Georgia football: An early look at 3 of the most intriguing 2022 opponents

Week 11 at Kentucky

Here is the not-so-bold prediction for 2022 — the Kentucky Wildcats will be Georgia’s biggest threat in the SEC East, much like it was this year. With the talent returning to Lexington in 2022, Kentucky could see one of its best seasons in program history.

Last year, Kentucky finished the year with a 10-3 record and a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. This victory marked the fourth time in program history that the Wildcats finished with 10 or more wins, with head coach Mark Stoops overseeing two of those seasons. Stoops has done a tremendous job with this program, leading them to six straight bowl games.

Quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez will once again lead a Wildcat offense that put up solid numbers in 2021.

Rodriguez was one of the SEC’s premier running backs last season, accounting for 1,378 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Kentucky’s offense was similar to what we saw against Michigan in the Orange Bowl in that they are a run-first offense and will try to dominate the line of scrimmage.

On defense, leading tackler Jacquez Jones has announced his return for one more season. Sack leader JJ Weaver is also expected to return. Their defense did a pretty good job keeping Georgia’s offense quiet during the first half in last year’s matchup, so having two of those key guys back will only make the 2022 showdown better.

This game will likely be a Top 15 showdown in November, and with the game being in Lexington, Wildcat fans will be rooting for their team to pull the upset against the defending national champs.

Continue to soak in the Championship victory, Dawg fans. Before you know it, it will be time to tee it up again and defend the title against some worthy opponents.