2023 College Football Catalog: Previewing the Georgia Bulldogs

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Just like the NFL season is right around the corner, college campuses are preparing to welcome back their football squads for the fall season.

As the summer progresses we will be taking a look into how many of the FBS college football programs fared in 2022, what they did during the offseason, and how they can find success during the 2023 season. Today, we move onto the SEC, discussing the back-to-back national champion Georgia Bulldogs.

Big 12 previews:

Big 10 previews:

Overview

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half in the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

2022 Results

  1. W vs. (11) Oregon, 49-3
  2. W vs. Samford, 33-0
  3. W @ South Carolina, 48-7
  4. W vs. Kent State, 39-22
  5. W @ Missouri, 26-22
  6. W vs. Auburn, 42-10
  7. W vs. Vanderbilt, 55-0
  8. W vs. Florida, 42-20
  9. W vs. (2) Tennessee, 27-13
  10. W @ Mississippi State, 45-19
  11. W @ Kentucky, 16-6
  12. W vs. Georgia Tech, 37-14
  13. W vs. LSU, 50-30 (SEC Championship)
  14. W vs. (4) Ohio State, 42-41 (Peach Bowl)
  15. W vs. (3) TCU, 65-7 (National Championship)
    Overall Record: 15-0 (8-0)

2022 All-SEC Members

  • QB Stetson Bennett (Second-Team)
  • WR Ladd McConkey (Second-Team)
  • TE Brock Bowers (First-Team)
  • TE Darnell Washington (Second-Team)
  • OL Warren McClendon (First-Team)
  • C Sedrick Van Pran (Second-Team)
  • DL Jalen Carter (First-Team)
  • DL Nazir Stackhouse (Second-Team)
  • DB Kelee Ringo (Second-Team)
  • DB Chris Smith (First-Team)
  • K Jack Podlesny (First-Team)
  • LS William Mote (Second-Team)

Recent Vikings Draft Picks

  • S Lewis Cine (2022 Draft; R1, P32)
  • K Blair Walsh (2012 Draft; R6, P175)

Every Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Draft Pick

2023 Draft Selections

  • R1, P9: DL Jalen Carter (Philadelphia Eagles)
  • R1, P14: OT Broderick Jones (Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • R1, P30: OLB Nolan Smith (Philadelphia Eagles)
  • R3, P93: TE Darnell Washington (Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • R4, P105: CB Kelee Ringo (Philadelphia Eagles)
  • R4, P128: QB Stetson Bennett (Los Angeles Rams)
  • R5, P170: CB Chris Smith (Las Vegas Raiders)
  • R5, P173: OLB Robert Beal (San Francisco 49ers)
  • R5, P174: OL Warren McClendon (Los Angeles Rams)
  • R7, P237: RB Kenny McIntosh (Seattle Seahawks)

2023 Schedule

  1. 9/2 vs. TN-Martin
  2. 9/9 vs. Ball State
  3. 9/16 vs. South Carolina
  4. 9/23 vs. UAB
  5. 9/30 @ Auburn
  6. 10/7 vs. Kentucky
  7. 10/14 @ Vanderbilt
  8. 10/28 @ Florida
  9. 11/4 vs. Missouri
  10. 11/11 vs. Ole Miss
  11. 11/18 @ Tennessee
  12. 11/25 @ Georgia Tech

Notable Additions

Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas (5) gets ready to run a drill during the first day fall football camp in Athens, Ga., on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023.
  • RB Roderick Robinson (four-star recruit)
  • RB Len’Neth Whitehead (transfer portal, Tennessee)
  • WR Anthony Evans (four-star recruit)
  • WR Yazeed Haynes (four-star recruit)
  • WR Dominic Lovett (transfer portal, Missouri)
  • WR RaRa Thomas (transfer portal, Mississippi State)
  • WR Tyler Williams (four-star recruit)
  • TE Lawson Luckie (four-star recruit)
  • TE Pearce Spurlin (four-star recruit)
  • OT Monroe Freeling (four-star recruit)
  • OT Bo Hughley (four-star recruit)
  • IOL Kelton Smith (four-star recruit)
  • DL Jordan Hall (five-star recruit)
  • DL Jamaal Jarrett (four-star recruit)
  • EDGE Gabriel Harris (four-star recruit)
  • EDGE Samuel M’Pemba (four-star recruit)
  • EDGE Damon Wilson (four-star recruit)
  • LB CJ Allen (four-star recruit)
  • LB Raylen Wilson (five-star recruit)
  • LB Troy Bowles (four-star recruit)
  • CB Smoke Bouie (transfer portal, Texas A&M)
  • CB AJ Harris (five-star recruit)
  • CB Daniel Harris (four-star recruit)
  • CB Chris Peal (four-star recruit)
  • S Joenel Aguero (five-star recruit)

Recruit/transfer information can be found at 24/7 Sports

Notable Losses

Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nolan Smith (4) celebrates after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
  • QB Stetson Bennett (NFL Draft, Los Angeles Rams)
  • RB Kenny McIntosh (NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks)
  • WR Adonai Mitchell (transfer portal, Texas)
  • TE Arik Gilbert (transfer portal, Nebraska)
  • TE Darnell Washington (NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • OT Jacob Hood (transfer portal, Nebraska)
  • OT Broderick Jones (NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers)
  • OL Warren McClendon (NFL Draft, Los Angeles Rams)
  • DL Bear Alexander (transfer portal, USC)
  • DL Bill Norton (transfer portal, Arizona)
  • EDGE MJ Sherman (transfer portal, Nebraska)
  • OLB Robert Beal (NFL Draft, San Francisco 49ers
  • OLB Nolan Smith (NFL Draft, Philadelphia Eagles)
  • LB Trezmen Mitchell (transfer portal, Alabama)
  • CB Chris Davis (NFL Draft, Las Vegas Raiders)
  • CB Kelee Ringo, NFL Draft, Philadelphia Eagles)
  • CB Jaheim Singletary (transfer portal, Arkansas)

Transfer information can be found at 24/7 Sports

Keys to 2023

Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter (88) sacks Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis (7) during the second half of an NCAA college football game between Kentucky and Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. Georgia won 30-13. News Joshua L Jones

Replacing the Bulldogs’ Defensive Stars

The Georgia Bulldogs lost a number of their defensive stars to the NFL once again this spring. Names like Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Chris Smith, and Kelee Ringo will no longer be around. However, similarly to last year, Georgia had another ridiculous recruiting class that should help ease these losses. Names like Jordan Hall, Raylen Wilson, AJ Harris, and Joenel Aguero could make an immediate impact in the program.

Additionally, they somehow retain plenty of talent on the defensive front and in the secondary. This Georgia defense should be as fierce in 2023 as it ever was during their title runs of 2021 and 2022.

Can Carson Beck Replace Stetson Bennett?

Stetson Bennett got a lot of scrutiny ahead of the NFL Draft, but he was undeniably a huge part of Georgia’s success over the past few years. Carson Beck is hoping to step in and take over that role in 2023, and the former four-star recruit will play a huge role in making sure the Bulldogs can three-peat this year.

New Faces at Skill Positions on Offense

A notable loss that didn’t involve the NFL was WR Adonai Mitchell, who transferred to Texas. The receiver was injured for much of the 2022 season, holding his production to just 9 receptions for 134 yards and 3 TDs. However, in the College Football Playoff, he showed his true talents, catching 4 passes for 68 yards and a pair of TDs in Georgia’s wins over Ohio State and TCU.

In 2023, Georgia gets RaRa Thomas, a top transfer from Mississippi State, along with RB Len’Neth Williams, who will replace Kenny McIntosh in the backfield. They also have a slew of recruits on offense including RB Roderick Robinson, WR Anthony Evans, and WR Tyler Williams to play alongside the top tight end in the country, Brock Bowers.

Prediction

  1. W vs. TN-Martin
  2. W vs. Ball State
  3. W vs. South Carolina
  4. W vs. UAB
  5. W @ Auburn
  6. W vs. Kentucky
  7. W @ Vanderbilt
  8. W @ Florida
  9. W vs. Missouri
  10. W vs. Ole Miss
  11. W @ Tennessee
  12. W @ Georgia Tech
    Overall Record: 12-0 (8-0)

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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