When you recruit as well as Georgia has under Kirby Smart, you’re bound to land some players who have special athletic traits.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic put together a list of the best athletes, or Freaks, in the country. It’s something he’s done on an annual basis, helping determine the top athletes in the sport.
Two Georgia football players made Feldman’s list of 101 players. Tight end Brock Bowers and running back Branson Robinson earned the recognition for the Bulldogs this time around.
In addition to being one of the best athletes in the sport, Bowers is also one of the best players. He’s led Georgia in receiving in each of his first two seasons while racking up 24 touchdowns in that span.
He’s back for a third and what will likely be final season for Georgia, thanks in part to his rare athletic gifts.
“Tere are stronger and bigger tight ends, but none are more athletic, as evidenced by all the plays he makes for the Bulldogs,” Feldman wrote of Bowers. “At 6-4, 240, Bowers can broad-jump 10-2, and his 36-inch vert would’ve tied for fourth-best among tight ends at the 2023 combine. His 40 time is somewhere in the 4.5s. Bowers also power-cleaned 355 pounds this offseason to go with a 485-pound squat and a 330-pound bench.”
What makes Bowers truly special though in the eyes of Georgia coaches isn’t his athletic ability. It’s when he pairs those outrageous athletic gifts with his competitive excellence that Bowers truly transcends what a tight end is capable of.
“He’s extremely talented. He can run, he can jump, he can catch, he’s tough,” Georgia tight ends coach Todd Hartley said. “What makes him special to me is his competitiveness. He is the ultimate competitor. The kid doesn’t want to lose at anything.”
As for Robinson, he’s long been distinguished as a weigh-lifter. His prowess in that area yielded comparisons to Nick Chubb.
Robinson is currently making his way back from a foot injury he suffered in the spring, but there’s a belief inside the Georgia program that Robinson could be the next special running back to come out of Athens.
“The 5-10, 220-pound sophomore is one of the most powerful dudes in college football, pound for pound,” Feldman wrote. “His bench press this offseason went from 425 to 470 — insane numbers for a running back. He also squats 590 and power-cleaned 315. His broad jump is also elite at 10-7 and his vertical jump is 33 inches.”
Georgia has one of the best teams in the country, in part because of some of the athletes they have on the team. Other Bulldogs who shine in the athleticism department include wide receiver Arian Smith, offensive lineman Amarius Mims, inside linebacker Smael Mondon and safety Malaki Starks.
The Bulldogs will open the season as the No. 1 team in the country in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll. Georgia starts the 2023 season on Sept. 2 against UT-Martin.