InSIder: Second-Year Players to Watch this Spring
The 2021 Georgia football recruiting class has all of the attention at the moment, but there are still several players from last year's class who have yet to break out. Each of our staff highlights one.
Brooks Austin
Broderick Jones, tackle
Redshirt freshman Warren McClendon played well in 2020, good enough to be named a freshman All-American. So, there's reason to believe he's got a good shot at manning one of the tackle spots for Georgia this fall. But who will be the other tackle? There's going to be an all-out war between Jones, Amarius Mims, Xavier Truss and Owen Condon this spring.
Jones and Mims are far and away the most talented and physically gifted and spring practice is the opportunity for one of them to cement themselves as a starter.
Kyle Funderburk
Carson Beck, quarterback
There is surely a quarterback competition to watch this spring. Beck and Brock Vandagriff will compete for the backup job and to be the heir apparent for the starting job in 2022. Vandagriff has all of the tools and is probably more talented, but Beck is a workhorse with a year of experience in coordinator Todd Monken's system. He's not going to just move out of Vandagriff's way.
I can't wait to see what Beck is capable of this spring. He didn't get a chance to compete last spring, and he didn't attempt a pass during the season. Everyone is ready to christen Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton as the future. For all we know, Beck could be Georgia's next great quarterback.
Evan Crowell
Kelee Ringo, cornerback
Ringo was the most hyped recruit entering his freshman year. He has all the tools and the athletic profile of an elite corner. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury prevented him from playing in 2020.
After getting no in-game reps last season, Ringo is expected to claim a starting corner spot this spring. From Game 1 against Clemson, he will be an integral part of the defense and will need to maximize his full potential if the Bulldogs want to meet this year's national-title expectations. While he may not have the experience, he has every tool in the world that a corner needs to thrive in the SEC.
Jonathan Williams
MJ Sherman, Edge rusher
I am looking at MJ Sherman at the outside linebacker position. Fans did not get to see Sherman much last season because the Bulldogs were loaded at linebacker. Although Georgia is still very deep at the position, if there is one thing we have learned about head coach Kirby Smart it is that he loves to rotate defensive players a lot, especially at linebacker.
With the opportunity to have spring practice this year and participation in summer workouts, I believe Sherman could be a player that finally gets his name in the mix of linebackers that get some significant playing time next season.
Alex Bavosa
Jalen Kimber, cornerback
It's no secret that Georgia is actively looking for players who are going to step up in the secondary next season. After Richard LeCounte, Eric Stokes Jr., Mark Webb, Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Daniel all parted ways this offseason, the Bulldogs lost a majority of the secondary that we saw on the field in 2020. It's time for the Georgia secondary to embody a “next-man-up” mentality and I believe the next man up is Kimber.
Although most of the anticipation coming into next season is about former five-star sophomore Kelee Ringo, Kimber is a player to keep an eye on. He appeared in three games last year, which was more than any other freshman cornerback on the roster. Don’t be surprised when this former high-school All-American gets some serious playing time this season.
Jeremiah Stoddard
Kelee Ringo, cornerback
Just like last week’s “inSIder” article, the player I am most excited to watch this spring from the 2020 recruiting class is a defensive back. More specifically, a cornerback. With Georgia losing its top three cornerbacks and Tyrique Stevenson transferring to Miami, this is the most questionable position group on the roster.
Ringo wasn't able to play in 2020, because his torn labrum had to be repaired after enrolling at Georgia. He will likely be the No. 1 cornerback on Georgia’s depth chart going into the 2021 season. Ringo’s Georgia debut will be highly anticipated and the spring will be the Georgia fan base's first chance to see what he can do. If Georgia can get the young guys like Ringo ready to go, the 2021 season could be special.
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