Georgia Football Players That Will Need to Step up to Be a National Contender

If Georgia is going to remain in the national title conversation for a third straight season, they are going to need big years from the following players.

After an (8-5) debut season in 2016 under Kirby Smart, the University of Georgia has been in the national title conversation for three straight seasons. And if they are going to remain in that discussion, not only are they going to have to get over the heralded Bama hurdle, but they are going to need great seasons from the following guys. 

We will give you two on offense, two on defense, and a few honorable mentions. 

Offense

QB, Jamie Newman

You knew you'd see this name, and despite JT Daniels already turning heads on campus, this is Newman's football team, at least to start. Don't get it wrong, Georgia's had good quarterback play for the last three seasons with Jake Fromm at the helm, but the identity of the football team was laid on the shoulders of the run game and the defense. And though the defense will likely remain among the nation's best, if they are going to win a national championship, it's going to be based on the play of the quarterback position. 

Newman has all the ability in the world, and apart from Wake Forest WR, Sage Surratt, he will finally be surrounded by talent equivalent of his own. Not to mention, Todd Monken's offense is predicated off driving the ball downfield. Among returning QBs in college football, no one rated higher on throws of 30 yards or more a season ago. 

WR, Demetris Roberston

We know George Pickens is expected to be great. We know Dominick Blaylock is far ahead of schedule for his return to action, but what we don't know is how Demetris Robertson is going to look in this new offense. His history shows that he's most successful in a spread system like the one he will be in this fall. 

His freshman season out at Cal saw 767 yards and 7 TDs, both of which are more than double the amount of production he had a year ago in Athens. His type of speed is vital for the success of this Monken offense, and he's got a serious chance to have a great final season of college football.  

Defense

S, Richard LeCounte

It's known that Georgia plays an inordinate amount of people on the defensive side of the football, but one reason they were able to do so a year ago was that they had a vocal leader like J.R. Reed in the backend that not only knew his responsibilities frontwards and backward, he knew everyone else's responsibilities as well. So, not only will LeCounte need to continue to improve on his own game, but he's going to have to absorb that leadership role on the defense. 

And from what Lewis Cine has told us, LeCounte was headed in the right direction in this department leading up to the Sugar Bowl: 

"Richard was basically the leader for us this whole time we were here. Richard had to do more communicating than usual, including with me. He had to communicate with me without J.R. being there. Richard did a great job stepping up as a leader, but not only that. He did his thing tonight."

DE, Malik Herring

We know Azeez Ojulari is prepped for the task in 2020, but who will be his counterpart in disrupting the opposition? Smart and Lanning are selective in the times in which they send pressure, which means if there is going to be pressure on the quarterback, it's going to have to be organic in nature. So, players like Ojulari and Herring are going to have to win their one on one battles. 

Herring is entering his final season in Athens and though he had just 0.5 sacks a year ago, he was third on the team in total QB pressures with 18. So, if he can just "finish the drill" this fall that number could skyrocket. 

Other names: 

• OT, Jamaree Salyer: He's stepped into a leadership role already and has completely reshaped his body, but he's going to have to play lights out this fall, along with the rest of a relatively new offensive line. 
• TE, Tre' McKitty: The Tight End accounted for a mere 23 receptions a year ago. That's not likely to be the case this fall. Not under Todd Monken. 
• LB, Nakobe Dean: The expectations for Dean in year two are through the roof, and he's set to replace a Butkus Award semifinalist in Tae Crowder. 
• S, Lewis Cine: Replacing a three-year starter is always difficult, but Cine is incredibly talented and could have a breakout year in 2020.
• DT, Jordan Davis: Our sources indicated that Davis came back from the extended period away from campus a bit heavy, but has already trimmed some of it back down. He's a major key to stopping the run on the inside of that Georgia defense. 

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