Georgia football remains on course for a historic season. Still, to continue that success moving forward, the Dawgs need some of their upperclassmen who have eligibility left to stay and help lead next year’s team to remain on the path of greatness.
We mentioned six leaders earlier in the season who should stay, but these are three juniors who have either proven themselves quality leaders or just haven’t quite had enough time on the field this season to showcase what they can do.
If a national championship is the goal, would it be so unrealistic if players who have helped lead Georgia to a 12-1 record and Playoff spot use this season to propel themselves into a new career in pro-football?
Georgia football needs these three juniors to return for their final season.
In recent years, players have been tempted to enter the NFL Draft process as soon as they become eligible. Who can blame them? Student-athletes make extreme sacrifices to pursue their dreams of a career in pro-football.
However, there are compelling reasons why this year’s junior class at Georgia, well, at least some of that group, should consider staying in Athens for one more year.
Head Coach Kirby Smart is building a lasting legacy and is on the brink of achieving true greatness. While a career in pro football is the end game for these players, a lasting legacy with your alma mater for some will be worth much more.
Secondly, the introduction of NIL is a game-changer for players who want to stay in school but can’t afford to do so. The lack of payment was another reason guys jumped at the chance to leave, but with so many NIL deals circling now, that should help keep kids in college longer.
Name and image likeness will be the single biggest factor in keeping juniors at school for their final year.
Let’s look at three players who could jump to the NFL but who need to stay one more year at Georgia.
Let’s be honest 2021 was not the season we all expected JT Daniels to have. Few foresaw Daniels with just 722 yards and seven touchdowns as we enter the business end of Georgia football’s season.
Those who saw Daniels as the savior of Georgia football have been bitterly disappointed to see an injured Daniels slip into the role of clean-up player this season. This duty has not stopped Daniels’ lack of contribution from becoming a controversy — something Smart has often forcibly rallied against in recent years.
Now with Daniels fit and the defeat to Alabama still fresh in Georgia fans’ minds, talk has turned once again to Daniels wrestling back the controls of the team and guiding them against Michigan.
Smart said he would continue to monitor the situation day-to-day as we get closer to the Orange Bowl, suggesting there is a chance Daniels may feature. Though Smart has been loyal to current starting quarterback Stetson Bennett, history tells us that Smart will remain faithful to his QB1, at least to begin with, in the Orange Bowl game.
This situation is not to say Daniels won’t have his say in how Georgia’s season will end. Could Daniels have a Jalen Hurts type end to his Dawg career?
With a championship ring on his finger, Daniels may feel that this is the perfect time to cash in on the end of his relatively short career. But herein lies the problem. Daniels was injured in California at USC and has had an injury-plagued time in Athens. In both these situations, Daniels has realized that replacement quarterbacks who have snatched the opportunity are not keen to give it back.
But, even if Daniels has a fairytale end to the season, should he be declaring for the draft? Or should he consider transferring? The answer to both is no. Daniels is someone who, if he stays healthy, can help the Dawgs have some experience in the quarterback room by returning.
Bennett could return, but it’s unlikely, so instead of complicating his college career even more by transferring or testing the draft waters, he needs to stay. Sure, Georgia has talented guys behind him, but it’ll give him a good test to see if he is genuinely an NFL guy.
Daniels must evaluate if 2022 recruit Gunnar Stockton will come in and grab the keys to the Dawgs juggernaut. However, returning to Athens for a great 2022 season, especially with the next player we discuss, would have Daniels front and center in NFL Draft scouts’ minds.
This statement won’t shock Georgia fans, but George Pickens should return to Athens in 2022.
Is Pickens talented enough to be picked high in the 2022 NFL Draft? Yes, he is.
Has Pickens done enough in his Georgia career to show what he can do at the highest level in college football? Yes, he has.
So why on earth should Pickens not declare for the draft?
It’s what draft scouts call the “intangibles,” which will separate Pickens from other wide receivers. Suffering that frustrating knee injury in spring practice was a massive blow to Pickens and his Georgia football teammates.
Many commentators said that Pickens would never play again in the Red jersey, but they were wrong. While other players have in the past used an injury setback to call it quits on college, focus on recovery for their subsequent road to the draft, Pickens was nothing other than focused on returning and helping secure a national championship.
Pickens is still considered a high draft pick even with the 2022 receiver draft class stacked with so much talent. At the same time, though, he hasn’t gotten to prove himself this season.
He would likely draft high second round, or even first, as NFL teams look at his natural pass catching talent, which has netted him 88 catches for 1,286 yards and 14 touchdowns in only 22 games.
Pickens is a talent that you rarely come across. So returning to Athens will give Pickens the ability to demonstrate what he really can do. Could he be receiver No.1 in the draft — in 2023, he could.
Much will depend on how the Bulldogs end the 2021 season. A national championship might nicely close off this chapter in Pickens career.
There is, however, one interesting twist in the plot. Pickens has just signed a NIL deal with Tom Brady’s new apparel brand, “BRADY,” meaning if Pickens wants to return for his senior year, then money becomes less of an issue.
Travon Walker has established himself as a cornerstone in this Georgia football defense. A defense that we need no reminding of is establishing itself as the best in Dawg history and maybe even in all of college football.
The intense scrutiny this brings has made Walker’s talents much sought after for NFL teams searching for their next defensive line superstar.
So, again why should Walker give up the bright lights of pro football if his stock is so high? Like Daniels and Pickens, much will depend on how the Bulldogs end 2021, but 2022 will prove to be a transitional season in Athens.
Jordan Davis, Quay Walker, Robert Beal, Julian Rochester, Devonte Wyatt, and Channing Tindall will be gone. In addition, Nakobe Dean is all but sure to enter the draft, as is Nolan Smith, which means that experience will be in strong demand in 2022 as co-defensive coordinators Will Muschamp and Glenn Schumann look to build on this historic season.
2021 has been a fantastic season for Walker, who has recorded 32 tackles and four sacks thus far. Walker’s stellar season is well-timed, as his sophomore season saw no material improvement from his first year in Athens when he was on the SEC All-Freshman team.
A final year as a leader, mentor, and captain of this team would be ideal for his college football resume. It would also be a massive boost for Smart moving into the new season.
Georgia football has a class full of juniors who could make a significant impact next season, but if these three guys could return and help be leaders, it’ll be that much easier for the Dawgs to repeat what they did in 2021.