Top Dawg Projected Offensive Week One Starters!
It is finally week one in Athens, as the University of Georgia is just five days away from kicking off the 2020 season against Arkansas as the Dawgs travel on the road for the season opener. With the start of this very different season just days away, there are a lot of questions. One of the biggest unknowns is at the quarterback position for Georgia.
Quarterback: D’Wan Mathis
The quarterback competition began in January when Jake Fromm announced that he’d declare for the NFL Draft and forego his senior season. Fromm’s departure left Georgia with a glaring hole on their roster.
Coach Smart moved quickly to bring in graduate transfer Jamie Newman from Wake Forest. Newman’s arrival made Georgia a favorite to win the SEC Championship. Georgia wouldn’t stop there as they also brought in former USC starting quarterback JT Daniels from the transfer portal. This further solidified Georgia’s quarterback room. All things would change due to the coronavirus, which played a hand in Newman’s decision to opt-out of the 2020 season.
Georgia is left with JT Daniels, D’Wan Mathis, and Carson Beck as the three guys fighting it out for the starting spot. With Daniels still not being able to gain clearance up to this point to play in a football game, it has made Mathis the de facto favorite. Which is why I believe Mathis will get the start against Arkansas this Saturday.
With Daniels potentially not being cleared for Saturday, it makes Mathis the guy. Mathis brings a lot of the same qualities that Newman brought to Athens. With Newman now out of the picture, it makes Mathis more unique.
If Daniels does gain clearance before it is all said and done this week, I believe Mathis will start with Daniels coming off the bench.
Running Back: Zamir White/James Cook
Georgia’s running back room does not have a returning starter for the first time in years. After D’Andre Swift decided to enter the Draft early, it left Georgia with a room full of running backs who have little to no experience. But that youth overshadows the fact that Georgia still has a very talented room.
Zamir White is a former five-star running back from Scotland County High School in Laurinburg, North Carolina. White showed power and explosion that makes college and professional coaches drool. After suffering two ACL tears, he is fully healthy and ready to carry the load for Georgia.
White won’t be the sole back for the Dawgs as they also have junior James Cook, the brother of Dalvin Cook, former Florida State running back. Cook brings a lot of the same options that Swift brought to the Georgia offense.
Cook is more of a receiving back that brings the hands and quickness of a slot receiver. With great speed and quick cutability. Cook brings the ‘lighting and thunder’ aspect to the Georgia backfield.
Wide Reciever 1: George Pickens
There isn’t much of a question who will be the number one option for Georgia this season at receiver. George Pickens proved last season that he is capable of being a future NFL first-round draft pick.
After suffering two suspensions last season, George started 2020 with a record-breaking Sugar Bowl performance. Pickens is a name to watch as he could be a significant contender for the Biletnikoff Award.
Receiver Two: Demetrius Robertson
One of the biggest questions at receiver is who will be lining up opposite of Pickens? With many capable newcomers to step up down the stretch, I believe that senior Demetrius Robertson will get the nod in week one.
Robertson has shown flashes of what made him one of the most promising receivers after his freshman season at California. Since moving to Athens, he has struggled to put up consistent performances due to injuries.
This is a prove-it year for Robertson if he has aspirations of playing in the NFL.
Slot Receiver: Kearis Jackson
The slot position has become a much-anticipated battle since the injury to sophomore receiver Dominick Blaylock. Georgia has names like Kearis Jackson, Jermaine Burton, and Robertson.
Jackson is one of the returning receivers from a year ago who showed potential but struggled to stay on the field. Jackson is well-liked by the staff and will likely get the nod in week one for Georgia.
Tight End: Tre’ McKitty
Another exciting position battle is at tight end. With both Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf out of the picture from a year ago, Georgia has had to look elsewhere at tight end. With the graduate transfer Tre’ McKitty looking primed for the starting role this season, it is very likely that we will see the emergence of the highly touted freshman Darnell Washington.
The tight end position is expected to have a facelift in this new offense and is a position to watch throughout the season.
Left Tackle: Jarmee Salyer
Jarmee Salyer is a former guard coming out of high school. Salyer has since transformed his body and work ethic to resemble one of a starting left tackle.
Since losing both tackles from a year ago, Salyer was forced to move to tackle in the Sugar Bowl and fill in at right tackle for the departing Isaiah Wilson. Salyer had an outstanding performance and solidified his starting status after the transfer of Cade Mays.
Left Guard: Justin Shaffer
Once an underrated rotational piece for the Dawgs along the offensive line, now gets his chance at being the starter. In his four years at Georgia, Shaffer has played both tackle and guard, serving in a rotational role.
After the departure of Solomon Kindley for the NFL, it will now most likely be up to the senior Justin Shaffer to fill the void. Shaffer filled in for Kindley against Notre Dame after Solomon went down with an injury.
A pretty bad neck injury would sideline Shaffer for the rest of the season shortly after the Notre Dame game.
Center: Trey Hill
Hill is the lone wolf from last year’s starting offensive line, which was rated as one of the best in the country. With Matt Luke already having time with Hill in preparation for the Sugar Bowl and now without any other experienced veterans, it will be up to Hill to provide leadership upfront.
Hill has been a proven center for the Dawgs after losing Lamont Gaillard the year before. Hill struggled with consistency at times last season when dealing with some bigger defensive linemen in the SEC. Will be a guy to watch as he starts to get more attention from NFL scouts.
Right Guard: Ben Cleveland
The senior guard Ben Cleveland is one of the most talented linemen in college football when healthy. Cleveland is a freak athlete who, with his impressive physique, can move opponents off the ball and clear out running lanes for Georgia.
With Monken’s and Luke’s tendencies to pull linemen a lot in their offensive schemes. We will likely see more of the bruising style of Cleveland. With a history of injuries behind him, look for Ben Cleveland to have a great year.
Right Tackle: Owen Condon
Right tackle was the most significant question mark along the offensive line this season after Isaiah Wilson went to the NFL. Georgia has a host of options to replace Wilson at the right tackle and still has plenty of five-stars to show for it. But at the end of the day, it isn’t about the stars; it is about who is better for the team.
Throughout camp, Owen Condon has shown that he is a guy who could be in for a big breakout season in 2020. Condon wasn’t talked about much when speaking of the wealth of talent at offensive line before but he is making a name for himself now.
Since coming to Georgia as a three-star, he took a redshirt in 2018 and continued developing in 2019 as a redshirt freshman. Now, as a redshirt sophomore, it looks like he will get his chance at the starting gig after a reportedly impressive camp up to this point.
After extensive research and putting this together multiple times to find the best projection for Saturday, this seems like it. Talent is not a question for Georgia this season on offense. There is plenty of talent beyond the listed players above. Good coaching will make the difference this season for Georgia offensively.
While there are still many unknowns about the quarterback situation with JT Daniel’s status up in the air, it seems like a safe bet that Mathis will start against Arkansas.