Why Georgia’s ‘George Kittle 2.0’ could be key figure vs. Clemson, plus other notes

It wasn’t long into Georgia spring practice that a Bulldogs staffer had seen enough from true freshman tight end Brock Bowers to throw out a lofty comparison.

“George Kittle 2.0,” he told On3 at the time, referencing the San Francisco 49ers’ two-time Pro Bowl selection.

On Saturday, a national audience will get to see the characteristics that led to the comparison — the special combination of speed, athleticism and run-after-catch ability from Bowers that has continued to be on display behind the scenes in Athens. With Georgia starting tight end Darnell Washington sidelined by an injury, Bowers — a four-star recruit from Napa (Calif.) High, in the heart of California wine country — could end up being a key figure in the No. 5 Bulldogs’ massive season-opening matchup with No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte (7:30 p.m., ABC).

“Brock has been a good player since he got here,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said recently of Bowers. “He was probably limited some in the spring. He accelerated his learning. He’s competitive. He works his tail off every day. He’s a joy to be around. He’s what you want in a football player. We’ve got to find a way to use his skill set.”

Bowers didn’t play his senior season at Napa High, which got pushed back to the spring due to COVID. He recorded 1,499 all-purpose yards, 18 touchdowns and an average of 28.2 yards per catch as a junior in 2019 while contributing at tight end, wide receiver, running back, linebacker and kick returner.

At a recruiting event in 2019, Bowers posted a 4.55 40-yard dash time and a 40-inch vertical jump.

“He’s a freak,” Georgia running back Kendall Milton told reporters. “Just seeing him when he first got here, he’s probably about 6-3, 6-3 and a half, just like fully built. He’s one of those dudes who can really do it all. He has crazy explosion. He’s crazy fast. Super strong. … I feel like Brock, he’s going to make a big impact on Georgia.”

How Ole Miss landed a new QB

In recent weeks, Lane Kiffin continued to have interest in adding depth to his Ole Miss quarterback room. Specifically, Kiffin was hoping to bring in a graduate transfer with starting experience to add to the options behind Rebels preseason first-team All-SEC quarterback Matt Corral.

Only one quarterback who was available fit that criteria — Tyrrell Pigrome, a former starter at Maryland and Western Kentucky who went into the transfer portal in March. Because Pigrome still was without a landing spot, Ole Miss — which doesn’t have any more scholarships available — figured it would be worth reaching out to see if he would be willing to join the team as a walk-on. He was.

Now, just a couple of weeks after making initial contact, the Rebels have Pigrome as a potential option behind Corral. Pigrome began practicing Tuesday for the Rebels, who open their season Monday night against Louisville in Atlanta (8 p.m., ESPN).

The move reunites Pigrome with Ole Miss defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who recruited and coached him at Maryland, and former Western Kentucky teammate Jahcour Pearson, a wide receiver who joined the Rebels as a walk-on in January.

Pigrome was the 2015 Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year at Clay-Chalkville High in suburban Birmingham. He threw for 1,603 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games at Western Kentucky last season. He also ran for 337 yards and four scores.

Some things to keep an eye on tonight

• Multiple college coaches have mentioned to On3 this week that they could see host Minnesota challenging No. 4 Ohio State (8 p.m. ET, Fox). I don’t see it as much, though, especially with Golden Gophers No. 1 wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell questionable because of an ankle injury.

• The Gus Malzahn era at UCF starts with a showdown against one of the nation’s other premier Group of 5 programs — Boise State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). UCF was picked to finish second in the AAC, behind Cincinnati. Boise, in its first season under new coach Andy Avalos (who had been Oregon’s defensive coordinator), was the preseason pick to win the Mountain West. UCF is a six-point favorite. The Knights are led by Dillon Gabriel, who ranked first nationally in passing last season (357.0 yards per game).

•  Speaking of UCF, former Knights coach Josh Heupel is set for his first game at Tennessee — a matchup against Bowling Green (8 p.m. ET, SEC Network). It will be the debut of Michigan transfer Joe Milton as the Vols’ starting quarterback. Milton, who struggled as the starter at Michigan last season, joined the Vols this summer and beat out Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker and former four-star recruit Harrison Bailey for the starting job. While at UCF, Heupel recruited Milton out of Orlando Olympia.