Georgia ranked No. 3 by Athlon Sports in preseason poll
It’s almost College Football Preview magazine season which means the release of preseason rankings. Athlon Sports put theirs out on Wednesday, and they’ve got Georgia coming in at No. 3 behind top-ranked Alabama and No. 2 Ohio State. Here’s what they had to say about the Bulldogs.
Several key players from Georgia’s national championship team are gone – an NFL Draft-record 15 picks to be exact – but coach Kirby Smart‘s program will reload and push for a spot in the playoff once again. A dominant defense led the way for the Bulldogs in ’21, holding teams to 4.2 yards per play and 10.2 points a contest. But this unit was hit the hardest by departures, leaving lineman Jalen Carter, linebackers Robert Beal and Nolan Smith, along with defensive backs Christopher Smith and Kelee Ringo as the next wave of stars. Although there’s major turnover on this group, Georgia should still rank among the SEC’s best on defense. And even if the defense takes a small step back, the Bulldogs don’t lack for firepower on the other side of the ball. Under coordinator Todd Monken‘s watch, Georgia led the SEC in scoring offense (37.8 points a game) in conference-only matchups last year. Quarterback Stetson Bennett returns, with a talented group of playmakers on the outside, including tight ends Brock Bowers, Darnell Washington and Arik Gilbert, along with receivers Kearis Jackson and Adonai Mitchell. Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton headline the backfield, running behind an offensive line poised to be among the best in the nation. Helping Georgia’s case for another playoff trip is a favorable schedule that should it favored in all 12 regular-season matchups.
Steven Lassan, Athlon Sports
The magazine also lists a couple of key games for Georgia in 2022 starting things off against Oregon, ranked No. 10. SEC matchups against South Carolina (Sept. 17), Auburn (Oct. 8), Florida (Oct. 29), Tennessee (Nov. 5), Mississippi State (Nov. 12) and Kentucky (Nov. 19) were also featured. Making matters even tougher, only two of those seven games come within the friendly confines of Sanford Stadium with three (South Carolina, Mississippi State and Kentucky) all coming in true road atmospheres. The Volunteers come in ranked at No. 18, followed closely behind by Kentucky at No. 21 to round out Georgia’s ranked opponents. Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and South Carolina were all included in the “Next Tier” category.
Does your blood bleed red and black?
Ready to get all your latest Georgia recruiting and team news in one place? Become a member of DawgsHQ today. With your DawgsHQ membership, you’ll not only have access to the goings on in Athens, but you’ll be able to peruse other fan sites within the On3 network to hear just how rivals are feeling about the Dawgs, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter (@DawgsHQ), on Facebook and on YouTube for all the Dawg news you need now! And listen to the DawgsHQ crew on our podcast Dawg Walk Talk on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
