Georgia Football: Seven Bulldogs crack ESPN's College Football top 100

With College Football season quickly approaching, ESPN released its staff-voted top 100 players in the country on Wednesday. The selection process was simple. Voters were posed a series on one or the other questions asking who would have a better 2022 season between two players. That process was repeated over and over again until, in total, over 11,000 votes were cast by the ESPN staff. The list they came up with included seven Georgia players. Here’s who they had.

Jalen Carter – No. 6

ESPN writes: Georgia had three defensive linemen selected in the first round of the NFL draft, including No. 1 pick Travon Walker. Carter, a 310-pounder from Apopka, Florida, might end up being better than all of them. He averaged a tackle on 11.7% of snaps and led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss last season. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked as the fourth-best prospect for 2023.

There are a few names that every Georgia fan expected to see on this list. Carter would be one of those. Showing signs of maturity and growth to an already excellent game, Carter could be – and probably should be without three first rounders playing alongside him – even better in 2022. Still, his 2021 version wasn’t bad either. Carter was named to an All-SEC team last season with 37 tackles, 33 quarterback pressures and finished top three on the team in both tackles for loss (8.5) and pressures. He was also one of 20 players in the country to block multiple placement kicks.

Brock Bowers – No. 8

ESPN writes: Bowers was arguably the best tight end in the country last season, as a true freshman. It’s hard to imagine what he might do in his second season with the Bulldogs if he stays healthy. He had 56 catches for 882 yards with a school-record 13 touchdown receptions in 2022. He figures to once again be quarterback Stetson Bennett’s favorite target.

Having a top 10 player in the country on your team is tough. Having two is even tougher. Bowers returns to Athens after a spectacular freshman season that saw him break many Georgia receiving records. Bowers hauled in 56 catches for 882 yards, more than any other tight end in school history has ever before, and 13 touchdown, a school record regardless of position. But in speaking with Bowers this fall, there should be no concern for a sophomore slump. Bowers won SEC and national Freshman of the Year awards, earned First-Team All-SEC honors and still has two more seasons before he can consider going pro. The sky is the limit for Bowers and his college career.

Kelee Ringo – No. 14

ESPN writes: Ringo will forever be remembered by Bulldogs fans for his game-clinching pick-6 that put a bow on Georgia’s first national championship in 41 years. At 6-foot-2, Ringo is a tall cornerback with exceptionally long arms and good ball skills and speed. He had 34 tackles with eight pass breakups and two interceptions in 2021. If Ringo is more consistent this season, he might be one of the first cornerbacks off the board in the 2023 NFL draft.

As the writeup of Ringo says, regardless of what Ringo does for the rest of his career, he’ll forever be shown on the big screen at Sanford Stadium thanks to his interception and ensuing return in the National Championship Game this past season. However, he doesn’t want to just be remembered for that. Ringo returns to Athens for a third season as the unquestioned top player in the secondary for the Bulldogs and as one of few players that contributed greatly to Georgia’s dominant defense last fall. That puts more pressure than ever before on the former No. 1 cornerback in the country. Ringo appears ready though.

Nolan Smith – No. 40

ESPN writes: One of the few holdovers from last season’s record-setting defense, Smith has been largely overshadowed by former defensive line stars Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and Walker. The No. 2 recruit in the 2019 class, according to ESPN Recruiting, Smith should have more of a spotlight this season. He had nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 56 tackles and three forced fumbles in 2021.

We mentioned Kelee Ringo as one of few players that contributed greatly to Georgia’s dominant defense last season. Well, Smith would be another of those, finishing fifth on the team in tackles. And a case could be made that he is the biggest leader that returns for Georgia in 2022. He was asked at times to speak for the entirety of the unit. This year, it could be the entirety of the team, like he did at SEC Media Days this summer. The No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2019 according to the On3 Consensus, Smith will look to cap off his collegiate career with another successful season for his home state school.

Stetson Bennett – No. 44

ESPN writes: For much of the past two seasons, some Georgia fans looked for every reason to bench the former walk-on. In the end, he silenced his critics by leading the Bulldogs to a national title. Bennett was offensive MVP in the CFP National Championship Game, completing 17 of 26 passes for 224 yards with two scores. With a full offseason as the starter under his belt, and a healthier and deeper receiver corps coming back, he might be better in 2022.

There might not be a player that I was more surprised to see on this list than Bennett. And it’s not because I don’t think he’s talented, but more so because he seems to be continually disrespected and overlooked by national media that still see him as a walk on in their eyes. Bennett proved to be more than that last season, and Kirby Smart has expressed his confidence in him several times this spring, summer and fall. Expect big things from Bennett in 2022 as he’s experienced in Georgia’s offense, comfortable in his role and has weapons all around him at his disposal.

Christopher Smith – No. 62

ESPN writes: Smith is certainly not the most heralded player on Georgia’s defense, but he is one of its most experienced and productive. Last season, he started 11 games and had 35 tackles, four pass breakups, three interceptions and two quarterback hurries. He was at his best in the Bulldogs’ biggest game, totaling seven tackles, two pass breakups and an interception in a 33-18 victory over Alabama in the CFP National Championship.

Smith played through injury last season, being banged up down the stretch, but when Georgia needed him most, he played his best football. Against Clemson in the season-opener, Smith intercepted a pass and took it the distance for the game’s only touchdown. He moved from his safety spot to STAR versus Tennessee when Georgia was in need of assistance in the secondary, and in the National Championship, he was all over the field making plays. Smith played every snap of each of those three games and is expected to be a big contributor once again, especially in a secondary that is without a ton of depth.

Arik Gilbert – No. 85

ESPN writes: As dangerous as Brock Bowers is for opposing defenses, Gilbert might be just as good. In high school, Gilbert became the first tight end to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year. As a freshman at LSU in 2020, he caught 35 passes for 368 yards with two touchdowns. He missed last season because of personal reasons.

Gilbert wasn’t with the team during its run to the National Championship last season, but the potential of what he could add to an already talented offense is exciting to everybody in Athens. Gilbert, a Peach State native, stood out this spring in his return to the field during G-Day with three catches for 49 yards including two touchdowns as well as a 27-yard reception to help set up the game-winning score.