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Getting ball in hands of Brock Bowers a priority for Georgia offensive plan in 2023

Palmber-Thombsby:Palmer Thombs•07/18/23•

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Brock Bowers
Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (19) during the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023. (Photo by Tony Walsh)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There aren’t many players in the country quite like Brock Bowers. The Georgia tight end is as dynamic as they come. He hates talking about himself however. Making the trip to the Music City for 2023 SEC Media Days, Bowers was forced to do just that.

A native of Napa, Calif., Bowers says his quiet nature is because he “usually doesn’t have a lot to say.” No worries. His play over two season at the collegiate level has done all the talking.

As a freshman, Bowers won National Freshman of the Year, finding his way into the end zone 14 times on 60 touches. Doing so shattered Georgia records for single-season receptions (56) and receiving yards (882) by a tight end. His 13 receiving scores is a single-season record regardless of position. Then, as a sophomore, he won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end, totaling over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. In the process, he’s helped the Bulldogs bring home back to back national championships, ending a drought of over 40 years.

All that success for Bowers came under the direction of offensive coordinator Todd Monken. This year, he’ll be working with Mike Bobo instead. However, Bobo’s ability to get the ball in the hands of his best players as often as possible was what made him Kirby Smart’s top candidate to replace Monken this offseason.

“We’re going to try. There’s not a game that we play that we should not have ways for him to touch the ball,” Smart said on Tuesday during SEC Media Days when asked whether there’s an even greater emphasis on getting the ball into Bowers’ hands this season. “That was one of the things that intrigued me about Mike (Bobo).”

“Having played against Mike a lot – both when he was at Georgia but also coached against him when he was at South Carolina and at Auburn – what he had, he used,” Smart continued. “They had Shi Smith at South Carolina, and they got him touches. They had the big back at South Carolina and they got him touches. At Auburn at the time he was there, they did not have a great offensive unit but we knew who was going to touch the ball and he got them touches. That’s key to success: finding who your playmakers are. And we have more than Brock, but he’s certainly one of the premiere guys in the country.”

RELATED: Brock Bowers draws comparison to NFL great

Bowers, who’s humbleness can’t help but be noticed in talking to him, doesn’t see himself as any bigger than the other Bulldogs. Asked about the potential of winning the Heisman Trophy, he knows it’s likely a longshot. Asked about the ball coming his way more often, he says he simply wants what’s best for the team.

“I think he’ll use me a lot like Coach Monken did and throw a few of his own wrinkles in there,” Bowers told the media about how he expects to be used. “I’ll be happy with whatever helps the team win.”

Georgia, widely projected as the nation’s No. 1 team, opens the season September 2nd against UT-Martin at Sanford Stadium.

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