Nine Georgia Bulldogs on preseason watchlists for major awards

The expectations are sky-high in Athens and for good reason. After narrowly missing out on the final year of the four-team College Football Playoff, the Georgia Bulldogs are expected to make the 12-team CFP and might even be the favorites to win it. Aside from the team hardware, this talented roster is also in the mix to take home individual awards and was reflected on Monday and Tuesday as the preseason watchlists were released for the Maxwell Award, Outland Trophy, and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. 

The Maxwell Award goes to the best player in college football and the Bulldogs had two players recognized on the preseason list, Carson Beck and Trevor Etienne. Beck is one of the best returning quarterbacks in college football after throwing for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, so it’s no surprise that he’s on the list, but Etienne, the Florida transfer, only ran for 753 yards as a sophomore in Gainesville. The Maxwell Award is projecting a big jump now that Etienne is in Athens. 

Beck and Etienne weren’t the only offensive players recognized. The Outland Trophy which goes to the best interior lineman in the country, included guards Dylan Fairchild and Tate Ratledge along with tackle Xavier Truss as contenders for the award. Defensively, Nazir Stackhouse was also included. 

Throughout the rest of the defense, edge rusher Mykel Williams, linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. and safety Malaki Starks all made the Bronko Nagurski Award watchlist. Williams has the attention of the NFL scouts and could be in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Starks has the most responsibility on Georgia’s defense which lost Kamari Lassiter, Tykee Smith, and Javon Bullard to the league this offseason.