Georgia football had one of those historic teams the books loved to remember in 2021. While there are a lot of guys leaving, there are three positions that will define the 2022 team because those guys chose to stay.
After 15 players declared for the NFL Draft, the future of both the defense and a few offensive positions felt bleak. Of those 15 that left, five were juniors.
It stung a bit to see those five juniors leave because they were some of the Dawgs’ biggest playmakers. Georgia also has eight players to the transfer portal, but none mean as much as those who chose to stay. There were three receivers, a quarterback and four defensive backs that entered the portal. Of the eight, only two remain to announce where they will head.
The Dawgs out of the receiver room that left the portal, only one stung as Jermaine Burton was a quarterback favorite in 2021. Of the defensive backs, two played a lot, but they were both seniors and wanted to take their super senior year elsewhere.
So among the eight, Georgia could afford to lose them because there are playmakers in the positions they play.
Georgia football has three positions with the veteran leadership needed to stay elite in 2022.
Then seven key players decided to come back for their senior season or elect to take their COVID-19 year and become super seniors.
When those seven guys decided to come back, the stinging edged off a tad, and the realization hit. All seven of these guys played vital roles on last year’s team and now will be the leaders of the 2022 squad.
Georgia will, of course, have some work to do in terms of finding the right personnel, but the Dawgs are in far better hands than people realize.
These seven players prove that because much like Jordan Davis, James Cook, Devonte Wyatt, and the others who stayed last season are that of this year.
The three positions that will define the Dawgs’ success in 2022 are ones Georgia saw the most loss at, which is why head coach Kirby Smart is an evil genius. Great teams reload and these three positions prove why that statement will ring true in 2022.
The Georgia football linebackers
Georgia football lost three linebackers to the NFL Draft in Nakobe Dean, Channing Tindall, and Quay Walker, but the Dawgs return two guys who were the fourth and fifth members of this havoc-driven group.
When Robert Beal Jr. and Nolan Smith announced they were returning for one more season, it became clear the linebackers were in good hands and would have the proper leadership in 2022. Some consider Smith a defensive end, and while he can play with his hand in the dirt, he can also play linebacker.
Beal led the Dawgs in sacks after he took over when Adam Anderson left the program in the middle of the season. While he played in all 15 games, his snap count significantly increased. Beal finished the season with 6.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hurries. Those numbers were with limited reps, but in 2022, he will likely start, so those stats should improve.
Smith finished 2021 with 56 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery, three forced fumbles, a blocked kick and 27 quarterback hurries.
He was a force for the Dawgs in 2021 and now will lead the wolfpack to another great year.
These two guys are Georgia’s experienced linebackers and the only two upperclassmen. Rian Davis and MJ Sherman are sophomores, and they have minimal experience. Davis was hurt last year and didn’t play but one game. Sherman did record eight tackles this past season but was behind the likes of Beal and others, so 2022 will be a better opportunity for him.
The Dawgs did have a solid 2021 recruiting class that contributed some last season. Guys like Smael Mondon Jr., Jamon Dumas Johnson, Xavian Sorey Jr. and Chaz Chambless are already making their names known.
Last season, Dumas Johnson recorded a pick-six, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and 22 total tackles. He will be one to likely get some starting reps in 2022 and have a big season.
The linebackers are young, but with Smith and Beal returning, these youngsters will have the leaders they need to grow and takeover themselves once the two veterans leave.
The Georgia football secondary
Georgia football has had an up-and-down relationship with the secondary since head coach Kirby Smart took over, with a handful of guys leaving before the 2021 season.
However, this position gets included in this list because Christopher Smith and William Poole III are coming back for their super senior seasons. Plus, Tykee Smith, who got only one game in because of injuries, also decided to come back.
Smith and Poole give the Dawgs two veteran guys in the secondary with experience after the Dawgs continue to lose guys to the NFL Draft and portal.
Kelee Ringo is also back after an outstanding first year on the field, and we cannot forget about Dan “The Man” Jackson, who won the hearts of Dawg Nation last season.
Even though Tykee didn’t get much playing time, he does have experience from his time at West Virginia, so having four guys back to play in the secondary is huge for the Dawgs.
Georgia also has Nyland Green, Kamari Lassiter, David Daniel, and Javon Bullard on the roster. These four freshmen got some playing time last season, but now in 2022, they will get even more opportunities. We aren’t even considering the 2022 defensive back class and how talented they are.
If Georgia can keep this group together, the Dawgs will have one of the best secondaries in the country, and it’s starting with the five guys who have experience and the three upperclassmen who came back to lead them.
Georgia football starting quarterback Stetson Bennett
One of the best things that happened to Georgia in January was the news that starting quarterback Stetson Bennett would be back for his super senior season. He led the Dawgs to their first national title in 41-years, so having him back on the roster, is a good sign.
Some Georgia fans feel otherwise, but when you consider that JT Daniels has his name in the transfer portal, the Dawgs need experience in the quarterback room. We don’t know that Daniels would have stayed if Bennett left, but we also don’t know that he would have still left either.
Having a guy with national championship experience as your quarterback is a big weapon because he knows what the offense has to do to get there and win another.
Bennett will have Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton behind him and there is no doubt that head coach Kirby Smart will make them all compete in the spring to make sure the veteran wants to keep his job.
Smart took a risk by keeping Bennett as the starter, and it paid off, but will it do the same in 2022? Maybe, but Georgia already has a leg up on its fellow SEC competition by returning one of the best quarterbacks in the league for one more season.
Georgia has these three positions led by veterans that made the sacrifice to come back for one more year. The Dawgs could have seen all seven of the players who returned leave, but instead, Georgia has another strong shot at getting back to the SEC Championship and playoffs again.