Georgia football will be trying to repeat as national champion in 2022. How will the depth chart shake out for the upcoming season?
It was a dream season for Georgia football. They won their first national championship in 41 years and had one of the greatest defenses of all time to help them do it.
A lot of that NFL talent is now gone, but the Bulldogs have been recruiting as good as anyone and hope they can just reload instead of rebuild.
It is not just the players that Georgia will have to replace either. Defensive coordinator Dan Lanning took the head coaching job at Oregon after coordinating the Bulldogs defense. Head coach Kirby Smart has had to replace defensive coordinators before, but it is worth noting.
On offense, former walk-on Stetson Bennett is going to be back to lead the Georgia offense. There are going to be some Georgia fans and people around college football that say Bennett should not be starting. While he certainly has his limitations, Bennett just won the national championship and is going to be the starter until he loses the job.
There are going to be some big shoes to fill on defense. Guys like Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Lewis Cine, and Devonte Wyatt are all going to be missed. How quickly the Bulldogs replace them and find new guys to step up quickly could be the difference in making another run at the College Football Playoff.
Here is the way-too-early 2022 depth chart projection for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Quarterback
Starter: Stetson Bennett IV
Backup: Brock Vandagriff
This could be an interesting position to follow for Georgia like it usually is. But it might not be in all likelihood.
Stetson Bennett is going to be the starter for as long as Kirby Smart thinks he gives the team the best chance to win. While he has shortcomings, Bennett is accurate, can throw the ball downfield, and gives Georgia some mobility at the position. This job is his to lose and it seems likely that he is going to be the starter for the whole season.
With J.T. Daniels leaving the program, it is going to be an open competition for the backup job. The contenders are going to be former five-star recruit Brock Vandagriff, Carson Beck, and this year’s quarterback recruit, Gunner Stockton.
Vandagriff is probably the most talented of the group. Beck has some experience but did not look great in limited action last season. It is probably unrealistic to expect Stockton to come in and start as a true freshman or even just be the backup. However, he is an early enrollee and could make an impact with a good spring.
Running Back
Starter: Kenny McIntosh
Backup: Kendall Milton
It is rare for a team to lose two big contributors at running back like Georgia is and just assume that they will be fine. Zamir White and James Cook are gone, but Georgia has recruited the position well and they are going to be fine.
Kenny McIntosh should be the first guy in line to get carries at Georgia next season. McIntosh was the third back last season behind White and Cook and is explosive with the ball in his hands. He has done a good job of being a receiver out of the backfield and is a tougher runner than one would think. Expect to see plenty of McIntosh in 2022.
The backup job, or the second starter as some might think, will be Kendall Milton. Milton has been able to get carries here and there, but he is going to be asked to handle a bigger workload in 2022. Daiujuan Edwards and 2022 recruit Branson Robinson should also factor in some this season.
Wide Receiver
Starting X receiver: Adonai Mitchell
Backup: Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint
Starting slot receiver: Kearis Jackson
Backup: Dominick Blaylock
Starting Z receiver: Ladd McConkey
Backup: Arian Smith
While losing Jermaine Burton to Alabama is going to sting for the Bulldogs wide receiver room, there is still plenty of talent and experience here. Adonai Mitchell came up with a catch that Georgia fans will be remembering forever and he is going to be a starter next season.
Kearis Jackson is going to be back and he has been making plays for the last two seasons. He can help replace some of the downfield speed that Burton had.
Ladd McConkey had a nice season a year ago and should be ready to be even better in 2022. The intriguing guys for this group are the ones battling back from injury. Dominick Blaylock and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint were both hurt during the 2020 season and were not able to get on the field in 2021. Both those guys are good players and should be ready to contribute in 2022.
Arian Smith suffered a season-ending injury last season and he is perhaps the fastest receiver that Georgia has. Getting him back healthy would be huge.
Tight End
Starter: Brock Bowers
Backup: Darnell Washington
This position is going to be pretty straightforward in 2022. Brock Bowers had one of the best freshman seasons for a tight end in recent memory and he looks to be a first-round pick in the near future. Bowers should dominate targets this season and is great with the ball in his hands after the catch. He can beat any defense up the seam and is a solid run blocker as well. He should be the preseason favorite to be a first-team All-American this season.
Georgia is fortunate enough to not only have one really talented tight end in Bowers, but his backup is really good, too. Darnell Washington possesses rare size and athleticism for the position and is the best blocking tight end in the country. Washington is a threat in the red zone and has as good of a catch radius as anyone.
One guy to keep an eye on for the future is the 2022 four-star recruit Oscar Delp who has size at 6-foot-5, but it is going to be hard to get on the field. He will be a starter for the future.
Offensive Line
Starting left tackle: Broderick Jones
Backup: Amarius Mims
Starting left guard: Tate Ratledge
Backup: Xavier Truss
Starting center: Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
Backup: Austin Blaske
Starting right guard: Warren Ericson
Backup: Devin Willock
Starting right tackle: Warren McClendon
Backup: Amarius Mims
The offensive line is going to have some things to figure out this spring and into the season. Jamaree Salyer is going to be a tough guy to replace and so is Justin Shaffer. Replacing those guys with quality starters is probably the thing the offense needs to focus on the most this spring.
Broderick Jones did a good job in the national championship game against Alabama while at left tackle. He should be the favorite to start there again, but don’t be surprised if former five-star recruit Amarius Mims pushes to get on the field. Tate Ratledge should have the edge at right guard as long as he gets healthy.
The center position is one of the known factors on this line heading into the season. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger was one of the most consistent starters for the Bulldogs last season and should be in for an All-SEC season.
Warren Ericson will enter the spring as the starter at right guard, but he is going to have to improve because he was inconsistent at times last year. Warren McClendon is the undisputed starter at right tackle and will stay there all season.
Defensive Line
Starting defensive tackle: Jalen Carter
Backup: Warren Brinson
Starting nose tackle: Zion Logue
Backup: Nazir Stackhouse
Starting defensive end: Tramel Walthour
Backup: Mykel Williams
This is going to be a group that is going to look pretty different from last season. Jalen Carter is ready to take the mantle as the next great defensive tackle at Georgia and is one of the best defensive players in college football. He is a monster inside and is great against the run and provides the kind of pass rush from the interior that every team wants.
While the rest of the group is going to be new in terms of starting, they have experience. Zion Logue should fill the shoes of Davis at nose tackle and he got some snaps last season. Tramel Walthour will play at the spot occupied by Wyatt last season and like Logue, he got snaps last season and should be prepared for a starting role.
The guy to keep an eye on is the freshman Mykel Williams who was one of the top recruits in the nation in 2022 and possesses rare traits for a defensive lineman. Another freshman to watch is Bear Alexandar at nose tackle.
Linebacker
Starting Jack linebacker: Nolan Smith
Backup: Chaz Chambliss
Starting Sam linebacker: Robert Beal
Backup: MJ Sherman
Starting inside linebackers: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Trezman Marshall
Backups: Jalon Walker, Smael Mondon
There are going to be some new faces to the Georgia linebackers this season. Dean, Travon Walker, Quay Walker, and Channing Tindall are all gone to the NFL. The team got a big boost when Nolan Smith decided to stay in Athens for another season and he is likely to be the leader of the whole defense.
Alongside Smith will be Robert Beal who actually led the Bulldogs in sacks this past season and has a good chance to do so again in 2022.
The two most interesting spots will be the inside linebackers. Based on experience in the system, Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Trezman Marshall seem to be the two guys that are ready to step up. However, guys like Jalon Walker and Smael Mondon are going to push for time because of their talent level.
Secondary
Starting cornerbacks: Kelee Ringo, Kamari Lassiter
Backups: Daylen Everette, Nyland Green
Starting safeties: Tykee Smith, Chris Smith
Backups: David Daniel, Malaki Starks
Starting Star: William Poole
Backup: Javon Bullard
This part of the defense was a concern for the Bulldogs last season at times and it could be again in 2022. However, they really recruited the position well in 2022, so if some of those guys step up, then the Bulldogs should be just fine. That is a big ask though.
Kelee Ringo, one of the stars of the national championship game, will be on one side at corner and there will be competition on the other side. Kamari Lassiter might be the front runner, but he is going to have competition from some of this year’s prized recruits. Five-star Daylen Everette enrolled early and should battle for playing time, while Jaheim Singletary and Julian Humphrey will arrive in the summer.
At safety, Chris Smith will be returning and Georgia is hoping that Tykee Smith can stay healthy. Smith was a big transfer from West Virginia but was banged up for most of last season. William Poole had nice moments last season and he will be hoping to be a major contributor again.