Georgia Bulldogs 2024 Season Preview with Jed May | In-Depth Analysis & Predictions

Intro I was wondering why oh yeah all right we are ready to go for our first this is our very first college football 2024 preview for the upcoming season and I mean this is just by coincidence but why not start at the top right with the Georgia Bulldogs uh the team that will go into the regular season as the number one team in the nation so Jed May is joining us uh he handles a lot of recruiting content uh for uh ugasports.com ugasports.com and of course part of the rivals Network Jed uh we've been talking for the last couple of years and uh I'm glad we're got to do this again in 2024 thanks for doing this yeah absolutely it seems like georg's got that same uh Target on its back every time we talk so glad uh glad to keep things the same going into 2024 yeah last year of course uh with the whole playoff structure a lot different uh which it had been that way forever uh Georgia was just uh one loss and that's it you're done uh the but those days are over no more hey we lose one game we can't make the postseason if you have a really good resume and you're a top team like in a program like Georgia one loss is not going to get you knocked out of the playoffs and an opportunity for a championship each year so we're excited about that uh so yeah uh I'm assuming that Georgia fans are pretty stoked about this upcoming season considering how last year and and kind of ended with the loss to Alabama even though they uh had that big blowout we of the bowl game but I'm assuming with the Carson Beck returning uh there's a lot of excitement in uh the Bulldog fan base trying to win another National Championship yeah and this is their first like because obviously every year before that 2021 year had been is this the year we're gonna break the drought is this the year is this the year and then you break the drought and you get another one immediately so now it's back to what's it going to take to get to that next level and they've certainly got a lot of talent uh coming back uh starting like you said with with Carson Becka quarterback that's kind of the the straw that serves the drink and he is uh I mean he's coming into the season as one of the favorites for the Heisman and for good reason I think yeah we're going Carson Beck to share arad's uh depth chart page for the Georgia Bulldogs and and and college very tough with the depth chart so uh matter of fact if you notice anything that's way out of whack you can let us know Jed uh let's uh start with that uh quarterback and that offense and yeah Carson Beck you've seen some good quarter backs out of Georgia you saw one now it's won two national championships for Georgia no idea what kind of a playing career he's can have in the NFL uh but he's in good hands so far but talk about what you see in Carson Beck compared to those players um not necessarily as an NFL quarterback but what do you see in him regarding what it takes to win a National Championship yeah I think something he has talked about and this goes back to Spring too is that last year he obvious obvously hadn't done it before and now going into this year he has not that his teammates didn't believe in him last year but they know hey this is a guy who's won at Auburn a guy who has won you know a road game of Georgia Tech that was tough a guy who won at Tennessee so he has some um you know battle experience so to speak and I think he is taking more of that leadership role uh this year that he's got to take because they lost Cedric vanran at Center was a team leader he is gone um you you've lost Kendall Milton at running back who was a team leader he's gone so Carson Beck has got step up and be a leader and I think he's doing that um more and more throughout this year and on the field I mean he can make all the throws I think he has surprised people with how mobile he is not that he's necessarily a dual threat or maybe even what STS and Bennett was but seems like every game he has that one moment where he ends up scrambling for a first down on like third and six um and if you can do that in today's college football that's that's about uh that's about a requirement I guess for a national championship quarterback so he's got all the onfield stuff um it's just the not necessarily just taking over as the leader as the guy that everybody looks to and from everything we've heard um he's been doing a good job of that even going back to the spring yeah so he has one blemish that's Alabama Game it and it was a very close football game was there anything in that Alabama game uh because I'm I don't know whether or not that was even say his worst game just because it was a loss doesn't mean that was his worst game but in his bad times or let's just point out to a game you lost a big game that was crucial did you notice anything in that game where you said you know Carson could have done a little bit better but maybe that's just experience or do you were you just and maybe the fan base as well was the fan base just generally understanding of the co of of the situation and it is Alabama and it was a close game and it wasn't Carson's fault you know his first year quarterback and all that what was it what what what because obviously every quarterback has Pros cons and parts of the game they need to improve upon so was there something that he did not accomplish in that Alabama game that maybe an issue again if he doesn't improve upon it when he plays the big games this year I think you're looking at that Alabama game listen this this is an excuse George wouldn't use it as an excuse but you had amarius Mims your right tackle first J pick go out pretty early first quarter early second quarter maybe Brock Bowers and lad makoni were nowhere near 100% uh so I wasn't playing with the full deck from that front and I think there were some moments where there were opportunities to maybe get Georgia into better plays situationally third down stuff like that and they they had these plays where again Carson isn't the one calling the plays That's Mike Bobo calling the play but I think as a quarterback at a certain point you have to get your team into the right situation there were some play calls and decisions where you're like I don't know why they're running a toss into the boundary on a third and two against this defense you know stuff like that so um I think that's again something that comes with leadership is getting in that and explaining to receivers hey I want you to do this on this route I want you to run this a certain way all that kind of stuff comes with experience comes with um having those bullets fly past you um and SEC action I think he's got all that so I think um and I think another thing going into this year last year he's searching for that confidence from day one and he said the Auburn game was kind of that turning point where it was a close game they scored with I know three four minutes left to win this year he's going to have that confidence going from day one I think and that's going to be huge as it's there won't be any feeling out process they're going to be able to um really hit the ground running from day one which they're going to need to because they play Clemson there in Atlanta week one yeah the schedule uh is pretty impressive not only do they have Schedule to take on Clemson but Al you get Alabama early on September 28th that's a very unusual I don't remember the last time Georgia played Alabama in September do you might am20 I want to say oh yeah that's right yeah mid October maybe um yep their fourth game 2015 was kind of the same time late September early October yeah it's huge and I I could be wrong I think that's kayin dores first SEC game I think so no uh no better intruction for him to the league than um than the flagship team or one of the flag teams in the conference to come to your house on a on a Saturday night and Schedule Breakdown both teams will have the week off to prepare so uh that's even but then you still have Georgia at Texas on October 19th Florida of course the big rivalry game even though how how many how many years in a row has Georgia beaten Florida three um three and then they lost in 2020 but believe they'd won the three before that so six out of seven I think off to my head so okay and then Mississippi right after that so the week after Old Miss so that Old Miss game I mean that's a that's a three- game stretch with a week off in in there but still Texas Florida Mississippi that is I mean I can't imagine there being many schedules as tough as that three-week stretch in all of college football so I mean as a fan you like to see it you want to see the best games and again as a as I said even if Georgia loses a game in there which they might it's a tough schedule they're still going to go to the playoffs so it really doesn't matter as much I know everybody wants to home field advantage and all that kind of stuff when you're in the playoffs they don't have it's first some coaches and programs are gonna have to worry about that but uh yeah and all though uh it's it's it's going to be fun to see Georgia one of if not the best team of college football play a lot of these good football teams this season yeah and I think I think this schedule this season really comes down to the Alabama Texas and all Miss games because they that Georgia should be favored by a pretty solid margin in every all the other nine regular season games obviously that means you can lose there's a lot of burials but if you take care of business in those other games let's say you go if you go two and one in those three then that should assure you as byot the playoff if you go one and two you're probably feeling pretty good about yourself but that you could get need to get some help if you're in the championship you could have to win um but if you win two of those games I think um you're in pretty good shape even if you were to lose a a hypothetical SEC Championship matchup with Alabama Texas uh whoever LSU whoever so um those are the ones but again you get an off week before Alabama um you get you know Texas or not Texas om Miss is after Florida we've had a bye before Florida so they're not all super bunched together which helps um but those are three just huge huge huge uh huge tests but again you got a guy in Carson Beck who's led the team Aran Smith Trev tn's got SEC experience these receivers have got experience um you know just to skip ahead a bit to your offensive line the one big question mark is Jared Wilson taking over at Center obvious there's so much on a center plate how does he handle a night game in Tuscaloosa a night game at or I don't know if it's a night game but probably a night game at Texas um first road game is at Kentucky that can be a tough place to play so um and he's got all the talent I think won't get me wrong people raved about him in the spring but it's a question of how do you handle that on the road um making calls making checks all that other kind of stuff um but other than that I mean there there's really not a lot of question marks on this offense I mean you got so many guys with experience up front alcar Delp has gotten a lot of experience especially last year um with Brock bow hurt a decent amount so um bring Urus the transfer from Stanford so you got a ton of experience there there's just not a whole lot of this offense should be uh one of those ones that challenges school records in terms of points points per game yardage all that kind of stuff yeah Running Backs uh let's talk about the Back Field well we've already gone through Beck so the running back situation you mentioned etsn so he's a transfer you you also have Branson Robinson who apparently has had a really good off season um and and again when you take a look at the production that was lost from last year it's like I haven't twied it up but it looks like it's about 80 to 90% of their know rushing production gone with their top two guys so uh how do you see this backfield uh and and and as far as setting up uh do you think it'll be a committee uh do you see it maybe being a committee early but you think maybe one of these other running backs is more talented than the other and you expect that that player is going to end up as the main guy by the end of the season and if so who is that yeah I mean I think it'll probably be by committee I mean Georgia rotates a ton of guys there anyway Trev 10's kind of like the Home Run threat obviously coming from Florida rogi Robinson is you he's 612 what 30 35 pounds he's he's the Bruiser guy but Branson Robinson is kind of the I don't want to say xfactor but he he tore his tended in his knee last fall camp and that's such a traumatic injury I guess for lack of a better ter he's looked great in Fall Camp he doesn't have any limitations staff has been careful with him but he he looks fantastic so is he ready to go week one I mean it it seems like he would be cleared and ready to play week one if the staff wants him to play so um that is certainly a huge boost and then they added three freshmen and the one who has generated the most Buzz is a Nate Frasier out of Moder day in California has even arriving in the summer as a as and not an early and early which is seems like the rarer thing in college football recruiting nowadays um he has generated a lot of positive um smoke I guess early on at Camp so look for him to work his way into rotation as the year goes on both um du to his own talent but also you know you got so many injuries that usually pop up at running back just from guys getting dinged up sure there's there's plenty of depth in that room uh to go around who do you think has the biggest upside h i mean I think etn got the biggest upside I guess just because he he can catch the ball out of the backfield he can take it to the house which isn't something that georgees really had I mean dejon Edwards wasn't really that guy Kendall Milton he had some bigger runs as the season went on but he wasn't really a home run threat um I guess off the hoof but I think Trevor is is that guy um and then with the Robinson and Robinson Law Firm there you can just wear on teams um short yardage second half all that stuff I no one's going to want to tackle those guys when she once once Georgia builds up a lead into the second half they're defensive line linebackers are going to be begging for mercy with those two guys coming at him uh down the stretch I know fans uh Georgia fans don't want to hear this but injuries happen so if an injury happened Quarterback uh at quarterback uh is there is there a number two guy that is solidified in that spot right now honestly um I that's a great question uh because they obviously added Jaden rashada the transfer from Arizona state if I had to guess I would say gunner Stockton gets that backup spot just because he's been in Georgia's offense this is his what third season I think so he knows everything that's going on played the second half of the Orange Bowl last year so I would say he would be the backup um next spring there's going to be a competition and that's that's its own thing but I would guess gunar Stockton is your guy if uh if something happens to Carson back and is there right now on the on the program is there a a quarterback of the future is there a guy that is the oh this is the this is our guy this is our next big quarterback is he on the roster right now yeah I mean again there's rashal who transferred in from Arizona State knowing this is a a learning year a red shirt year we have heard a lot of good things about Ryan pugy The Freshman uh he's originally from Worcester outside of Boston played High School football at a boarding school in Connecticut he does when we've the brief practice viewing we've gotten he looks like an NFL quarterback I mean the ball comes out of his hand great he's big um he's got some Mobility he's a baseball player in high school so so he's got some athleticism um and he missed a decent chunk of spring because he had a knee uh thing going on and like a stress fracture I believe but he has looked very good in Fall Camp so I think that's a guy who even though the recruiting rankings didn't necessarily match it the Georgia staff was very very very high on him coming out of high school and they think he could be a guy who makes an impact in the program down the line all right and as far as the receivers you mentioned Delp uh and URC so Urus SEC comes from Receivers Stanford um I mean the guy looks like a very talented player Urus SEC and I think this is a really great this is what I like about the transfer portal I like when kids get the opportunity uh because I mean what was he GNA do with Stanford I mean who knows I I you know it's not many opportunities to be in big games and to really showcase yourself in a big conference but um we we know that there's Talent there but he's also a veteran I know Delp is a junior but he's still kind of young Bowers is now gone maybe the best tight end in Georgia history uh so it's kind of hard to follow that but how good can Delp be yeah I think the key to how good he can be is not trying to be Brock Bowers because they're two very different players or I wouldn't say very different players but they're just the Brock Bowers is such a unicorn and you can't follow that and Kirby Smart has said that he's Oscar's got to be his own guy and Oscar is a very good football player so um again he he got a lot of run last year he was the second tight end anyway last year and then when Bowers missed some time with that high ankle sprain he really stepped up to be that number one guy and played well so I think he's got all the receiving talent in the world um he needs to the blocking on the perimeter and stuff has been something that has he's needed to work on and sounds like he's gotten a lot better there um and then yeah URC is he got here in the summer so hadn't been here as long but lost and lucky showed flashes last year Jadon Rell is a freshman who uh he showed up at Bowl practice and we were like who is that guy because he looked like I mean he looked incredible just looking and obviously you got to learn how to block and routes and all that other stuff but he physically looks the part um so it wouldn't shock me to see him you know make a couple impact plays um or maybe like that the guy in garbage time who who gets some targets makes a big catch and like oh this is this is a guy we need to keep an eye on but um yeah it's not a room maybe not as deep as it's been in years past but there's there's certainly still plenty of talent there okay and that wide receiver uh so will Will they miss RJ Thomas will they miss Thomas much because uh bringing in a couple of transfers like humph and young that should definitely compensate and love it he's the main he's the main guy right it he's the number one receiver yeah and he he can kind he can play outside he can play the slot he can kind of you can move him all over Aran Smith is he's the speed he's the Deep threat he's never really been able to put it all together um for a consistent period of time be it injury he struggled with drops some last year um but he's extremely talented Dylan Bell had a breakout year last year um as far as missing rat Thomas I think he's that physical contested catch guy the EXT receiver Dylan Bell is that guy and Colby young is from Miami and he's I think 65 he's 230 pounds and at gday uh the spring game he had a couple catches for first downs where guys were all over him and caught a fade in the end zone that's pretty much his role and that is kind of what Rob Ro Thomas's role uh was as well so if he continues to progress and works his way into the rotation and does everything he needs to do I think that will help with uh the departure over ra Thomas but even so London hum's speed has speed to burn scored a long touchdown against Georgia last year Anthony Evans flash in the Orange Bowl uh Michael Jackson the transfer from USC there there's guys all over the place um to uh to use in that offense but yeah I think you look at that top three of love it Bell and Smith in some order um and then as the transfers continue to come along there'll be more and more of a factor as the year goes on I think what'll help them is when when Thomas came over he was coming from Mississippi state so they obviously ran a very different offense under Mike Leech than a pro style offense but Miami more or less a pro style offense Vanderbilt more or less Pro style offense Michael Jackson from USC not quite Pro style but also not air raid so I think that has helped those guys um pick up the offense what we've heard uh they've they picked it up pretty quick out of those uh because you mentioned a very deep unit give me a one guy out of that group because again you got love it number one which one do you think has the chance the best chance of you know maybe blossoming into a really you know good player that he hey that's by the end of the season litz may be still number one but but maybe this guy's on his heels I think it's Dylan Bell um he he showed flashes last year he's he's big he's physical he can catch the ball um with guys all over but he's really good after the catch as well you know played quarter like wild cat quarterback running back in high school so he knows what to do with the ball in his hands um and can block on the outside which is how you get on the field in the first place at Georgia so um I think that's the guy to watch I mean he had a couple great catches in Orange Bowl on I guess Spades down the sideline um and contested catches so that's a guy who I think is poised for a really really big big year especially like you said with the tension going towards LoveIt when Aran Smith on the field you got to account for him I think Dylan Bell is prime for a big year okay uh offensive line and so there are three guys I know we Offensive Line just finished doing uh scouting uh shows for the past month with our top Scouts here at ourlads and uh the the three guys that they pointed out out of the five were uh Ernest Green at left tackle Xavier truss at right tackle and Tate rattled at Right Guard um would that be fair to say that those those three they're a little bit different or a little bit better than the other guys and if so who do you think has the biggest upside out of those three yeah I think I think it's Ernest Green because he's just a mountain of a guy at left tackle but he's also athletic enough to move uh Tay rid has been there forever so is Xavier truss um and then I mean you've got Dylan Fairchild and Michael Morris y'all got him kind of onew at left guard those guys rotate in and out uh you know one could go play R guard if they want to give Tate rage a breather I mean there's they got three three starting guards essentially that they can rotate in and out and same right tackle I mean when roeling I think it was actually when truss got hurt last year against Vanderbilt when Ro Freeland came in as a true freshman and started uh you know two three games at right tackle and played pretty well so there's another you got three tackles you could play so um there's depth all over the place again like I said earlier I think Center is the main question Jared Wilson he got all the ability how do you handle everything that comes with being a center and something that's happened in Camp because Wilson has kind of had like a n a nagging injury going on Tate rattled has worked some at Center so you could theoretically bump him into Center and then you have Fairchild and Morris playing guard at the same time so there's a lot of different mixing and matching that you can do there Kirby Smart's always talking about we want to get our best five on the field and figure out positions later um there's a there's there's probably seven or eight guys that could make an argument to being that best five I would say is there a freshman or maybe a year lineman that will begin the next wave um as far as second year guys I'd go with Jamal Merryweather right there because he's a guy Georgia signed him or got in on him late flipped him from Central Florida um and the staff has been very impressed with him as a kind of a project guy going into his second year um and as a true freshman Daniel Calhoun at guard is a just a mountain of a dude he came in and was like 370 pounds or something he's not that anymore after doing plenty of running in Sanford Stadium but he's a guy who the staff was very high on coming out of high school recruited him for two or three years I think uh before they signed him so he's a guy to watch probably probably more down the line at guard just with all the dep there um but a guy that the staff likes a lot all right so before we move on to the defense then uh as far as the three freshmen to watch freshmen to keep an eye on on offense it would be Nate Fraser at running back Jaden Rell at tight end and Daniel coun at on the line would that be correct I would say that's fair yeah as far as true freshman true fres yeah I would say that's fair just again the the true freshman brought in are really good there just a lot of guys yeah Frasier um Rell and and Calhoun yeah those will be I had to pick three those would be my guys okay we didn't leave a a true freshman receiver off did we somebody that they signed Nitro Tule and sovi white both those guys are really good but again you've got yeah returning guys ahead of you got transfers um you know white is is a he's a guy he's believe he scored a touchdown at gday kind of like a slot guy and then Tule is kind of your bigger outside guy so if I if I had to pick one of those guys it would probably be um zobe white if he works his way into the slot rotation or maybe due to injury or something um just because I think think they might be a little thin is a relative term but lot compared to outside guys so um but yeah I think again Calhoun Rell and uh and Nate Frasier for sure all right now uh let's talk defense uh let's see let's uh move the chart down so uh defense will be let's see there uh looks like the some of the top guys that actually left them last year uh were in the secondary uh with Smith and Bullard gone those are two big uh graduations or uh players that moved on um and sticking in the secondary uh Malachi Starks is definitely the leader back there correct absolutely yeah a guy who has played has started pretty much since his first game as a freshman it's just been a stalwart uh back there in the secondary All-American you know everything everything actually one of U Jord safety's coach tovarus Robinson talked to the media yesterday and he's like I tell my kids that Malachi Starks is a guy that you want your kids to be like just a leader on the field holds people accountable um and just obviously got all the talent in the world as well so got him at one safety the next safety over if we we want to skip ahead to freshman on defense KJ Balden right there at safety is a guy who we've heard a lot about even going back to Spring um as potentially following that Malachi Stark's trajectory of playing a lot early in your career and never really giving that spot up so um starts and Bolden at safety would be a heck of a tandem as well as adding Jake pope from Alabama uh as well yeah that's uh pretty impressive to already be put in that position as a true freshman on the depth chart okay uh Everett is he the number one corner yeah and he's this is like kind of a pattern Georgia's gone through because they've had a few years of having like the true number one guy on one side and then the newer guy on the other side eett was that guy last year got thrown out a lot and and gave up some completions as you're gonna do um but the Georgia coaches have said you know he he exudes confidence which you got to have as a corner um so he's one corner and then the other side is kind of a battle between uh really Julian Humphrey and Daniel Harris uh to go after and then Ellis Robinson again another five-star freshman is a guy who has been I mean even coming out of high school people kind of knew he could be a guy who could work his way into the rotation and that has continued once he's arrived on campus got to get a little bigger a little stronger um but a guy who's gonna make wouldn't wouldn't shock me at all to to see him make an impact at some point this year okay uh then that linebacker so first I want to ask you linebacker about Walker Javon Walker so he led the team in sacks with five which is not very uh high for you know a top football team but uh where is Walker best suited to play and where is he slotted to play this season uh those are two great questions um considering he had five sacks whatever in the relatively limited number of pass rush snaps he had I mean it seems like Edge rusher but he's also more of an outside line or inside linebacker excuse me body so um you know we spoke with Georgia defensive coordinator Clint Schuman yesterday and he was saying we're going to continue developing him as a hybrid player getting the most out of what does um I think if you're Georgia what you need again need is a relative term but you need with with inside linebacker you've got smile mundon you've got railen Wilson CJ Allen Troy Bulls uh just for starters as well as some talented freshman so I think if you made Kirby Smart Pick what he would want he would want a little more punch rushing the passer um and Jaylen Walker is certainly a guy who could do that he can line at inside linebacker on early Downs rush the passer on third down so you know versatility is great he's kind of like a I don't know it it's a weird situation because he flashes so much but then you know it it just he hasn't really he's such a talented player but he hasn't really found the true home yet um so I don't know where he's going to play I would expect him to play kind of all over the place like he has been um I just think he needs to be on the field more often than not because because he's a guy who when whenever he's out there he makes plays um and I just think with what is also already at inside linebacker his talents could be uh perhaps utilize a little more rushing the passer but again you got to be able to stop the run kind of rushing off the edge too and he's he's not as big as some of the defensive end types so uh that's my Jaylen Walker monologue I guess but uh he's a really good player and I think he he's a Difference Maker on the defense it's just a matter of figuring out where to put him honestly on like a Down down team to team basis I think geord coaches are smart enough to figure that out so yeah the team had what I only 30 sacks I believe last season something like that which is uh again a little bit unusual um to see Georgia at that Mark which is inside linebacker about almost you know right in the middle of the national average or national total last year a little bit more I think they were in the 40s okay so let's stick with inside linebacker then so you got mondan and Allen so CJ Allen had himself a heck of a first year and mden is mden is he considered the leader of the defense outside of starks yeah I'd say so just because he's been there so long he's played so much um and you're in the middle of the defense so you're making calls and all that kind of stuff he is dealing with like a foot injury that he he's working his way back from should be ready for the Clemson game um but yeah CJ Allen and and railand Wilson too you know railand he he hyperextended his knee I think in Fall Camp which set him back a little bit but once he came back he was he was great as well so two guys who played a lot as true freshman last year made some mistakes but with an eight n month offseason to continue learning continue growing getting better as leaders all that stuff um it's a a fearsome three-headed monster at the top of that inside linebacker room and who is well I'll ask this question when we to defensive line so now you go up front and of course they they run a three four defense so uh Williams he's the man the defensive line main guy up front Michael Williams um how do you compare him to some of the really topend prospects that have come out of Georgia over the last three to five years it's it's kind of weird because he is almost like a 43 like if I just looked at him he looks like a 4-3 defensive end but like you said that's not really what Georgia does so this year he's kind of transitioning to more of a standing up guy coming up I mean com off the edge anyway but being standing up more instead of with his hand in the dirt um they they kind of experimented with that in the Orange Bowl and and liked what they saw so it's going to be interesting but I think that's also going to put him in a position to to better get after the quarterback which again like I mentioned with Jaylen Walker that's something that Georgia needs is to get more heat on the quarterback so get him stand Hing up and then get these other guys like you know Brinson Xavier McLoud who transferred from South Carolina Kristen Miller tyon Ingram Dawkins guys like that um kind of sliding into Michel's old rule with his hand in the dirt and and let Michel rush off the edge stack house is he the next in line as far as uh Talent on the defensive line yeah he's him I mean as far as pure talent honestly I might say Warren Brinson just because he he flashes all over the place uh stack house is more of the the the guy who who takes up blockers and frees up space for the linebackers not to say he's not a good player he just didn't necessarily have as many highlight plays um as Brinson does but yeah Brinson is a very talented guy who it it doesn't seem like he's been in Athens as long as he has I mean he's a senior it says there so um but I think with more extended run you're going to see him make a lot of plays throughout the year okay and were there any freshman to keep an eye on in the front seven true freshman uh front front seven I like I know he's way over to the right on the depth chart over here but but Joseph Jonah J um coming out of Texas is a guy who just I mean you talk about first off the bus guys like that's him um and I think he's he's kind of like mik Michel Williams and the fact that he's worked with his hand in the dirt some he's worked kind of with the outside linebacker some so I think as the year goes on he could be this year's freshman that works his way into like a situational pass rushing role and in then in turn steps into a bigger role going into 2025 but with with his skill set his athleticism I mean he and he enrolled early so he's been on campus for a while um that's a guy that I would especially as a season goes on and he just learns more and more that's a guy I'd expect to see make some plays okay uh all right so taking a look by the way transfer portal as far as the transfer portal and we talked already about a few guys that have come over um has it so far it's still kind of early but has it hurt or helped the football team more or less I think it's I think it has helped Georgia because I think they use it to to plug holes that they need more so than is we're going to bring in a ton of guys and hope something sticks I mean they needed a running back and they got etn I I think this is the year or cycle or whatever this is the most transfers they've added um with with Jake Pope as there Xavier McLoud the three receivers osc the tight end uh they added um Colin Gil as a safety from Oregon um so that's I mean what probably seven eight guys and all that positions a need so I think it helps them I me obviously like every school you're going to lose guys um that's just the way it is but they haven't had any you know ad Mitchell a couple years ago was was one that I think took some people by surprise and kind of stung a little bit but he had you know his his child in Texas so it makes sense um but I don't think they've been they haven't had that one guy that just cripples you I guess um whereas they've used it and and guys they brought in have I mean ta Smith who who was one of the center P of the defense last year was a transfer um Darion Kendrick who started on the 21 National Championship team transfer um so I think they've done a good job of getting guys I mean Dominic it's a transfer from Missouri so they've done a good job of getting guys in that they think fit their program and guys who they know will have a defined role and they the guys that fit that role uh once the season starts yeah because you know you can look at it both ways just like you said you know especially when you have a top program uh I know the little guys you know they don't want to see the big guys who would do such a great job of recruiting benefit more by plucking you know really good players from maybe uh lesser programs uh but what you would think would happen is that all the recruiting that a team like George has done all this great recruiting and and the reason why it's so great it's not just because of the starters it's because of the number two guys and the number three guys those are the guys that you would think would then leave the program because I don't want to be a number three or number two guy in Georgia when I could be a number one guy somewhere else so you really haven't noticed that too much with Georgia so far yeah oh yeah yeah that absolutely happens I mean they had a bunch of guys go to they had three or four guys go to Syracuse this past off season when Fran Brown up there to be the head coach uh several guys all ended up at Purdue randomly I don't know what the connection is there but yeah like you said and and nowadays listen I mean and I was talking to somebody about this the other day with with free transfers and stuff if you are a a a a under recruited or whatever guy you could come to georia for a year and learn and develop and whatever develop your skill set and then if it's still clear after that that that playing time might not be in your future you can go off to somewhere else knowing you've spent a year getting developed by one of the best coaching staffs in the country and there's no there's no penal penalties so to speak for it so um there's definitely been some some guys lower down the depth chart that have transferred I don't say transferred down transferred out um but again that's going to happen when you when you stockpile this much talent when when the cream Rises to the top there's going to be some guys who uh who kind of appear blocked off from playing and and you know Kirby Smart I think they do a good job of being frank with guys about what their uh future prospects might look like and then they uh they head off for grer pastures uh special team is goingon to be okay yeah BR Brett Thorson is back the Australian punter uh you know rocket foot great personality um and then pyton Woodring The Freshman who who had some freshman moments last year um but but but steady out you know another year it's going to do him a lot of good returner I think is a question because they didn't have a ton of explosive plays in the return game last year but in that game against Alabama late they put in fresh or then true freshman Anthony Evans and he ripped off like a 30-yard punt return so I would expect him to get a lot of looks at at Punt and maybe even kickoff return um because he showed a different burst um than than some other guys I had returning last year um but yeah as far as Specialists they'll be fine smart they they do a good job of getting um you know high impact players on coverage units so the coverage units have been have been good um I think the next next step so to speak is is getting more out of those return games uh than they've got in the past couple years uh and then before I let you go give me a breakthrough player breakthrough player uh give me your top breakthrough player on on either side of the ball uh I'm sure you've already mentioned them yeah I'll go Dylan Bell on offense um on defense I'll go I'll go CJ Allen because I think he's a guy that not a ton of people know yeah but I think he has got all the talent to be the next great Georgia linebacker uh you know that ran Smith Lon to Kobe Dean Monty rice um smile mondon who obviously is still there um Quay Walker I think CJ Allen's that guy and I think now that he's going to be a starter a huge huge contributor I think he's gonna become a more of a nationwide name as the season goes on do you have time to follow the SEC rest of the conference a little bit um you know I know uh I think Alabama's coach retired right yeah I think so remember that as a rumor yeah yeah that's rumor um but I think I mean I think Georgia is me personally I'm still in I'll believe it when I see it with Texas a little bit I obviously went to playoff last year and that's great but I want to see it sustained especially going to a new league they've obviously got a ton of talent quen y's coming back is great but that's and I'm really curious to see what Alabama looks like just because no one has seen them without saving since what 06 so um they had so much roster turnover guys leaving guys coming in um but yeah I mean I still think it's it's a Georgia Georgia Alabama Texas top Trio I mean right and then and and Old Miss too I'm curious I think Old Miss has fallen into that little bit of the the pen state of the SEC you know they they win a lot of games but they can't really get over the Georgia Alabama hump yeah obviously I don't know if they play Alabama or not they obviously play Georgia so does Old Miss Noe prove to be something more than the offseason hype team and act is this the year they and again they could lose to Georgia and lose another the game and still maybe make the playoff um so just the year they they make a run so same goes for pen state if they lose to Ohio State in Michigan so um who I guess who steps up to be that four team because LSU you got the questions there um Oklahoma do they build on last year you know there's a lot of does Tennessee continue to be that upper echelon team uh with a new quarterback so I think there's some some questions out there does Texas what does Texas A&M look like with Mike Elco um but yeah I think at the top it's still Georgia Alabama and Texas have a I know but those three have separated themselves as the uh as the Upp on and Georgia plays both of them uh I don't know if Alabama and Texas play again or not but um it's G to be fun to see it actually actually play out on the field for sure yeah there's so many nice story lines you know lebby let's see what he does as a head coach KJ Jefferson's moved on from Arkansas how will that affect that program Auburn Hugh fre definitely not going to give up on him uh yeah you mentioned Kentucky before uh they just it's incredible the job Mark Stoops has done there just incredible uh and uh Florida do do you think Billy Napier is in big trouble do you believe the hype I think I because everybody talks about what the record's going to be I think it's going to be just as much of like how the record looks like if you're losing all these games by one score you know maybe not but if you're losing them by one score because of coaching that's or if you're just getting blown out of the water that Miami game week one is so huge for for him a I don't think necessarily Chris Ball's on the hot seat but um that that's such a huge game for both teams uh right out of the gate um yeah but I mean Florida schedule is is really tough I think you gotta you gotta at least be competitive week in week out if you steal a couple maybe um which you've got plenty of opportunities to do with the teams you um yeah it's right it's not uh not a situation I would potentially want to be and listen grah mer did a great job last year but it's that's going to get you to the next level I don't know yeah and I think I think this year unlike last year Florida's got DJ lagway behind him and so many people have anointed him as the Freshman savior of the program you know merch throws a pick in the first quarter against Miami do people start calling for lagway like probably knowing how KN how college football fans are so how does he handle that how do the team handle that there's a lot of uh lot of variables going on down in Gainesville for sure yeah speaking of young quarterbacks this wigman kid you were just talking about Elco I'm you know he could really be a Difference Maker there uh no idea how this big speaking of big time quarterbacks have no idea if Tennessee's got one maybe they Carson back last year I mean you can have all the hype and stuff and obviously Carson had been at Georgia much longer but until uh Nico goes to I mean they play Alabama I'm sure they play they play Georgia they you know until you actually get in the action and do it yep it's it's it's still a question mark and you still again not that they're te not that his teammates don't believe in him but you you get a different level of respect once you've actually gone out and done it I guess um andos he's I don't know what their non-conference schedule looks like I know they play Oklahoma pretty early in the year I think NC State that's their big know NC states that they're they're a good program Dave dor done a great job so um that's going to be interesting to see how that looks yeah as because some of these quarterbacks some of them are going to do well and some won't and the ones that do well are going to be the ones that we're gonna find out uh if uh if their programs outperform I mean even Jackson Arnold at Oklahoma is he ready to be the man Missouri's I mean drink wit has done an incredible job with this program and now they get cook for another year you know qu is quin you ready to do the SEC week in and week out and they have a pretty don't they play they play somebody good in the non-conference I think they play Michigan we oh there you go so you know it's and again I don't want to be the guy that says the big all the big 12 defenses suck and you know I I don't want to be that guy because that's not true especially not anymore but the SEC is a different League especially a in the trenches but B just all over the place with the skill you face so um I think Texas has Got Talent SEC comparable Talent do they have the SEC comparable depth to do it week in and week out we're gonna see all right Jed so uh Georgia fans out there want to know uh what you're specifically up to uh what do you besides let's see you've got your Rivals content and is that where they find it I me check you out of course on Twitter correct on X with what's your handle on X yeah at Jed mayore on the the X and uh do you do any other uh videos on your own sports YouTube channel has got a lot of stuff UJ sports.com YouTube channel we do a lot of stuff over there um written content of course um it's all ramping up now that the Now The Season's almost here thank goodness yes football's almost here it's gonna be a great season playoff season should be fantastic FC and George is definitely going to be in the middle of it so we look forward to talking to you at some point during the season uh I don't know when but hopefully we'll we'll catch up at some point ched absolutely anytime thank you don't forget subscribe like and share we I just finished our first NFL interview with the Carolina Panthers so that's available on the channel you can check that out and our next college football interview uh looks like it's going to be on Friday Oklahoma State going talk Oklahoma State Cowboys Big 12 Football so subscribe like and share don't miss the show we'll see you guys on the next side