Georgia Football: 3 breakout candidates for 2021 season

Most Georgia fans, along with college football fans in general, likely know the name Nolan Smith.

Some critics may say that he’s been somewhat disappointing within his first two seasons in Athens. This is only because of the hype he received and recruiting rankings he received coming out of high school. He was ranked as the top player in 247Sports recruiting class in 2019.

In his first two seasons, he has produced pretty well with the opportunities given to him, and many Georgia fans know this. But when you receive that illustrious title of “top-ranked player in the class” then most people expect you to set the world on fire from day one.

In those first two seasons, he had to compete for playing time with the likes of Azeez Ojulari, Adam Anderson, Jermaine Johnson, and more. Ojulari was a second-round pick who easily would have been drafted in the first round if not for some injury concerns coming out of college, while Anderson will likely be drafted on Day 1 or 2 in 2022.

Smith is an explosive athlete who shows many of the tools and traits you want to see from an edge rusher. He shades towards being more of a speed rusher with his quickness and ability to bend the edge, but don’t dare to underestimate his power and strength.

We have full expectations that Smith is going to finally put it all together this season and make sure the country did not forget about him. Ten-plus sacks and being one of the leading tacklers are within the realm of possibilities for the junior this upcoming season.