Kirby Smart’s program has become an NFL factory, producing talent at a rate very few can match. The Georgia Bulldogs have consistently produced All-Americans drafted in the first round, and 2023 will be no different.
The Dawgs are favorites to win the national championship, which would make them just the second to win three straight titles. The other happened around 100 years ago when the Model T was invented.
Smart’s recruiting enables Georiga to reload year after year, and they’re primed to feature a load of elite talent. ESPN has the Bulldogs leading college football with five preseason All-Americans — tight end Brock Bowers, center Sedrick Van Pran, defensive end Mykel Williams, linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, and safety Malaki Starks.
Coming across the country, Bowers has become one of the greatest tight ends in collegiate history. The Napa Valley native has one of the most well rounded skill sets I have ever seen, able to threaten defenses as a pass catcher and a blocker. He’s scored 24 touchdowns since coming to Athens and is set to once again power the Bulldogs’ offense.
SVP could’ve been a first-round pick but chose to return to school. An elite center can take offensive lines to another level. He’s started every game over the Dawgs’ back-to-back championship campaigns and will once anchor the line in 2023. His presence is more important than ever because there are several new faces along Georgia’s front as well as a new quarterback.
Williams was a true freshman last year and was a force, leading the defense in quarterback pressures (31), tied with Jalen Carter. At 6-5, 265-pounds, he looked excellent against elite competition like Ohio State first-round draft pick Paris Johnson in the college football semifinal. He only totaled six sacks last season, but that was as many as any first-year player in the country. Williams is primed to become the next great defensive lineman to go in the first round out of Georgia.
Once again, Kirby Smart is producing elite front seven talent. Dumas-Johnson is no different. He led the defense with nine tackles for loss along with 24 quarterback pressures en route to being a finalist for the Butkus Award, which is the honor given to the best linebacker in the country. He’ll be the next star linebacker to come out of Athens.
And on the backend, yes that’s an All-American at all three levels, is Malaki Starks, who had a sizeable role as a true freshman last season. He led Kirby Smart’s defense in snaps and finished third in tackles with 68. A versatile safety can cover up a lot of deficiencies underneath, but it’s not like this defense has many.
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