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ATHENS The Georgia football 'G-Day' game is some three months away, spring drills don't begin for approximately 8 weeks, and offseason conditioning is just getting started. But the anticipation of how the Bulldogs' offense will look is building. READ: Kirby Smart's magical offseason has Georgia aiming for title There's a distinct buzz around graduate transfer QB Jamie Newman, newly hired OC Todd Monken and offensive staff addition Buster Faulkner. Former Georgia football coach Mark Richt said there's a number of directions Kirby Smart could take his team on offense with Goodman under center. RELATED: Jamie Newman can fit new direction for Bulldogs' offense 'He can adapt to any system,' Richt told DawgNation while in New Orleans for the CFP Championship Game last week, asked about the Wake Forest transfer. 'I think he's making the move to Georgia to try to get more experience in a pro-like system.' Richt, who served as an analyst for the ACC Network last season, said he wouldn't be surprised if Newman was the best quarterback in the SEC next season. WATCH: Mark Richt makes bold prediction about Bulldogs' new quarterback Monken directed the NFL's leading pass attack in 2018 as offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Bucs and worked with Baker Mayfield last season as the Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator. 'Coach Monken sees the game through the quarterback's eyes,' said Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played for Monken in 2018. 'He is aggressive and calls a game based on the strengths of his players.' Faulkner played quarterback himself and has experience with spread offenses and RPO schemes, much like Monken. Richt explained how offensive trends have reversed direction over the past few years. 'The NFL has moved toward a new trend of more spread, more shot gun, more RPOs,' Richt said. 'The NFL has started to do what the college kids can do.' Indeed, RPOs schemes are more prevalent than ever at football's highest level, with mobile quarterbacks leading the way. Richt recalled how not too long ago, schemes once trended in the opposite direction. 'It used to be, years ago, the NFL would trickle down to the college level,' said Richt, who led the Bulldogs' program from 2001-2015. 'And then college would trickle down to high school, as far as scheme. 'Now, high school trickles up to college, and the NFL is doing more of what the colleges are doing. All the RPO stuff started in the high schools.' Newman ran RPOs in the Demon Deacons' modified spread, an offense that operated at a fast tempo but utilized intentionally slow-developing plays. It's a safe bet Monken's offense won't resemble the so-called 'Clawfence' Newman ran under Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson. But it will have RPOs, just as this last season's version of the UGA offense did. If Newman wins the job as expected Smart doesn't sign graduate transfers with the intention of sitting them Georgia's 2020 offense will surely utilize his mobility and arm strength. The possibilities aren't endless, but they're certainly alluring. As Richt said, Newman can adapt to any system. More from DawgNation UGA adds offseason excitement, stars endorse new OC Todd Monken WATCH: 2021 commit Brock Vandagriff shares story with DawgNation Podcast: Brandon Adams shares his take on Brock Vandagriff addition Kirby Smart has turned Georgia offense upside down Social media reacts to addition of 5-star QB Brock Vandagriff Why Buster Faukner a perfect complement to Todd Monken The post Mark Richt: Georgia quarterback Jamie Newman can adapt to any offensive system appeared first on DawgNation. -
Welcome to Good Day, UGA , your one-stop shop for Georgia footballnews and takes. Check us out every weekday morning for everything you need to know about Georgia football, recruiting, basketball and more. National media sees Florida and Georgia football on same level entering 2020 season The last three seasons, Georgia has been the superior team when it has played Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. In 2017, the Bulldogs blew out the Gators 42-7. When the two teams met in 2018, Florida put up a better fight, but Georgia wore them out over the course of four quarters for a 36-17 win in Dan Mullen's first year. This past season saw Florida play Georgia close, but the Gators never had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the second half of the game, as Georgia came away with a 24-17 victory. Factor in the talent advantage via superior recruiting rankings and it's easy to see why Georgia has been a clear step above Florida for most of Kirby Smart's tenure. But entering the 2020 season it appears the Bulldogs and Gators are seen as equals. At least in the eyes of the national media. College football writer Matt Hinton compiled a number of the Way Too Early Top 25's' for the upcoming 2020 season. And interestingly enough, Florida and Georgia averaged out to finish with the same ranking, tied for sixth. and here's your knee-jerk consensus of 15 'way too early' rankings for 2020. It's a clean sweep at the top and as long as Trevor Lawrence doesn't renounce the sport in search of enlightenment it's going to stay that way. pic.twitter.com/1vbU2O7Usj Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) January 16, 2020 And more interesting is that while Georgia's range is greater as high as second, low as 13th Florida has a much more consistent ranking across the 15 lists that were put together. There are a number of reasons why some in the national media might think this way. Looking at Florida first, the Gators do bring back quarterback Kyle Trask. After beginning the season as a back-up, he shined for the Gators throwing for 25 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. The Gators also bring back most of their starting offensive line. While Florida does have to replace four of its top six receivers, there are former highly recruited playmakers like Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland waiting to take on bigger roles to go along with star tight end Kyle Pitts. Florida also lose their top two pass rushers in Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga from the 2019 team. But former Georgia Bulldog and 5-star prospect in Brenton Cox waiting in the wings. And while the Gators haven't signed many 5-star prospects in recent years, Florida is bringing in mammoth defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, someone who Georgia very much wanted to land in the 2020 cycle. There is also nowhere near the coaching turnover on Florida's staff that there has been at Georgia. And stability sells. Georgia had to replace well-regarded offensive line coach Sam Pittman this offseason. The Bulldogs also brought in a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, who will replace James Coley. Georgia's offense, as bad as it was last season, is going to look very different in 2020. And the unknown naturally leads to skepticism. There's also the fact that Bulldogs had five players declare early for the NFL draft. All of them were on the offensive side of the ball and two of them D'Andre Swift and Andrew Thomas were clearly Georgia's best offensive players last year. The Bulldogs must replace also replace quarterback Jake Fromm. As much as he struggled down the stretch last season, he still led the Bulldogs to an SEC East title, Sugar Bowl win and was the unquestionable reason why Georgia beat Florida. Replacing him, even with someone who has starting experience in Jamie Newman, is not an easy task. Related: ESPN labels Georgia football a loser of NFL early entry process For as much as Georgia returns on defense next year multiple starters at every level or brings in with its highly-touted 2020 recruiting class, those aspects don't appeal as much nationally as a competent offense and potentially great quarterback do. As for what this ultimately means, not a whole lot. The national media perceptions isn't going to change how these two programs recruit, as Georgia is always going to be a better recruiting power with Smart than Florida will be with Mullen. People will also always give Mullen the benefit of the doubt of replacing talent on offense, given his extensive offensive background. While Georgia has beaten Florida in each of the past two seasons, it's not like the Gators have been that far off in comparison to where the Bulldogs end the season. Both teams finished the 2018 and 2019 seasons ranked in the top-10 of the final AP Polls. And thanks to Hinton's data, both seemed poised to start the 2020 season with those same lofty rankings. We ultimately won't know which team is better until the two teams meet once again in Jacksonville on Oct. 31. But at the very least to start the 2020 campaign, there seems to be a thought that Florida is continuing to inch closer to Georgia's level coming from the national media. More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation Georgia football's Andrew Thomas first-round NFL draft lock, Cleveland popular projection Georgia football podcast: Expect UGA's new-look offense to silence Florida hype Why the addition of 5-star QB Brock Vandagriff could be a great sign for in-state recruiting Kirby Smart recognizes his offense needs to change after latest Georgia football coaching moves Social media reacts to Georgia football landing 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff Georgia sports roundup: Baseball to begin season in top 10, Gymnastics posts season-best effort Georgia football podcast: Reaction to 5-star QB Brock Vandagriff's commitment to UGA Dawgs on Twitter Don't wait. Let's go get it. #ATD #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/IaWsyfk3pF Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) January 22, 2020 Official this weekend! #GoDawgs Tate Ratledge (@tateratledge22) January 22, 2020 Jayden Thomas. Pace Academy. Elite WR in the 2021 class. Also quite a talent on the baseball diamond, too. https://t.co/ISy2dnHbr1 Jeff Sentell (@jeffsentell) January 22, 2020 August 6th Commitment Date Remember That Lovasea Carroll (@LovaseaC) January 22, 2020 @DawgNation @jeffsentell yall able to help get the word out? For a Young @Chiefs fan with Cancer to go see @MecoleHardman4 in Miami? https://t.co/uZYI3UBw6N pic.twitter.com/0p1kdzbPUK Taylor FreshToDeath (@TayFresh2Death) January 22, 2020 Good Dawg of the Day Here's a good boy getting very excited about finally catching his ball. 14/10 please say you're proud of him pic.twitter.com/9NXTLoX5AS WeRateDogs (@dog_rates) January 21, 2020 The post National media sees Florida and Georgia on same level entering 2020 season appeared first on DawgNation. -
ATHENS Former Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas might want to make sure his wardrobe includes plenty of things that match with brown. Thomas, an Outland Trophy Finalist and All-American for the Bulldogs last season, is being sidelined projected as the first-round pick for the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Browns have the 10th overall pick, and Thomas one of the record 111 underclassmen from the college ranks to declare himself eligible for the draft is widely considering the top offensive tackle in the draft class. The ClevelandBrowns.com website will be paying particularly close attention to Thomas throughout the draft process as its roundup reflected the former Georgia captain a popular choice among NFL draft analysts. Among those projecting Thomas to the Cleveland Browns at No. 10 are: Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network Dane Brugler, The Athletic Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News Benjamin Solak, The Draft Network Josh Edwards, CBSsports.com Brugler reportedly noted Thomas has 'shock absorbers' for hands in assessment. Thomas has been projected to be selected by other teams by other analysts, but the Browns' projection is far and away most popular. That said, the NFL draft process is just getting underway ,with players' draft stock rising and falling at the Senior Bowl this week, and the NFL combine in Indianapolis fast approaching. Thomas' athleticism, skill work and disposition figure to make him a strong candidate to improve his stock once he starts meeting with teams and performs at the NFL combine. Indeed, Thomas has been projected as high as the No. 4 overall pick in the New York Giants (CBS Sports). Iowa's Tristan Wirfs and Alabama's Jedrick Wills appears to Thomas' biggest competition in the draft at the offensive tackle position. Both are also widely projected first-round picks. The draft ranking for Thomas from No. 4 to No. 10 is higher than any of the other Georgia players in the upcoming draft class. The Bulldogs have two other juniors, tailback D'Andre Swift and quarterback Jake Fromm, who have received first-round draft projections, but neither as high as Thomas. Georgia also has two other underclass offensive linemen coming out, junior guard Solomon Kindley and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Wilson. Both Kindley and Wilson have been trimming up their football frames to be in prime condition for the NFL combine. Kindley and Wilson, both, figure to improve their stock at the combine. The NFL Draft takes place April 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada. DawgNation: Georgia in the NFL draft ESPN labels Georgia a 'loser' in NFL early entry process Eli Wolf, Charlie Woerner, Brian Herrien, Tyrique McGhee shine in all-star games Todd McShay projects Georgia QB Jake Fromm to have first-round talent Closer look at Jake Fromm's decision, factors and faith Georgia OG Solomon Kindley comes off ankle injury, makes NFL leap The post Georgia football's Andrew Thomas first-round NFL draft lock, Cleveland popular projection appeared first on DawgNation. -
Georgia football is the No. 1 topic every day on DawgNation Daily the daily podcast for Georgia Bulldogs fans. Catch up on everything happening with UGA athletics with host Brandon Adams and the DawgNation experts as they break down the latest Georgia football recruiting news and discuss coach Kirby Smart's quest to return the Bulldogs to the top of the SEC. On episode No. 1,115 (Jan. 22, 2020) of the podcast, Georgia fans can hear a discussion about whether Florida is a legitimate threat to UGA in the SEC East this season. Georgia football podcast: Expect UGA's new-look offense to silence Florida hype Beginning of the show: Florida has gotten plenty of love thus far during the offseason. A growing number of analysts are even picking the Gators to overtake Georgia in the SEC East. I'll explain on today's show why the recent offensive changes UGA has made should prevent that from happening. 10-minute mark: I discuss a specific example of how the Bulldogs can coach up the quarterback position better under the direction of Todd Monken. 15-minute mark: DawgNation's Mike Griffith joins the show. Some of the topics covered include A comparison between UGA and Florida A look at what the addition of Monken and Buster Faulkner could mean for the Bulldogs offense A discussion on the status of former offensive coordinator Jame Coley And reaction to UGA's basketball loss Tuesday night at Kentucky 30-minute mark: I take a look at other SEC headlines including Auburn coach Gus Malzahn announcing that new Tigers offensive coordinator Chad Morris will call plays next season, an interesting gift for former Alabama and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts at the Senior Bowl and a look at the SEC names including UGA's D'Andre Swift and Andrew Thomas in Daniel Jeremiah's initial first-round mock draft at NFL.com. 35-minute mark: I discuss UGA defensive line signee Jalen Carter earning five-star status and react to an interesting tweet from five-star UGA cornerback signee Kelee Ringo. End of show: I share the Gator Hater Updater. The post Georgia football podcast: Expect UGA's new-look offense to silence Florida hype appeared first on DawgNation. -
Anytime you lose one of the best running backs in the SEC, both starting offensive tackles and a three-year starter at quarterback to the NFL Draft, you're going to be branded as a team that did not come out as a winner of the NFL draft's early entry process. And that is the case for the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia saw five players forgo eligibility and declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. All five come from the offensive side of the ball as running back D'Andre Swift, offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson, offensive guard Solomon Kindley and quarterback Jake Fromm all left Georgia early to pursue their NFL careers. The only team that had more early departures for the 2020 NFL Draft is LSU though Alabama also saw five players depart early. And because of the heavy losses, all on the offensive sides of the ball, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg labeled Georgia as a loser of the process. Rittenberg was understanding of why Swift and Thomas would declare, given both are expected to be first-round picks. But the ESPN writer was a little more confused as to why Fromm, Wilson and Kindley went ahead and entered the 2020 NFL Draft. 'Jake Fromm, a three-year starter, could have returned, especially in a year with a strong quarterback class,' Rittenberg wrote. 'Isaiah Wilsondoesn't rank among Kiper's top 10 offensive tackle prospects, and guardSolomon Kindleyisn't ranked.' As far as replacing the departing players, Zamir White seems like the clear option to step in as Georgia's lead running back in 2020. He started in Georgia's Sugar Bowl win over Baylor, where he racked up 92 yards and a touchdown against the Big 12's top defense. Related: ESPN tabs Zamir White as Georgia football breakout player for 2020 season At quarterback, Georgia landed Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman. He threw for 26 touchdowns last season while also rushing for six. Georgia has also made some staff changes, as the Bulldogs named Todd Monken as the offensive coordinator. That title was previously held by James Coley. In regards to the holes on the offensive line, Justin Shaffer figures to slide in at the left guard spot for Kindley. When the latter missed time during the 2019 season, the rising senior Shaffer stepped in as his replacement. He was recently cleared to play after sustaining a season-ending neck injury. At right tackle, Jamaree Salyer is slatted to take over for Wilson. Salyer got the start in the Sugar Bowl and played very well at the right tackle spot. While Salyer also has worked at the guard spot, he did spend the entire 2019 season as Wilson's back-up. Finding a replacement for Thomas though may prove to be the most difficult. In addition to Thomas being an absolute stud, Georgia doesn't have a perfect replacement lined up. Cade Mays was thought to be the favorite for the job, but he has since transferred to Tennessee. The Bulldogs do have a commitment from 5-star offensive tackle Broderick Jones, but he has not yet signed with Georgia as Auburn is still pursuing his services. Another name to watch for as a Thomas replacement could be redshirt freshman Xavier Truss. Regarding the 2020 NFL Draft, it wasn't all bad for the Bulldogs. None of the defensive players that could've declared early for the 2020 NFL Draft did so, meaning the likes of Richard LeCounte, Monty Rice and Eric Stokes will all be returning to a defense that was one of the nation's best in 2019. Related: Richard LeCounte is the face of the Georgia football program for the 2020 season The 2020 NFL Draft is set to take place in Las Vegas and runs from April 23 through the 25. More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation Why the addition of 5-star QB Brock Vandagriff could be a great sign for in-state recruiting Kirby Smart recognizes his offense needs to change after latest Georgia football coaching moves Social media reacts to Georgia football landing 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff Georgia sports roundup: Baseball to begin season in top 10, Gymnastics posts season-best effort Georgia football podcast: Reaction to 5-star QB Brock Vandagriff's commitment to UGA The post ESPN labels Georgia football a loser of NFL early entry process appeared first on DawgNation.
