Players to Watch: Georgia vs. Ball State
Georgia will be looking to put together a cleaner performance against Ball State in its final tune-up before conference play begins next week when it plays host to the South Carolina Gamecocks. While they will be looking for improvement across the board, here are a few players to keep an especially close eye on.
QB Carson Beck
Beck put together a very solid stat line against UT-Martin (21-31, 294 yards, 1 touchdown), but will be looking to put it all together against the Cardinals. Beck was very proficient against UT-Martin, but based on the soft drop-8 coverage the Skyhawks employed throughout much of the game, he did not have as many opportunities to push the ball vertically down the field. Look for Mike Bobo to create more opportunities for Beck to stretch the field and jumpstart the Georgia passing game.
WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
While he has never been a star for Georgia, Rosemy-Jacksaint has been an extremely dependable and valuable piece for Georgia at wide receiver during each of its national championship seasons. His return from a one-game suspension stemming from an offseason arrest on a reckless driving charge will provide a boost to a Georgia receiving corps that will still likely be without the services of Ladd McConkey. After having to rely on an assortment of young and new receivers in week one, the veteran presence of Rosemy-Jacksaint will be a welcomed luxury for QB Carson Beck this week.
WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is set to make his 2023 season debut when Georgia takes on Ball State on Saturday, Sep.9.
RB Daijun Edwards
The Georgia running back room has been plagued with a rash of injuries, both minor and major, dating back to spring practice. In the season-opener against UT-Martin the Bulldogs played two running backs taking their first collegiate snaps and a walk-on back taking his first meaningful offensive snaps, and it showed. Outside of two isolated runs, Georgia struggled to get anything going on the ground and that will need to change soon if the Bulldogs want to fulfill their championship expectations this season. Edwards might not possess an NFL profile, but he provided consistent production for the Bulldogs last season and his likely return from a nagging MCL injury against Ball State could provide a jolt to a running back room that is very much in need of one.
ILB Smael Mondon
After playing a limited role exclusively in Georgia's third down package against UT-Martin, look for Mondon's reps to ramp up this week as the Bulldogs continue to work him back from an injury he suffered during spring practice. Georgia should still comfortably defeat Ball State even without Mondon playing an increased role, but the Bulldogs need him in shape to play extensive snaps when South Carolina makes the trip to Athens next week. Mondon is not the preseason AP First Team All-American in Georgia's starting ILB duo, but he arguably has a higher ceiling than his running mate Jamon Dumas-Johnson and the Bulldogs need him making plays at full speed sooner rather than later.
Georgia ILB Smael Mondon will continue to ramp up his reps as the Bulldogs draw closer to SEC play.
DL Jordan Hall
Hall won't trot out with the first team defense on Saturday, but if week one was any indication, he will play early and often for the Georgia defense. Marquez Cooper ran for more than 2,500 yards combined over the last two seasons and with a freshman quarterback likely taking a lot of snaps for the Cardinals, it stands to reason they will try to lean on the ground game. Georgia has a strong core of veteran defensive linemen, but none of them are on the same level that Jalen Carter operated at last year. Hall isn't either, but with his unique combination of athleticism and power, he has the potential to be the closest thing to Jalen Carter along this year's Georgia defensive line. The Bulldogs need to get him as much as experience as they can to prepare him for the meat of the SEC schedule.
