Top 5 players returning to lead the excellent Georgia football offense in 2022

Though often overlooked due to the dominance of the Georgia football defense, the Bulldog’s offense in 2021 played an essential role in the team’s run to the national championship. Now that we’re officially in the offseason, the good news is most of the offense will return, with the exception of the handful of guys transferring and going to the NFL.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken and the rest of the coaching staff coached up and developed one of the most explosive Georgia offenses we have seen in a while.

The Dawgs averaged 38.6 points per game,190 rushing yards, and passed for a school record 39 touchdowns. They also ranked in the top 10 in the “explosive plays” category, which are plays from scrimmage that go for 20-30 yards.

Georgia football will bring back some talented and experienced players for 2022.

The Dawgs will be without several key players on offense going into 2022, including Zamir White, James Cook, George Pickens, JT Daniels, and Jermaine Burton. Georgia will not be lacking on offense next season despite these big losses.

Head coach Kirby Smart and his staff continue to recruit well on offense, so there are plenty of talented players on the roster who will step in and help the offense not miss a beat next season.

Georgia returns most of their playmakers, and obviously, there are more than just five impact players returning, so here are some honorable mentions — Darnell Washington, Kenny McIntosh, Dominic Blaylock and Daijun Edwards.

A.D. Mitchell was one of the talented freshmen pass catchers that stepped up in a big way for Georgia football last season. The team is lucky to have him for at least two more seasons.

Mitchell, a former 3-star recruit out of Texas, caught the eye of Dawg Nation after his stellar performance at the 2021 G-Day game. He had seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown as part of the Red Team.

During the season, he caught 29 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns in 2021. Mitchel had an impressive performance in the Orange Bowl and national championship game, where he grabbed two memorable touchdown passes in both games. One was from starting quarterback Stetson Bennett, and the other came on a trick play from Kenny McIntosh.

His national title game touchdown in the fourth quarter helped Georgia regain a lead they would never relinquish, and that score provided the Dawgs with enough confidence to hunker down and win.

Mitchell often proved in his freshman season that he has the skills to be a No. 1 target for Georgia quarterbacks. He is a great route runner, and he has enough speed to get by a defender. Based on some of the catches he made last year, his biggest strength looks to be running deep routes.

With George Pickens off to the NFL, Mitchell will get a chance to fill the void left by Pickens as an impact wide receiver for the Bulldogs.

Ladd McConkey was another young receiver who stepped up for the Dawgs during the season, much to the surprise of many.

The Georgia native was an overlooked recruit coming out of high school despite the fact that he racked up over 3,000 scrimmage yards on offense. He played a variety of positions on offense, including quarterback, running back, and wide receiver.

He did not receive a D1 offer until a couple of weeks before signing day in 2020 when Georgia came calling. Todd Monken was impressed with his blazing speed so much that the Dawgs pounced and offered him a scholarship.

McConkey was the perfect slot receiver for Georgia’s offense in 2021. He caught 31 passes and five touchdowns last season and had 573 yards from scrimmage — making an impact running the ball and returning punts.

He developed a great connection with quarterback Stetson Bennett, quickly becoming one of his favorite targets. Both players torched the Auburn secondary last season, with McConkey gaining 135 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Expect Ladd to be the leading slot receiver for the Bulldogs next year. If he continues to improve, he will get several looks by NFL teams and could be a high draft pick when he declares. You can’t teach his speed.

Everyone has their opinions about Stetson Bennett as the Georgia football quarterback. Some are good, and some are not. Regardless of your personal feelings, you can’t deny how great he was for the Dawgs last season and could be for 2022.

After JT Daniels was injured early in the season, Bennett took the starting QB job and ran with it. His only loss as a starter in 2021 came against Alabama in the SEC Championship.

Still, he would later lead the Dawgs redemption efforts against the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

After a sluggish start, Bennett played the best fourth-quarter football any Georgia quarterback has played in years, completing his last four passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

On the year, the former walk-on from Blackshear, Ga., completed 64.5% of his passes, threw for 2,862 yards and 29 touchdowns, and had a 176.7 passer rating. That rating was higher than other notable quarterbacks in 2021, including Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, Kenny Pickett, and Desmond Ridder.

You could make the argument that Bennett should be higher on this list. He is the most experienced offensive player returning to the team, and his presence will be beneficial for future Georgia quarterbacks Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton.

2022 will be the first time in his Georgia career that he will get a majority of spring and summer reps as the starting quarterback. Will the Mailman take his game to another level next year?

Is Kendall Milton too high on this list compared to others? Perhaps, but I believe Milton is the most talented running back returning on this roster, and I think he will show the college football world why next season.

We will likely see another running back rotation in the 2022 starting lineup, with Milton and Kenny McIntosh in line to take the reigns from Zamir White and James Cook. We could also see highly touted freshmen Branson Robinson and Andrew Paul get some carries as well. Kendall Milton will be the featured back of the bunch, however.

Milton was a highly touted 4-star recruit coming out of high school in California. He rushed for over 1,500 yards as a senior with 23 touchdowns and was named 2019 California Running Back of the Year for his efforts. He finished his high school career with over 70 touchdowns.

He is a balanced runner who can run for both power and speed. You could see flashes of Nick Chubb at times during his freshman and sophomore years.

White and Cook’s success, as well as injuries during the year, limited Milton’s carries. He finished 2021 with 264 yards and one rushing touchdown in seven games. He also showed against Kentucky how much awareness he has on the field. During the play, Stetson Bennett appeared to have thrown an incomplete pass, but Milton quickly picked up the ball. After an official review, it was determined to be a fumble.

On the next play, Bennett connected with James Cook for a 19-yard touchdown that put the Dawgs in front of the Wildcats. Had it not been for Milton on the previous play, the momentum of the game could have radically changed.

Georgia football prides itself on having a strong running game. Smart, Dell McGee, and the rest of the staff have been recruiting exceptionally well at the position. This season, it will be Kendall Milton’s time to shine as the new flag bearer of “RBU.”

The reigning SEC, Shaun Alexander, and FWAA Freshman of the Year award winner is the biggest impact player returning to Georgia next season after his incredible year.

Bowers led Bulldog pass catchers with 56 receptions, 882 yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns. He shattered the Georgia record books and will likely do so next season if he remains healthy.

As a senior at Napa High School in Napa, CA, Bowers caught 39 passes for 1,098 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns. He was second on the depth chart behind Darnell Washington, another freakish athlete at the tight end position when he came to Georgia.

The young freshman had to play a bigger role during the first month of the season when Washington was injured before the Clemson game. Bowers got the start in that game and led all Georgia receivers.

From there, Bowers became the go-to guy for explosive plays. He is freakishly fast for a tight end and can outrun a secondary without any problems.

If Bowers were eligible for the NFL Draft right now, he would be a lock for the first round. Luckily, we will have at least two more years to see Brock dominate SEC defenses. If he keeps up his 2021 pace, he will have shattered every tight end record in Georgia football history.

Georgia’s offense has a chance to continue its impressive 2021 season with these impact players returning. With other young freshmen coming in on offense, the Dawgs could produce one of the best offenses in the SEC and all of college football.