charge of one of the safety positions in 2018. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him earn All-SEC honors.
Jeremiah Holloman
You’ll notice that everyone on this list is going to have to fill the shoes of someone leaving Athens. For Jeremiah Holloman, hopefully he can fill the void left by Javon Wims. Holloman has the size to do so. He’s 6’2 and 200 pounds.
Holloman had a big day in last year’s G-Day Game, but he didn’t see the field much in 2017. But with the big seasons that Wims, Terry Godwin and Mecole Hardman had, it would be tough for any freshman receiver to stand out. Now that Wims is gone and Holloman has a year of development under his belt, expect to see a lot of receptions by him in 2018.
Nate McBride
Last but not least is Nate McBride. Who, if I’m correct in my prediction about him, will have sort of the stereotypical rise for a defensive star. McBride didn’t get much playing time as a linebacker last season, but he was a stud on special teams making tackles and helping shutdown return games.
First year players being stars on special teams typically leads to success as starters on defense later on. I obviously don’t think McBride will be an exception. Though, he does have an uphill battle to start in 2018.
Next: Three freshman who may star in 2018
Georgia went two-deep at linebacker this past season, and Natrez Patrick will return for his senior season. Past the second string, Georgia has a lot of talented linebackers of all classes. But even if McBride isn’t a full-time starter, I don’t think the coaches can keep him off the field. I expect McBride to start occasionally and still play for about half the game even when he doesn’t start.