This year, Georgia football has 19 seniors, 12 of them being starters or those who get significant playing time. No wonder the Dawgs are doing something special in 2021. With all that experience, this season should show people why they are so good.
The Dawgs also have 22 juniors on their team, including walk-ons. Of those 22, seven of them could turn pro and find success if they choose to leave.
However, if this senior class tells the juniors anything, coming back for one more year can elevate their draft stock and help make a good team elite.
Without Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Adam Anderson, James Cook, and Jamaree Salyer, to name a few, coming back for their final year, this current Georgia team wouldn’t be nearly as good. That experience pays off in a big way and one that could result in head coach Kirby Smart’s best year yet.
There are still five regular-season games, a potential SEC Championship, and possibly the College Football Playoffs, so these juniors have plenty of time to decide what they’re going to do. Still, hopefully, this season will tell them it’s okay to play your senior year.
Some of the juniors should declare early because they are already highly-rated draft picks, like Lewis Cine. He should declare for the NFL Draft because he has the opportunity to make a lot of money and possibly go in the first round. There are others like Zamir White, a redshirt junior who has decent draft stock as well.
With so much football left, who knows what will happen and how that will alter these athletes’ decisions, but the more of these highly-touted juniors the Dawgs can get to stay, the better.
However, while it is up to the player and what they feel is best for them, here are six guys that must stay for the 2022 season, not just to help out the team but themselves.
Georgia Football quarterback JT Daniels
Some may seem surprised to see JT Daniels make this list, but this season hasn’t gone quite his way through seven games.
Daniels came back from injury last year and turned the season around for Georgia. He went 4-0 as the starter, threw for 1,231 yards, 10 touchdowns and completed 67.3% of his passes.
The future was bright for the Dawgs leaving the Peach Bowl with a victory. However, the injury bug bit him again, and he has dealt with a nagging injury that kept him out of four games.
He only has three starts on the year, and in those three matchups went 54-of-71 for 567 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.
Daniels’ best game of the year so far was against South Carolina as he completed 23-of-31 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns. He was lights out for the Dawgs, but that is the expectation set for him.
Everyone knows this offense would be different with Daniels leading the way and if it didn’t have the countless injuries it does.
In March, 247Sports predicted that Daniels would be a top-10 prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft and go at ninth overall.
After the first part of the season, not many people are talking about him on draft boards.
If he comes back and starts the Florida game and then proceeds to lead the Dawgs to a national championship, then, by all means, he should declare for the draft.
But, if he continues to fight through this injury, it would be wise for him to return.
The Dawgs will lose his backup Stetson Bennett to graduation. The youngsters behind him in Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff, and incoming Gunner Stockton don’t quite have enough experience to take the job confidently.
Plus, if Georgia could have him one more year, then it would be a game changer. He is a talented quarterback that the team loves, and he has built a relationship with his skill players.
If he did come back, it wouldn’t cause a controversy either or cause others to transfer because these quarterbacks aren’t selfish. They trust the process and know their time will come.
The Dawgs’ chances of repeating whatever happens this year would drastically increase if he decided to play one more year.
A prolonged injury should keep George Pickens in Athens
George Pickens tore his ACL during spring practice and since then has made great strides in his recovery, but the Dawgs are through seven games, and it doesn’t seem like he will return any time soon.
ACL injuries take a long time to recover, with most of them taking over a year to fully heal and allow the athlete to feel comfortable playing again.
Pickens plays a position that puts a lot of stress on his knee, so prematurely putting him on the field would only hurt his future.
He is another guy that had high draft predictions circling him before he got hurt. Pickens is a monstrous wideout that Georgia hadn’t had on their roster since AJ Green suited up in the Red and Black.
In the two seasons, he did play in, Pickens had 85 catches for 1,240 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He was a favorite among the quarterbacks, and rightfully so, whatever they threw at him, Pickens caught it.
Granted, he does have a bit of a hot streak and punched a Georgia Tech football player, but that is just how passionate he is.
At this point, it would be wise to redshirt him and let him return next season fully healthy and ready to play.
Instead of pushing anything this season, take the safe route and know that first-round grade will be there when he is ready for it.
Christopher Smith should take advantage of the extra year option
Christopher Smith is a senior this year, but with the COVID-19 pandemic altering college football in 2020, he has an extra year of eligibility if he chooses to take it.
The Dawgs don’t have a ton of depth in the secondary right now, and it would help them out tremendously if he returned for a fifth season.
Smith has emerged this year as someone that can make plays and shine on the football field.
He is one of the biggest reasons Georgia defeated Clemson in Week 1 of the season, as he was the only person to score a touchdown on a pick-six.
He has 11 tackles, a quarterback pressure, and leads the team with two interceptions.
Smith has grown into a starter for Georgia and continues to handle the role like a veteran. He had big names in front of him, so the fact he stuck around until now, why not choose to play one more year?
Having him stick around for a super-season year would elevate his stock because Smith will keep growing and improving as a player.
The Dawgs need a veteran to stick around because if Lewis Cine declares for the NFL Draft, Georgia will need a veteran safety back there to help out the upcoming youngsters. He has leadership abilities, so use them and come back one more year.
If he chooses to come back and has a big year, it’ll all pay off because he will make a lot of money and an NFL team happy.
More experience for Travon Walker will help
Travon Walker is a junior defensive end that has exploded onto the scene this year and has been a massive component of the Dawgs’ success.
Walker has 19 tackles on the season, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one pass breakup and 12 quarterback hurries.
He is someone who makes plays week after week and is exceptionally talented. At the same time, getting him another year under his belt will only benefit him.
The Dawgs lose Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt on that defensive front, so they will need someone to help Jalen Carter get the job done.
Walker continues to grow as a football player the longer he is in Athens, which sounds cliche, but it’s true. He already passed his career-high tackle total and has matched his tackles for loss and sack-highs as well.
He is getting strong, smarter, and better each game, so imagine what kind of monster Walker would be if he took one more year to improve his craft?
Walker could be a first-round draft pick if he decided to come back for his senior season. The Dawgs need leaders to help bring up the new generation of players, and he has the skillset to do so.
He has watched his teammates earn their roles and how it helped them get better. Another year of learning from defensive line coach Tray Scott would only help him make more money and succeed more.
Granted, he is a guy who could go to the draft this year and do just that, but taking a chance and showing NFL coaches he is all about being a team player could help him in the grander scheme of things.
Nolan Smith makes the sacrifice to stay and do something great
Another shocker on this list is defensive end Nolan Smith. Coming out of high school, he was the No.1 overall recruit, so the NFL was inevitable.
It took Smith a little time to get his feet wet and make a statement. Even with 18 tackles his freshman year, 22 his sophomore, and so far 25 his junior year, he has had to grow up a good bit. He also has four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks this year.
Fans likely think he is gone after this season because he can be and will be another successful Georgia player in the NFL.
However, he could shock the world and choose to stay for one more year. He is someone who will weigh all of his options before making any decision.
So if the remaining five games don’t go how he needs them to, then he could stay. Much like his fellow defensive lineman Travon Walker, another year will only elevate him to the next level.
While he has done well all three years of being in Athens, there is this confidence and something different about him this year. He is playing so free right now. It looks like it comes easy, and as talented as Smith is, it probably does.
So what’s the catch? If this guy is so good, why should he stay for another year — to be a legend and prove it’s not always just about achieving individual goals but accomplishing something as a team.
Even if the Dawgs win it all, why not come back and try to do it again next year? Smith is a leader, and Georgia will need those on defense next season, so he should shock everyone and stick around to see what kind of greatness they can make happen.
Academics are key for Nakobe Dean sticking around Athens one more season
The biggest shock on this list is that Nakobe Dean should stay one more season. Does he need to stay even though he is already a projected first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft?
To keep it short and sweet, no, he doesn’t need to stay, but he could want to stay.
Dean often mentioned how significant getting his degree was and how academics were a big part of picking a school during his recruitment. Thankfully he chose the Dawgs because he is one incredible human being that is so selfless and intelligent.
He is currently a mechanical engineering student, and that isn’t the easiest major to have while playing SEC football. It’s tough, actually, but that should tell you how intelligent this kid is. Dean’s parents are both brilliant people who graduated from college, and they instilled that into their son.
Despite being projected in the upcoming draft, he may want to finish his degree out and graduate.
He currently has 30 tackles, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception and 13 quarterback hurries on the season.
There is no hiding how good he is or how he leads this defense from his middle linebacker position. Dean is the mastermind on defense for Georgia and one of the biggest puzzle pieces for them.
It may seem dumb to want him to come back for one more year, but at the same time, he seems like he would be the kind of player that would choose his team over money.
Dean could wait to see how this year plays out, but between him and the four others on this list, they should come together and a junior class and decide to do something great and leave Georgia as legends.
They could all become legends this year, but if Georgia wants to leave its mark on the college football world, great players must come back and help lead the Dawgs.
Georgia has a ton of talented football players on its team. Still, if any of these guys decide to return for another year, it’ll only continue to help the Bulldogs separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Sometimes greatness starts when players make selfless decisions, and this group loves each other so much, they could be the start of the Dawgs dynasty.