2021 Starts Now for Georgia Football

For the third straight season, Georgia is heading to a New Years Six Bowl Game. And while all those are notable events, if they aren't playoff games at this point for Georgia, they turn into rather glorified scrimmages, though they are a great look at the future.

Dawgs Daily on SI.com has learned that linebacker Monty Rice, cornerback DJ Daniel and TE Tre' McKitty have already opted out of the bowl game (as first reported by UGASports.com). Don't be surprised to see several other seniors make a similar decision as they get ready for the NFL Draft process.

The 2020 Sugar Bowl saw absences from nearly a baker's dozen worth of starters and contributors who didn't make the trip to New Orleans. Those players being out provided the first extended look at players like safety Lewis Cine, guard Warren Ericson, tackle Jamaree Salyer and running back Zamir White among many others.

So, with Georgia's final regular-season game against Vanderbilt being canceled, the Bulldogs await their bowl-game destination while setting their eyes on the immediate future of the program.

Georgia felt the effects of not having a spring game this season, and now is the time to have that spring-practice environment where the battles that will ultimately take place next offseason for starting spots.

It's also when head coach Kirby Smart and his staff begin collecting NFL Draft evaluations for the team's draft-eligible players.

Georgia has seven seniors headed to the Senior Bowl:

CB DJ Daniel*
DB Mark Webb
DL Malik Herring
LB Monty Rice*
G Ben Cleveland
S Richard LeCounte
TE Tre' McKitty*

*Players have already opted out of bowl game

Juniors Making Draft Decisions

OLB Azeez Ojulari
DT Jordan Davis
C Trey Hill
CB Eric Stokes
CB Tyson Campbell
RB Zamir White
QB JT Daniels

This is where Smart will be spending most of his time in the coming weeks. He and his staff do a great job gathering information for their players regarding what the NFL thinks of his younger players. He arms them with that information and they make the decision on whether or not to come back.

A year ago, Georgia had players on both sides of the conversation. LeCounte, Rice and Cleveland were all examples of draft-eligible players that got their grades back from the NFL and didn't like what they heard, then decided to come back. Whereas players like Andrew Thomas, D'Andre Swift, Isaiah Wilson, Solomon Kindley and Jake Fromm decided their draft grade was high enough for them to take the leap.