Category: Georgia bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart gestures against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the third quarter of the 2022 Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Dec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart gestures against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the third quarter of the 2022 Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia head coach, Kirby Smart is the highest-paid football coach in College Football. Though a recent contract extension to Ryan Day, could lead to potentially another raise for Kirby Smart.

For years it seemed as if legendary football coach Nick Saban had a clause written in his contract that essentially stated “Saban is to be the highest paid coach in the sport.” So, if one football coach were to enter Saban’s stratosphere in terms of annual value, super-agent Jimmy Sexton would have Alabama rolling out a new contract for Saban.

Well, since Saban has retired, Sexton’s prized possession in terms of clients is now Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. Smart enterred the 2024 season as the highest-paid college football coach by a $1.5m margin, making $13m annually. In second place was Clemson’s Dabo Swinney at $11.5m per year.

Now, Kirby Smart has neighboring company. He’s still set to be the highest-paid college football coach in the sport, but not by much. Following their first National Title since 2014, Ohio State has extended Ryan Day and given him quite a pay raise.

Day was set to make $9.5m in 2025. Now, his contract has been extended through 2032 and he will be making $12.5m annually according to reports. One would imagine Jimmy Sexton is on the phone pretty soon with UGA brass attempting to squeeze them out of a few more dollars for the head man.

Bulldogs defensie back Ellis Robinson IV (1) breaks up a pass for Clemson Tigers wide receiver Cole Turner (22) during the fourth quarter of the 2024 Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Bulldogs defensie back Ellis Robinson IV (1) breaks up a pass for Clemson Tigers wide receiver Cole Turner (22) during the fourth quarter of the 2024 Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images / Ken Ruinard – Imagn Images

Entering the 2025 Georgia Football season, as per usual, they will have plenty of talented options at the cornerback position. We preview the position battle here.

Daylen Everette: The Defensive Playmaker

Daylen Everette’s performance during the 2024 season was nothing short of remarkable. As one of the conference’s top cornerbacks, Everette showcased his ability to shut down opposing receivers, finishing with 9 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, and 45 solo tackles. His 9 pass deflections were a testament to his coverage skills and ability to break up passing plays, while his 4 interceptions demonstrate his keen awareness and ball-hawking instincts. In addition, Everette’s 45 solo tackles reflect his physicality and willingness to contribute in both pass coverage and run support.

Everette’s ability to consistently disrupt the passing game was crucial for Georgia as they faced some high-powered offenses throughout the season. His interceptions were often momentum-changing plays, and his tenacity on the field provided leadership to the defense. Everette proved to be one of the most valuable members of the secondary, making him a key player for whom opposing offenses had to account at all times.

Daniel Harris: Defending His Spot

While Daylen Everette has emerged as a playmaking leader in the cornerback room, Daniel Harris has quietly established himself as a lengthy, physical cornerback in his own right. With 18 solo tackles and 3 pass deflections, Harris may not have the flashy numbers of his counterpart, but his consistency and ability to defend his spot on the field have been vital.

His physical presence in the run game was a major asset, and his solid pass coverage kept opposing quarterbacks from looking his way too often. Harris’s contribution was especially valuable in tight games, where his ability to shut down key receiving threats helped secure victories for the team.

In a crowded cornerback room, Harris’s ability to defend his spot and continue to perform at a high level speaks volumes about his skill and work ethic. He has got the experience now, so looking forward to seeing what 2025 holds for Daniel Harris, often tasked with taking on some of the toughest assignments in the defensive backfield, because they knew what Everette was on the other side they tried to find a weakness in our pass defense. Harris took on that challenge and held his ground this season, but one thing for sure we know he will put in a good off season workout and who knows maybe be one of the top cornerbacks in the nation.

Ellis Robinson IV and Demello Jones: The Future at Cornerback

While Everette and Harris have proven themselves as stalwarts in the secondary, the future of the cornerback position at Georgia is in good hands with the emergence of young talents like Ellis Robinson IV and Demello Jones. Both players have been turning heads with their skill sets and are expected to compete for starting roles as they continue to develop.

Ellis Robinson IV is a highly touted recruit known for his elite coverage skills and athleticism. His ability to mirror receivers and disrupt passing lanes has made him one of the most exciting young cornerbacks in the game. Robinson’s talent has put him in direct competition with Everette and Harris for a starting role, and his potential to make an immediate impact cannot be understated.

Demello Jones, meanwhile, has shown flashes of brilliance in his own right. Known for his speed and physicality, Jones brings a different dynamic to the cornerback position. His ability to match up against larger, more physical receivers has made him a potential game-changer on the outside. As Jones continues to gain experience, he will likely push for a significant role in the team’s secondary. Luckily, for this Georgia football team both these guys wanted to work for their spots and not enter the transfer portal.

The Competition Heating Up

With the combination of experienced players like Everette and Harris and the incoming talent of Robinson IV and Jones, the competition at cornerback is intensifying. This depth gives the coaching staff valuable options and allows them to deploy different strategies to handle opposing offenses. The battle for starting spots at cornerback is expected to be one of the most closely watched storylines in the offseason, with all four players capable of making significant contributions.

In conclusion, the cornerback position at Georgia has been a stronghold this season, with Daylen Everette leading the charge with impressive stats and Daniel Harris proving his reliability in critical moments. Meanwhile, the potential of Ellis Robinson IV and Demello Jones adds an exciting layer to the team’s secondary. As the competition for starting spots intensifies, Georgia is in an position with a deep and talented group of cornerbacks that could shape the team’s defensive success for years to come.

Ahead of Wednesday’s customary February Signing Day, where Georgia football is not anticipated to participate, the recruiting rankings for the 2025 class have been revised.

on addition to attending to certain issues on the transfer portal last month, the Bulldogs took care of business during the December signing period. In this class, Georgia now boasts five 5-star talents. The updated 247Sports Composite rankings for Georgia signees show some significant changes: Talyn Taylor, a wide receiver, rose from No. 32 to No. 20 in the country and was rated as a 5-star. He currently ranks fourth in the country for wideouts.

Elijah Griffin, a defensive lineman, has moved up two slots to the third overall pick. The tight end Elyiss Williams is currently the top-ranked tight end in the country after rising from No. 36 to No. 29. Westlake offensive lineman Juan Gaston went from being ranked 174th in the country to 52nd. North Atlanta’s Edge Chase Linton moved up from No. 149 to No. 117. OT at Peachtree Ridge Dennis Uzochukwu is now a 4-star after making a significant jump from No. 547 to No. 291.

WR North Oconee Landon Roldan is now a 4-star after dropping from No. 478 to No. 300. He is the 39th best wide receiver in the country. Security Warner Robins’ Rasean Dinkins rose from No. 455 to No. 363. From No. 362 overall to No. 530, Tyler Williams, a wide receiver from Seffner, Florida, fell to a 3-star.

The sponsor of a Georgia Senate bill that would exempt college athletes from state income tax for compensation they make through NIL deals said he’s “basically calling it the Kirby Smart bill.”

Brandon Beach, a Republican who represents Senate District 21 that includes north Fulton County and Cherokee County, said Georgia football and other state programs are at a recruiting disadvantage because players have to pay a 5.39% income tax on deals for their name, image and likeness.

Georgia Senate Bill 71 was put in the finance committee Tuesday, Beach said, as it works its way through the legislative process.

“Listen, recruiting is a very, very competitive sport,” Beach told the Athens Banner-Herald on Tuesday. “When you’re recruiting these five-star athletes, they all have agents and we’re competing with Tennessee, Texas and Florida who have no state income tax. Eventually, we’ll get there and we won’t have a state income tax. I hope that happens, but until then we’ve got to get Kirby and these football coaches and basketball coaches, these coaches a tool in their toolbox to be able to compete.”

Beach said he’s actually not talked to Smart, the two-time national championship winning UGA football coach, about the bill, but said the idea came after a dinner he had with former Alabama coach Nick Saban and others at a home on Lake Burton, where Saban has a lake house.

He said Saban told him Missouri passed an NIL law after losing recruits to schools like Texas and Texas A&M that didn’t pay state income tax.

Missouri’s NIL bill, approved in 2023, allows in-state athletes to make money from endorsement deals in high school if they sign with public universities in that state.

Beach mentioned that Texas and Tennessee made the College Football Playoff this year and those schools don’t have state income taxes.

“When you’re talking about a $750,000 to a $1 million contract, these young kids and the agents say, ‘Hey, if you go to Texas, you’ll make another $40,000 by not paying state income tax’ or whatever the amount is. That can sway the difference in an athlete going somewhere else.”

Beach is a Republican as are the four other co-sponsors: Frank Ginn (21st District which includes Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, and Madison counties), Greg Dolezal (27th), Ben Watson (1st) and Carden Summers (13th).

“I think we’ll get major support,” he said.

He said someone asked him why a player like former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, who drove a Lamborghini last year and has made millions in NIL deals, needs a tax break.

“We want to keep our athletes here and be competitive and win national championships and compete with states that don’t have an income tax, we’ve got to help them out,” he said.

Beach said athletes from Georgia won’t get this exemption if they go play in another state or transfer to a school in another state.

UGA athletics said it would not comment on the bill.

Beach said he hasn’t spoken to athletic director Josh Brooks or UGA president Jere Morehead about it, but he may call Brooks.

“College athletics generates millions of dollars for our university and local businesses and really the state economy,” Beach said. “Bill 71 will just help sustain that growth by putting a winning program on the field and putting the best athletes on the field and help these coaches in the recruiting battles.”

Could this mean that Georgia is the leader for the No. 1 recruit in the country?

Georgia football and the rest of the college football world are entering a recruiting dead period that will last for about a month. That means that recruits are not allowed to visit schools right now which means fans will likely get less updates on how recruitments are going.

However, on the day before this dead period begins, Kirby Smart and Georgia just received great news (and potentially a hidden message) from the top ranked player in the country.

5-star OT Jackson Cantwell

Jackson Cantwell is a five-star offensive tackle from Nixa, MO. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Cantwell is the No. 1 player from Missouri and the top ranked offensive takle in the 2026 class as well. That clearly is extremely impressive, but to take it a step further, Cantwell is also the No. 1 player in the country.

Cantwell just released his top six schools, and according to Hayes Fawcett with On3, Georgia made the cut. Michigan, Miami (FL), Missouri, Ohio State and Oregon are the five other teams included in Cantwell’s top six as well.

It’s clear this recruitment will be extremely difficult to win based on this competition, but it is a big deal that Georgia is still in the running. However, based on a social media post from Cantwell himself, Georgia may just be the team to beat.

In the above post, Cantwell is reacting to the original tweet from Fawcett announcing his top six. On the surface it seems like Cantwell is just giving love to the six schools still in the running in his recruitment. But at second glance, Cantwell might be sending a message to Georgia.

Georgia’s “Go Dawgs” hashtag just so happened to be listed first by Cantwell. Now this may mean absolutely nothing considering Georgia was also listed first by Fawcett in his top six graphic, but the order of teams listed by Cantwell does not follow the order displayed by Fawcett. This means that Cantwell chose on his own to list Georgia first.

Now it’s more than likely that this was random and has no meaning whatsoever. But it’s impossible to deny that there isn’t a chance that Cantwell is indicating UGA is his top school right now.

Time will tell if that is the case or not, but at the very least Georgia is still in the running which is a big win.

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Every Georgia football fan knows how special of a place Sanford Stadium is. This is especially true on Saturdays in the fall when Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs have a big game taking place on campus.

Every fan will claim that their fanbase and stadium creates the best envorinment in the country. But that can only be true for a handful of programs. So the best way to figure out which stadiums actually make life the most difficult for visiting teams is by asking those players who have played in many of these environments. And that is exactly what Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was asked during the Senior Bowl this week.

Dart obviously has a lot of options that he could name because there are a lot of great environments in the SEC, but his answer will make every Georgia fan very happy.

“2023 in Athens, Georgia for Brock Bowers’ return. That place was electric.”

Georgia named the best environment by Jaxson Dart

Not only did Dart mention that Georgia had the most difficult environment he ever played in during his college career, but he even remembers that game very clearly. The game he is referencing took place in 2023 when No. 11 Ole Miss came to Athens in one of the biggest games of the week in college football. However, the Rebels did not live up to the hype as Georgia dominated Ole Miss, winning 52-17.

Dart even remembers that this game was Brock Bowers return, which definitely played into why this atmosphere was so great. Bowers finished the game with three receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, so it may not have been the best game of his career, but he still was able to get in the end zone.

So next time you find yourself in a debate surrounding which SEC atmosphere is the best, be sure to point out this comment from Dart who clearly knows what he is talking about.

The entire college football world seems ready to agree on one thing about Georgia football. After the Bulldogs won back-to-back National Championships, Georgia has failed to snif a third title in the last two years. So the average college football fan is quick to say that Georgia is a “has been” program and that they are no longer at the top of the sport.

That however couldn’t be further from the truth. These claims tend to be centered around fans who might be afraid to admit that Georgia is here to stay rather than claims being centered around logic. This is at least what Georgia fans think about these claims, but it’s easy to write off these claims as a UGA fan because we are biased. But Fox Sports’ analyst Joel Klatt had the following to say on the subject.

“I think Georgia had a down year… if we think Georgia is going anywhere, I think we would all be sorely mistaken.”

Georgia’s down year is better than most team’s best years

Klatt also agrees that this past season was a down year for Georiga, and most Georgia fans would likely agree with that as well. But it’s worth pointing out that UGA’s down year is much better than the best years for most teams.

Let’s look at what’s happened the last two years for Georgia. Two seasons ago saw Georgia go undefeated in the regular season again before losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Georgia unfortunately got left out of the playoff, but they went on to win their bowl game and finish the year 13-1. Then this past season saw Georgia go 10-2 in the regular season, win the SEC Championship game but fall short in the College Football Playoff.

No one can deny that these were down years for Georgia, but 99 percent of programs would be ecstatic with these two seasons. So it’s important to add that perspective when someone says Georgia has had a few down years.

But Klatt’s final point is that he doesn’t think Georgia is going anywhere in the future. Sure the Bulldogs have some questions that need to be answered next season, but Georgia has been a dominant force for nearly a decade now, so that likely will not change anytime soon. Georgia fans can confidently say this because recruiting has remained very strong in Athens as Georgia has signed a top two class in the country three years in a row.

So until Georgia starts to struggle on the recruiting trail or they have a season where they actually lose a lot of games, no one can say that Georgia is no longer at the top of the college football world.

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Scott Cochran, former staff member for the Georgia Bulldogs, has been appointed as the head coach of a collegiate football team.

Scott Cochran, the former head strength and conditioning coach for Alabama, during a practice session at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, on December 26, 2018. Alabama was set to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Saturday.

Scott Cochran, former strength and conditioning coach for the Georgia Bulldogs, is returning to the coaching scene as the new head coach of the West Alabama Tigers, a Division II program based in Livingston, Alabama. Cochran previously worked alongside coaching legends like Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, and served as Georgia’s strength and conditioning coach from 2020-2023. He played a key role in Georgia’s back-to-back national championships, with his energetic coaching style becoming a hallmark in the locker room. After the 2023 season, Cochran stepped away from the program for personal reasons and later became the president of the American Addiction Recovery Association.

Cochran’s appointment further expands Kirby Smart’s extensive coaching tree, though the significant difference in divisions between the two schools means that a meeting between Cochran and Smart is unlikely anytime soon.

Five Bulldogs Shine at the Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl, one of the most anticipated events of the NFL offseason, took place on Saturday, featuring top college football talent from across the country competing for one last chance to showcase their skills before the NFL Draft. The intensity of the competition builds throughout the week during practice, but Saturday was the day to suit up and play one final game in their Georgia helmets.

While no one from Georgia had an exceptional game, the Senior Bowl is designed for all players to receive equal playing time, making standout performances rarer. Despite this, five Bulldogs took part in the event and managed to make their presence felt with some notable stats. Let’s break down how each Georgia player fared on Saturday.

Senior Bowl Stats

WR Arian Smith – Two catches for 37 yards.

Safety Dan Jackson – Three tackles and one pass break-up.

LB Smael Mondon – Two tackles and one pass break-up.

DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins – Two tackles.

RB Trevor Etienne – Five carries for 12 yards.

Georgia’s Top Play

Although all five Bulldogs performed well in their limited roles, the highlight of the day came from wide receiver Arian Smith. Although his final line read two catches for 37 yards, one reception stood out—a jaw-dropping 32-yard grab, despite a defender closely covering him.

Smith, who had an up-and-down season, still has a lot to prove in the NFL Draft process. If he keeps making plays like this, there’s no doubt he’ll be a high draft pick come this summer.

Georgia’s NFL-bound players will have multiple opportunities to impress scouts in the coming months, including Pro Day in Athens and the NFL Draft Combine from February 27 to March 2. The NFL Draft will take place in late April.