Dawn of the Dawg
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Georgia Football: What leaders are emerging this Spring

By Alistair Penny

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Hairy Dawg, the mascot for the Georgia Bulldogs on the field during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Hairy Dawg, the mascot for the Georgia Bulldogs on the field during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT /
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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 02: Isaac Nauta (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 02: Isaac Nauta (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Issac Nauta: TE

I for one was not expecting to put Nauta’s name on this list when the season ended. Yes, he was a 5-star recruit back in Kirby smart’s first class. Tight ends with that sort of rating a pretty rare and there is no doubt that Nauta has all of the talent in the world. He could be an incredible weapon for Georgia this season.

But his 2017 was beyond disappointing. Nauta didn’t crack 200 yards for the entire season and scored only 2 touchdowns. Some of that was on the QB change, Nauta is great friends with Jacob season and had a solid connection with him. That went away when Eason got injured and Jake Fromm stepped in. Some was the play calling and UGA’s dominant run game. But some of it was Nauta who didn’t run block particularly well and who often seemed to be in Kirby Smart’s doghouse.

Well based off he early reports, Nauta isn’t letting those things get him down. He knows that UGA needs leaders to step up this year and he’s put himself in the frame to be one of those. During the offseason workouts, Nauta was a different animal this year. He worked his ass off in the gym and with Jim Chaney now coaching tight ends, Nauta is seeing improvement on the field.

To be honest, I kind of believe hat the coaching switch was just what Nauta needed. He’s a super talented guy, but he wasn’t quite pushing his potential to where it could be. Having the offensive coordinator breathing down his neck every day seems to be having a positive effect. Nauta has a great personality and he’s someone guys want to see succeed. If he puts everything together this year, he could be a real leader for this team.

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