Georgia well represented as awards season approaches

With the College Football regular season coming to a close this weekend and the off-time between conference championships and bowl games quickly approaching, it’s almost time for awards to be handed out around the country. Georgia has several players that are up for national recognition. DawgsHQ keeps you up to date on the latest as far as which players are up for what awards – and who their competition is.

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Jalon Walker – Butkus Award

Multi-purpose Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker is a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker. He’s joins a long list of former Georgia players that have been in the running for this recognition including Nakobe Dean and Roquan Smith won the award during their collegiate careers. Jamon Dumas-Johnson was a finalist in 2022, and now, two years later, Walker finds himself in that same elite category.

Ranking first on the team in sacks (5.5), second in tackles for loss (7.5) and fourth in overall stops (48), it’s been an interesting season for Walker. The junior has been asked to bounce between multiple roles, having an impact in each of them. He had a signature showing in primetime as Georgia took down Texas, then top-ranked, on the road with seven tackles including three sacks. He also recorded a fumble recovery, one of two this season for him. Less than a month later, Walker was topping that with a career-high eight tackles in Georgia’s win over Tennessee.

Fellow Finalists: Barrett Carter (Clemson), Chris Paul (Ole Miss), Carson Schwesinger (UCLA), Danny Stutsman (Oklahoma)

Malaki Starks – Thorpe Award

For a second straight season, Malaki Starks is one of the final three standing for the Thorpe Award. Tied for a team-high in tackles with 55 stops, Starks has helped anchor a Georgia defense this fall from a variety of different spots in the secondary. He was an All-American safety last season and this year, has lined up at STAR at different points too. That kind of versatility is what makes Starks the top safety prospect in this year’s NFL Draft and a potential first round pick.

The Jefferson, Ga. native also filled in as a punt returner with Anthony Evans banged up. He’s averaged 9.8 yards per return (39 yards on four returns). Starks, who is also a member of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, is looking to become just the second Georgia player to take home the Thorpe Award, joining Deandre Baker in 2018.

Fellow Finalists: Jahdae Barron (Texas), Caleb Downs (Ohio State)

Brett Thorson / Beau Gardner

Georgia has a pair of specialists up for their respective awards. Punter Brett Thorson and his snapper Beau Gardner find themselves as finalists for the Ray Guy Award and the Patrick Mannelly Award. Thorson, a native of Melbourne, is averaging 46.3 yards per punt with 19 of his kicks being downed inside the 20-yard line. Georgia ranks fifth nationally in average punt length, net punting and opponent return yardage. Also playing a part in that has been Gardner, the graduate transfer from UCLA in his first season at Georgia. He has also snapped on 60 place kicking attempts, helping Peyton Woodring to an SEC-best 94-percent mark (17-of-18) on field goals.

Fellow Finalists (Ray Guy): Alex Mastromanno (Florida State), Eddie Czaplicki (USC)
Fellow Finalists (Patrick Mannelly): Rocco Underwood (Florida), William Wagner (Michgian)

More…

It’s not just Georgia players that are up for awards. Defensive line coach Tray Scott finds himself as the UGA nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach. A selection committee will determine semifinalists (15), finalists (5) and the eventual winner in the coming weeks, but the simple nomination is certainly an honor Scott is deserving of.

Scott has been on Georgia’s coaching staff just about since the beginning. He was brought on after Kirby Smart’s first season at UGA, helping the Bulldogs to a SEC title and National Championship Game appearance during his first year in Athens. Since then, it’s been a successful run for Scott. He’s coached Outland Trophy and Bednarik Award winner Jordan Davis, drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Travon Walker went first overall in that same draft with Devonte Wyatt also a selection on night one. Then, the next year, it was Jalen Carter as a top-10 pick.

“Yeah, he’s a rock. He’s a pillar at this place, and he’s one of the guys that’s been here the longest, which I have a lot of respect for because we don’t do it easy around here,” Smart said about Scott. “We work a tough schedule. We work a hard schedule. I’m very demanding of our coaches and I have high expectations, and he meets those.”

“He is tremendous with his group. He’s tremendous with other groups. He inspires people with his story, but he cares about his kids,” the head coach continued. “He’s a tremendous father and husband. He’s really what college coaching is all about.The guy pours into these kids so much. It means so much to him that he wants to give back to them and change their lives. It’s not about playing time. I mean, you look at the relationships he’s had with the Zion Logue, Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Jalen Carter. I mean, the guy has just had tremendous relationships, and he keeps in touch with all the guys he’s coached. I mean, I can’t say enough good things about him, so he’s definitely deserving of that honor.”

Georgia takes on Georgia Tech in the regular season finale this Friday night in Athens. After that though, it’s on to the postseason for UGA with an SEC Championship appearance already clinched and hopes of making the College Football Playoffs more than alive. Kickoff time for the 118th meeting of Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate between the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.