The core of Georgia’s teams that have won three consecutive SEC East championships is gone.
Notably, the Bulldogs must replace three-year starting quarterback Jake Fromm, who led the team to an SEC championship and to the College Football Playoff Championship Game as a freshman in 2017, and who was part of teams that were a combined 36-7 overall and 21-3 in regular-season SEC play.
Fromm was one of seven Bulldogs drafted this spring. Also gone from Georgia are NFL Draft first-round offensive linemen Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson, starting lineman Solomon Kindley, and leading rusher D’Andre Swift.
The Bulldogs must also replace two key assistant coaches who are now at Arkansas. Sam Pittman, the Razorbacks’ head coach, was one of Smart’s first and most important hires. Pittman brought special teams coordinator Scott Fountain with him to Fayetteville.
Georgia Quick Facts
Coach: Kirby Smart (44-12, fifth season at Georgia and overall)
2019 Record: 12-2 overall, 7-1 SEC
Postseason Result: Lost 37-10 to LSU in SEC Championship Game; defeated Baylor 26-14 in Sugar Bowl.
Offense: Spread
Defense: 3-4
Returning Lettermen: 53 (21 offense, 30 defense, 2 special teams)
Returning Starters: 13 (3 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams)
Players to Watch: WR George Pickens, RB Zamir White, C Trey Hill, RG Ben Cleveland, LB Monty Rice, S Richard LeCounte
Series Record: Georgia leads 10-4
Last Meeting: Georgia defeated Arkansas 45-32 on Oct. 18, 2014, in Little Rock.
The key departures continued into September when quarterback Jamie Newman opted out of the 2020 season after establishing himself as the front-runner to replace Fromm. Newman was a graduate transfer from Wake Forest.
Despite all the personnel hits, the Bulldogs are a preseason favorite to compete for the SEC East again, picked second behind Florida in a close vote by league media. That is due, in part, to a string of elite recruiting classes and an experienced defense.
Georgia is ranked No. 4 and one could argue it has a better chance at making the College Football Playoff this year by swapping two ACC opponents for two more in the SEC. The Bulldogs exchanged a game against Virginia — a division champion and Orange Bowl participant a year ago — for one against Arkansas, and will play Mississippi State instead of in-state rival Georgia Tech, which beat Florida State in its first game.
Georgia’s playoff hopes could rise or fade in the first month of the season. Following their opener at Arkansas, the Bulldogs have high-profile games against Auburn, Tennessee and Alabama on three consecutive weekends in October.
Georgia Key Trend
A testament to Kirby Smart’s hawk-like focus on defense, Georgia has allowed just three touchdowns in its past four season openers.
Two of those touchdowns were allowed in Smart’s first game as the Bulldogs’ coach in 2016 against North Carolina. The Bulldogs allowed a late touchdown by Appalachian State in 2017, and kept Austin Peay and Vanderbilt out of the end zone the past two years.
While those teams aren’t close to the Bulldogs’ level, Georgia has also been tough early against teams more of its caliber. The Bulldogs held Notre Dame to 19 and South Carolina to 17 points during Week 2 games in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and didn’t allow more than 20 points during the regular season last year.
The Bulldogs have recorded five shutouts in the past three seasons, including three in SEC play.
Georgia Key Player
Senior safety Richard LeCounte is a preseason All-American.
LeCounte is coming off a season in which he recorded 61 tackles, was second in the SEC with 4 interceptions and led the league with 3 fumble recoveries. He had two interceptions in the Bulldogs’ Sugar Bowl victory over Baylor.
LeCounte is the latest in a long line of star safeties coached by Kirby Smart, who at Alabama tutored the likes of HaHa Clinton Dix, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Eddie Jackson. Like those great Crimson Tide safeties, LeCounte has the ability to get his hands on the ball frequently and make plays when he does.
He had a 71-yard interception return against Missouri last season. During a game against Florida as a sophomore in 2018, LeCounte returned a fumble 32 yards into the red zone before he was tackled by quarterback Feleipe Franks, who is now at Arkansas.
Did You Know?
Georgia has never lost a game in the state of Arkansas. The Bulldogs are 4-0 all-time in Fayetteville and won their only game played in Little Rock six years ago. This will be Georgia’s first game in Fayetteville since 2009.
Georgia on Offense
Kirby Smart turned to veteran assistant Todd Monken to lead the Bulldogs’ offense this year. Monken has spent the past four seasons coaching in the NFL after serving three years as head coach at Southern Miss.
Monken had a successful run as an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State in 2011 and 2012, and oversaw the passing game for LSU’s national championship team in 2007.
Smart’s teams have traditionally been balanced offensively, but the Bulldogs might throw it more with Monken calling plays. His Southern Miss teams averaged 39 passes per game in Monken’s final two seasons, and Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden threw the ball 44 times per game in Monken’s first season as the Cowboys’ coordinator in 2011.
With Jamie Newman out of the picture at quarterback, many felt another graduate transfer, JT Daniels, would be first on the field when the Bulldogs play at Arkansas. But with Daniels still not cleared to play as of Wednesday, the odds-on favorite to start is redshirt freshman D'Wan Mathis, who took the bulk of the first-team snaps during the Bulldogs’ final scrimmage of the preseason, according to reports.
Mathis was Georgia’s scout team quarterback a year ago and adds a running dimension not present with Daniels. He lacks Daniels' game experience, though.
In 2018, Daniels became the second true freshman to ever start a season opener at quarterback for Southern Cal. He started 11 games that season (he missed one due to concussion) and was expected to put up huge numbers as a sophomore. But during the 2019 opener against Fresno State, Daniels tore his ACL.
Whoever wins the starting job will be surrounded by talent. Running back Zamir White had a breakthrough performance during the Sugar Bowl with 92 yards on 18 carries against Baylor. He will rotate with James Cook, who averaged 6.1 yards and scored twice on 31 carries last season.
George Pickens emerged late last season as a big-play threat at receiver. He had 12 receptions for 175 yards and scored a touchdown in the Sugar Bowl. His 12 receptions were the most by a Georgia receiver in a single game in 17 years.
The Bulldogs lost receivers Dominick Blaylock and Arian Smith to knee injuries in the offseason, but still have plenty of options behind Pickens. Georgia returns 46 percent of its receiving production from a year ago, and freshman Jermaine Burton has reportedly been a playmaker in the Bulldogs’ scrimmages.
Sam Pittman left behind a strong offensive front at Georgia. Center Trey Hill started every game last season and is an All-America candidate, and freshmen Tate Ratledge and Broderick Jones were blue-chip recruits from the state of Georgia.
Four of Georgia’s positions have been locked up for most of the preseason. The biggest question mark is right tackle, where redshirt sophomore Owen Condon is a strong candidate to start.
John FitzPatrick and Tre’ McKitty have been locked in a position battle at tight end. FitzPatrick was the backup last season to Charlie Woerner, who was drafted this spring. McKitty is a graduate transfer from Florida State, where he caught 49 passes for 497 yards over the past two seasons.
Georgia on Defense
The offense has ebbed and flowed during Kirby Smart’s tenure, but the defense has been hard-nosed.
Smart, who was Alabama coach Nick Saban’s ace defensive coordinator for eight seasons, returns eight defensive starters from the SEC’s best defense a year ago. The defense is coordinated by Dan Lanning, a Broyles Award finalist last year.
Georgia recorded three shutouts last year and held nine teams to 14 points or less. The 12.6 points allowed per game were the best in the nation, and 275.7 yards were third-best nationally.
The Bulldogs were especially bullish against the run, best nationally. Two quarterbacks scored rushing touchdowns against Georgia last year, but no running back has in the past 62 quarters dating to 2018.
South Carolina’s 20-17 double-overtime upset last October was the Bulldogs’ worst defensive showing until a 37-10 embarrassment against LSU in the SEC Championship Game.
For as many playmakers as the Bulldogs have starting, there are maybe as many serving as backups, which allows Smart and Lanning to substitute freely. Last season Georgia had 37 defensive players log at least 100 snaps, and it isn’t a stretch to believe that most of the team’s backup defenders could start at most other programs.
An illustration of the Bulldogs’ versatility is Travon Walker, one of the SEC’s best freshmen last season when he recorded 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. But in front of Walker is Malik Herring, a senior.
A key to Georgia’s 3-4 base is nose tackle Jordan Davis, who at 6-6, 330 pounds will command a double team from the inexperienced interior of the Razorbacks’ offensive line. Smart mixes up his looks frequently and will also play plenty of nickel and dime packages.
The Bulldogs return eight of their nine leading tacklers from last season, including their top three in linebackers Monty Rice (89) and Tae Crowder (62) and safety Richard LeCounte (61). Rice is the middle linebacker.
Jack linebacker Azeez Ojulari led the Bulldogs with 5.5 sacks and 39 quarterback hurries last season. According to NFLDraftScout.com, Ojulari is Georgia’s best draft prospect and is eligible in 2021.
LeCounte is the most experienced player in the secondary where the Bulldogs lost two primary starters from a year ago. Redshirt junior Eric Stokes was also a primary starter and earned second-team All-SEC honors.
Georgia on Special Teams
The Bulldogs have to replace Rodrigo Blankenship, who won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s best place kicker last season when he made 27 of 33 field goal attempts. Blankenship made 80 of 97 field goals as a four-year starter.
Freshman Jared Zirkel has shown a strong leg this preseason and is in line to replace Blankenship. Zirkel made a 59-yard field goal with room to spare during a game as a high school junior in Texas.
Punter Jake Camarda averaged 46.8 yards last season and had 25 of 61 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
The Bottom Line
Georgia is a bad matchup for almost any team, but especially one that has lost 19 consecutive conference games and is on its third head coach in four seasons.
Sam Pittman wasn’t supposed to see his old team until next year, when the Razorbacks are scheduled to play the Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Now, Georgia will provide a first-game barometer for Pittman’s Arkansas tenure.
The Bulldogs are a four-touchdown favorite in Fayetteville. And because of covid-19 protocols, Georgia won’t face much hostility. A maximum attendance of 17,000 will be permitted at Arkansas’ home games this year, with 500 of those reserved for the visiting team.
Improvement for Arkansas will be gauged by how close it can stay to one of the nation’s elite programs. The Razorbacks lost by 41 points to Auburn and Alabama, and by 36 to LSU last season.
Georgia Depth Chart (Projected)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.
OFFENSE
QB 18 JT Daniels 6-3 210 R-So.
OR 2 D’Wan Mathis 6-6 205 R-Fr.
RB 3 Zamir White 6-0 215 R-So.
4 James Cook 5-11 190 Jr.
WR 1 George Pickens 6-3 200 So.
7 Jermaine Burton 6-0 195 Fr.
TE 86 John FitzPatrick 6-7 254 R-So.
OR 87 Tre’ McKitty 6-5 245 R-Sr.
RT 75 Owen Condon 6-7 310 R-So.
51 Tate Ratledge 6-6 317 Fr.
RG 74 Ben Cleveland 6-6 335 R-Sr.
55 Trey Hill 6-4 330 Jr.
C 55 Trey Hill 6-4 330 Jr.
50 Warren Ericson 6-4 305 R-So.
LG 54 Justin Shaffer 6-4 330 R-Sr.
60 Clay Webb 6-3 290 R-Fr.
LT 69 Jamaree Salyer 6-4 325 Jr.
73 Xavier Truss 6-7 330 R-Fr.
WR 16 Demetris Robertson 6-0 190 Sr.
12 Tommy Bush 6-5 195 R-So.
WR 10 Kearis Jackson 6-0 200 R-So.
5 Matt Landers 6-5 200 R-Jr.
DEFENSE
DE 10 Malik Herring 6-3 280 Sr.
44 Travon Walker 6-5 290 So.
NT 99 Jordan Davis 6-6 330 Jr.
91 Tymon Mitchell 6-3 315 R-Fr.
DT 95 Devonte Wyatt 6-3 301 Sr.
92 Julian Rochester 6-5 300 R-Sr.
OLB 11 Jermaine Johnson 6-5 240 Sr.
OR 84 Walter Grant 6-4 245 Sr.
ILB 32 Monty Rice 6-1 235 Sr.
25 Quay Walker 6-4 240 Jr.
ILB 17 Nakobe Dean 6-0 220 So.
41 Channing Tindall 6-2 218 Jr.
OLB 13 Areez Ojulari 6-3 240 R-So.
4 Nolan Smith 6-3 235 So.
CB 27 Eric Stokes 6-1 185 R-Jr.
14 DJ Daniel 6-1 185 Sr.
CB 3 Tyson Campbell 6-2 185 Jr.
9 Ameer Speed 6-3 211 R-Jr.
FS 2 Richard LeCounte 5-11 190 Sr.
29 Christopher Smith 5-11 180 Jr.
SS 16 Lewis Cine 6-1 185 So.
29 Christopher Smith 5-11 180 Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K 99 Jared Zirkel 6-3 185 Fr.
P 90 Jake Camarda 6-2 280 Jr.
H 90 Jake Camarda 6-2 280 Jr.
LS 47 Payne Walker 6-2 249 R-So.
PR 10 Kearis Jackson 6-0 200 R-So.
OR 7 Jermaine Burton 6-0 195 Fr.
KR 4 James Cook 5-11 190 Jr.
Arkansas Depth Chart
OFFENSE
QB 13 Feleipe Franks 6-6 228 G-Sr.
1 KJ Jefferson 6-3 236 R-Fr.
RB 5 Rakeem Boyd 6-0 206 Sr.
22 Trelon Smith 5-9 185 R-So.
WR 8 Mike Woods 6-1 196 Jr.
6 Kendall Catalon 5-9 182 R-So.
TE 82 Hudson Henry 6-5 249 R-Fr.
OR 89 Blayne Toll 6-5 234 Fr.
RT 73 Noah Gatlin 6-7 307 R-So.
OR 78 Dalton Wagner 6-9 319 R-Jr.
RG 55 Beaux Limmer 6-5 293 R-Fr.
71 Ryan Winkel 6-6 307 R-So.
C 51 Ricky Stromberg 6-4 311 So.
66 Ty Clary 6-4 298 Sr.
LG 62 Brady Latham 6-5 296 R-Fr.
57 Shane Clenin 6-6 316 R-Jr.
OR 70 Luke Jones 6-5 293 R-So.
LT 76 Myron Cunningham 6-7 325 R-Sr.
73 Noah Gatlin 6-7 307 R-So.
WR 7 Trey Knox 6-5 207 So.
19 Tyson Morris 6-1 202 R-Sr.
OR 41 T.J. Hammonds 5-10 189 R-Sr.
WR 16 Treylon Burks 6-3 232 So.
10 De’Vion Warren 5-10 186 Sr.
DEFENSE
JACK 5 Dorian Gerald 6-3 288 R-Sr.
11 Mataio Soli 6-4 235 So.
DT 97 Xavier Kelly 6-5 311 G-Sr.
OR 93 Isaiah Nichols 6-3 281 R-So.
DT 42 Jonathan Marshall 6-3 317 R-Sr.
91 Taurean Carter 6-3 291 R-Fr.
DE 13 Julius Coates 6-6 289 R-Jr.
50 Eric Gregory 6-4 283 R-Fr.
WLB 10 Bumper Pool 6-2 229 Jr.
30 Levi Draper 6-1 235 R-Jr.
MLB 31 Grant Morgan 5-11 222 R-Sr.
28 Andrew Parker 6-2 235 R-So.
CB 21 Montaric Brown 6-0 190 R-Jr.
4 Jarques McClellion 6-0 188 R-Jr.
SS 1 Jalen Catalon 5-10 189 R-Fr.
18 Myles Mason 6-2 204 Jr.
BS 7 Joe Foucha 5-11 188 Jr.
2 Myles Slusher 6-0 190 Fr.
CB 0 Jerry Jacobs 5-11 203 G-Sr.
19 Khari Johnson 6-0 189 Fr.
NICKEL 9 Greg Brooks 5-11 185 So.
24 LaDarrius Bishop 6-0 192 R-So.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K 35 A.J. Reed 5-11 186 G-Sr.
P 40 George Caratan 6-2 213 Jr.
OR 42 Sam Loy 6-1 192 R-Jr.
H 40 George Caratan 6-2 213 Jr.
LS 48 Jordan Silver 6-1 228 R-Jr.
PR 16 Treylon Burks 6-3 232 So.
KR 10 De’Vion Warren 5-10 186 Sr.
16 Treylon Burks 6-3 232 So.