When you’re the No. 3 team in the country in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, you’re going to have your fair share of talented players. That is certainly the case for the Georgia Bulldogs, even after having to replace 15 NFL draft picks.
ESPN released its list of top 100 college football players for the 2022 season. Georgia placed seven players on the list, including two in the top 10.
Topping the list was Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson. Georgia’s highest-rated player, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, came in at No. 6. Just behind Carter was standout tight end Brock Bowers at No. 8. Georgia was one of four teams with multiple players in the top-10, joining Alabama, Ohio State and USC.
Carter is easily Georgia’s top defensive player, while the same can be said for Bowers on the offensive side of the ball.
“Brock is amazing. Just like JC (Carter), he’s like the JC at the tight end,” offensive tackle Broderick Jones said. “He’s a full package. I would just say with him and everybody else in the tight corps, we just have like a whole monster unit at tight end. I feel good about it.”
Joining Carter and Bowers was cornerback Kelee Ringo at No. 14, outside linebacker Nolan Smith at No. 40, quarterback Stetson Bennett at No. 44, safety Chris Smith at No. 62 and tight end Arik Gilbert at No. 85.
Georgia has quite a few players who could very well make this list come the end of the season, such as running back Kenny McIntosh, wide receiver AD Mitchell, tight end Darnell Washington, offensive tackle Warren McClendon, Jones, center Sedrick Van and inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson.
With that kind of talent edge, Georgia is expected to be a heavy favorite in most of the games it plays this season. Only Alabama placed more players in the top 100, as the Crimson Tide has eight players on the list. The Bulldogs will see several top-100 players during the season, such as Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell (No. 17), Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers (No. 27) and Kentucky quarterback Will Levis (No. 33).
Georgia will open the 2022 season against the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 3 in Atlanta. But between now and then, Georgia is far more focused on itself instead of the Ducks or the many talented players they will see during the upcoming season.
“We have a long way to go to get where we need to go, and that has nothing to do with Oregon, that has nothing to do with anybody we play, that has to do with the Georgia Bulldogs,” Kirby Smart said following Saturday’s scrimmage. “We have to look ourselves in the eyes, as coaches, and figure out what guys we have to do the best and get them to go execute that at the best. We have good football players on this team.”
More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation
- With a push from Kirby Smart, Broderick Jones wants to be the best left tackle and leader for Georgia football
- Mild-mannered Georgia tight end Brock Bowers takes Superman performances in stride
- Georgia football podcast: Former UGA great’s prediction about freshman WR could be coming true
- Georgia football coaches continue to rave about ‘old man’ Jamon Dumas-Johnson
- Jermaine Burton shifts focus to Alabama title run, ‘forgot about’ Georgia championship
- Where things stand with Malaki Starks, Darris Smith and other Georgia football freshmen as fall camp rolls on
- Kirby Smart challenges Dillon Bell to emerge as next productive Georgia football freshman receiver
