Georgia football: Three Dawgs that will impress against Samford

Georgia football will look to continue its winning ways Saturday against Samford following its impressive 49-3 opening weekend victory.

Samford will be making its second trip to Athens in the Kirby Smart era, and Georgia should be able to see major contributions from reserves once the game is in hand.

Backups getting valuable live game reps are a large part of games like this, so it will be interesting to see which players can step up and make the most of their increased opportunity. For many, this will be the second consecutive week of game action after Smart was able to deploy reserves during the week one beatdown of Oregon.

These three reserves will impress the most in their increased reps against Samford.

Plenty of players will get a chance to contribute, but a select few could really set themselves apart.

Carson Beck

The Jacksonville native saw game action as Stetson Bennett’s direct backup in week one and showed flashes of his game. Beck completed 5-of-6 pass attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown, showcasing impressive zip and ball placement on his throws.

As the backup quarterback, Beck needed these live game reps and demonstrated his familiarity with the offense. He appeared in control, and the offense didn’t miss a beat with him on the field. His production was promising to see, as the question of who would be Bennett’s backup was more up in the air than last season.

Beck should have the opportunity to lead the offense once again this weekend. Smart will let him operate the offense as it normally would, giving him plenty of opportunities to toss the ball around and further demonstrate his understanding of the system.

Dillon Bell

The true freshman was the subject of rave reviews throughout Georgia’s fall camp, and many think he can contribute to the offense considerably as the season progresses. Bell saw his first game action late in week one but did not record a catch.

That should change against Samford, as Bell should see the field much earlier and more often than he did last week. With Beck being able to operate the offense normally, there will be plenty of pass plays drawn up for Bell to have a chance to garner targets.

With so much hype surrounding him leading up to the season, fans are eager to see what he can do with the ball in his hands. He should be able to have a productive outing this weekend to begin to show everybody what the hype was all about.

Xavian Sorey

Sorey was a highly regarded 5-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class and had the potential to become a staple in Georgia’s defense in the coming years. As a redshirt freshman, he should see some rotational snaps at linebacker this season but likely won’t have a more productive role for another year or so.

Against Oregon, he played 17 snaps as a reserve and recorded one tackle. This weekend’s game against Samford should provide Sorey the opportunity to get more reps and operate as one of the primary inside linebackers with the reserve unit.

It’s normal for the younger linebacker prospects to see limited action during their development, but games like this serve as a chance to showcase a bit of what the future has in store at that position for the Dawgs.

With so much young talent waiting in the wings, Georgia could see solid performances from a multitude of players, even beyond these three. While games like this aren’t usually the most competitive, they are beneficial in providing fans with a glimpse of what’s to come in future seasons.