INGLEWOOD, Calif.– Alabama coach Nick Saban was a guest on ESPN’s Game Day for the national championship game between Georgia and TCU. It didn’t take long for former Georgia defensive end David Pollock to tweak him about the Dawgs’ dominance of the Frogs.
“Georgia’s taking over college football,” Pollock announced.
Saban, who personally owned this sport with six national championships, may not want to hear it.
But Vegas has already made Georgia the per-season favorite for a three-peat, ahead of the Tide and Ohio State.
The Dawgs assembly line of Top 3 recruiting classes has created a constant flow of blue-chip personnel on both sides of the ball that could be impossible to overcome provided Kirby Smart can find a quarterback to replace Stetson Bennett.
Right now, that looks like backup Carson Beck, a redshirt sophomore who was the NO. 9 quarterback in the class of 2020 has the inside track. But third stringer Brock Vandagriff, a redshirt freshman who was a five-star prospect and the No. 4 quarterback in the class of 3031 and fourth stringer Gunner Stockton, a true freshman who was the No. 7 quarterback in the class of 2022 will provide competition in the spring.
Whoever wins the job will have the luxury of throwing to Brock Bowers, the spectacular tight end who won the Mackey Award, was a first team All American and would have been a first round pick in the 2023 NFL draft if he was allowed to declare. The 6-5 sophomore caught seven passes for 152 yards and a touchdown during a 65-7 beatdown of TCU in the title game here Monday night, tormenting the Frogs from the slot, in-line positions and anywhere offensive coordinator Todd Monken chose to play him. Aside from his acrobatic us catch for a 14 yard score in the third quarter, Bowers at one point was out gaining TCU by himself. He is the most exciting receiver in the sport.
He is part of an embarrassment of riches on this team.
Sophomore defensive back Javon Bullard was named defensive player of the game after making two interceptions and recovering a fumble that led to 17 points in turnovers. Sophomore wide out Adonai Mitchell made a one-handed catch for a 22-yard touchdown passe from Bennett when he wrestled the ball from a defender. Sophomore linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. led the Dawgs in tackles with five. True freshman nose tackle Bear Alexander had a pair of tackles for loss. None of the starting offensive lineman are seniors.
The biggest challenge is entitlement, but Kirby has shown he can deal with that based on the way the Dawgs responded from a close call with Ohio State in the national semi-finals
Georgia will lose a handful of impact players like Bennett, who threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns, who will finally move on at age 25. Other potential early NFL draft declarations should come from tight end Darnell Washington, tailback Kenny McIntosh, defensive lineman Jalin Carter and defensive back Kelee Ringo. But there is another elite recruiting class waiting to ease the pain. Small signed two five-star prospects in edge rusher Damon Wilson and cornerback AJ Harris as well as 22 four-star players, including linebacker Raylen Wilson, who flipped to Georgia from Michigan.
Georgia cannot afford to take anything for granted. Alabama is still Alabama, even without quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson. But Ohio State and Tennessee must quarterback CJ Stroud and Hendon Hooker. There are some high ranking returnees at that quarterback at USC with Heisman winner Caleb Williams, Michigan with JJ McCarthy, Florida State with Jordan Travis, LSU with Jayden Daniels, Oregon with Bo Nix and Washington with Michael Pennix Jr., but only LSU has made it to the playoffs in the last five years.
