Georgia Football is back in action this week with the start of spring practice. Spring practice is the beginning of the talking season, and many will discuss the Dawgs' weaknesses and preview the team's schedule. But most Georgia fans want to know the breakout players are of practice.
So, let's preview the five best candidates to break out for the Dawgs in spring practice.
Yurosek comes from the mysterious and powerful transfer portal. Yurosek previously played at Stanford before landing in Athens. Yurosek best year was his sophomore campaign in 2021, he caught 43 receptions for 658 yards and three touchdowns. But injuries plagued his time at Stanford. In 2023, Yorosek only played in 6 games and had 239 yards on 16 receptions.
But there has been a lot of talk about the Georgia program and the impact Yurosek will have. Some in college football believe that he was one of the better tight ends in the country, so it might not be a shock that he will have an immediate impact on the field. The other week, Josh Pate went to interview Kirby Smart, and when Pate was talking about potential breakout stars for the Dawgs, pate mentioned Yurosek. Pate said many in the program were excited about what he can do for the Dawgs in 2024.
2. Jamaal Jarrett and Jordan Hall
Is it cheating to have two guys count as one on the list? I play fast and loose with rules; that is what Jarret and Hall both look to do in 2024 for the Dawgs. Both came in the recruiting class 2023 and played meaningful snaps for the Dawgs throughout the year. You have to be pretty good to play as a freshman lineman at Georgia under Kirby Smart. Jarrett and Hall did that and will look to improve their success in 2024. With depth and inexperienced issues on the defensive line for the Dawgs, Jarrett and Hall will need to be relied upon to help the Dawgs. These two defenders will be monsters upfront in 2024.
3. Jared Wilson
Sedrick Van-Pran is one of the best centers ever to play football at the University of Georgia. Van-Pran started over 40 games for the Dawgs and was one of the best centers in college football. Replacing such a great player with that many in-game snaps would be hard for any other program. But Wilson is the right player to fill Sedrick Van-Pran's shoes. The 6’4 310 pound center is a junior and saw action in 13 of the 14 games the Dawgs played. I was impressed watching him in the Orange Bowl and during the regular season when he played mop-up duty. Many people around the program believe Wilson could be the next great Georgia center.
Evans came out of nowhere, it seemed, in 2023, and with the departures of Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemary-Jacksaint going to the NFL Evans looks for more snaps. Georgia fans saw Evans late in the 4th quarter against Alabama return a punt to give the Dawgs a short field and put them in scoring range. Then Evans caught for touchdown in the Orange Bowl against FSU. This could be a lazy comparison, but Evans reminds me of Mekhi Mews. I would expect Evans to play the same role as Mews did last year.
Brock Bowers was not only the best tight end in college football, he was also one of the best players to ever where the red & Black. Filling those shoes is not an easy task. It is safe to say that Oscar Delp and Yurosek will be the two tight ends for the Dawgs who will get the most snaps. But many feel that Lawson Luckie could have a breakout season.
The 6’3, 240-pound sophomore played in 7 games in 2023 and will look to gain more playing time this spring. Watching last year's games over the long winter, Luckie needs to improve his blocking to get more playing time. That is the expectation at Georgia under Kirby Smart, and I am confident Luckie will meet that expectation. In the next few weeks, do not be surprised to hear Luckie’s name as a player putting together a good spring practice.