Adonai Mitchell among the fastest rising stars

The start of Georgia spring football is still a month away (March 15), but it’s a safe bet Kirby Smart and his coaching staff are already drawing up plans for the valuable 15 practices allowed by the NCAA rule.

The Bulldogs face a heavy reload on defense, but that was the case last year, if even to a lesser extent.

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Remember how Coach Kirby Smart said the offense was ahead of the defense Entering spring drills last season?

That record-setting Championship defense really came on.

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It was a good thing because go-to receiver George Pickens suffered a serious knee injury, Dominick Blaylock wasn’t ready for the start of the year, Jermaine Burton missed two-Thirds of the offseason with injuries and speed Merchant Arian Smith couldn’t stay healthy.

Suddenly, the receiving Corps was inexperienced and lacking depth, and then Gunslinger JT Daniels suffered a lingering upper-body injury.

Coach Kirby Smart adjusted accordingly with a three-tight end offense that played to the strength of the personnel available, and an RPO-friendly quarterback with mobility.

The Reload on defense this year is in the front seven and could prove more challenging, which in turn could require the Bulldogs’ offense to carry more of the load.

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Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken explained UGA could have scored and passed more last season, but it didn’t need it.

“For a number of those games we put ourselves in a position to where we didn’t need the quarterback to make plays in the second half of the games,” Monken pointed out. “So people could look at that and say, well, why didn’t you take the opportunity to continue to get more reps or get other quarterbacks opportunities.

“Not in my mind. My mind was to win that one game in particular and get off the field without injuries. And so that’s probably the hardest part when you try to look at throwing the ball down the field in terms of the opportunity. Our defense played so well. ”

Here’s a look at select players stock Entering spring drills:

Stock Soaring

Jalen Carter: Previous Next Answer: A slam-dunk All-American and the first Georgia football player off the 2023 NFL draft board. Question: Who is Jalen Carter?

Brock Bowers: If it seems like you’re seeing Bowers’ name everywhere, it’s because he’s incredibly Vital to the offense, explosive enough to turn a game, yet consistent enough to provide a safety valve.

Sedrick Van Pran: Van Pran has ‘team leader’ written all over him and could develop into the best center of the Kirby Smart era, which is saying a ton. Keep an eye and ear out for Van Pran.

AD Mitchell: Mitchell’s quick release and twitchy moves make him a perfect fit for the “X” position, as he’s able to stretch the field and make dynamic catches.

Christopher Smith: Smith’s Resurgence after he came up short in relief in 2020 was one of the best stories of the 2021 season, from his Pick-6 against Clemson onward. Smith can and will get even bigger and better.

Stock Up

Stetson Bennett: Bennett gets to be a team leader this offseason and take the majority fo the No. 1 reps in spring drills. Bennett has all the big-game experience and is a grown man who turns 25 this season.