Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart addressed the media on Tuesday before the Oregon game, and one of the topics of discussion was Robert Beal and how he has gotten better. Smart’s answer about the young man should excite the entire fanbase because what he was able to do last season with half the reps was mindblowing.
Now that he will be a starter for the Dawgs, Beal could take the havoc he caused in 2021 and produce even more in 2022.
Last season Beal was a significant playmaker for the Dawgs down the stretch. He and Nolan Smith put Alabama to bed in the final seconds of the national championship, but all that came after he took over the role that Adam Anderson had.
When that opportunity presented itself to Beal, he took it and ran with it — as he should have.
Georgia football linebacker Robert Beal will be an even bigger problem for opponents in 2022.
Last season, Beal led the team in sacks with 6.5 sacks. He also recorded 7.5 tackles for loss and 19 quarterback hurries. Beal was a man on a mission, and he accomplished that mission. Smart discussed on Tuesday how that production from last year correlates to this season.
"“It’s built his confidence up. I think he’s very confident in the system now and we’re very confident in him because of the playing time he’s earned. He did a tremendous job at the end of the year, and he’s had a really good camp,” Smart said during his Tuesday presser. “I mean, he’s playing physical, playing tough. I think he realizes this is a big opportunity for him. So very pleased with what he’s done and the work he’s done.”"
Even though he was at the top of the sack list for the Dawgs, Beal isn’t the kind of player that will just accept that. He has worked far too hard to get where he is to lie down and accept it. Smart was clear in saying that Beal knows how big this opportunity is for him, and it won’t get wasted.
Beal could see himself going high in the 2023 NFL Draft if this season goes as it could for him. If he puts his head down, helps Georgia stay elite on defense, and brings home another solid season, Beal will have success moving forward.
He seems to be a quiet individual that focuses on what is important. When you see him and Smith together, it’s kind of like peanut butter and jelly — Smith is outgoing (jelly) while Beal is the one that sticks it all together (peanut butter). That duo is special in their own right, and with both of them returning for this season, it is their time to shine.