![]() ![]() Piercy quickly finds an opportunity when he spots a student typing on her laptop, a black guide dog laying under her table. After that game, it’s just been exciting to know I was starting in every game after that.Ten minutes prior to his Network Application Development class, Craig Piercy stands at the front of a large lecture hall, eyes scanning several round tables scattered with students. ![]() “I just kept it within myself that look, I can go further from here. He said after the ball, going into the Oregon game: ‘Naz, you’re starting in the Oregon game,’” Stackhouse said. “I’m very proud of me holding it down, learning from the guys, Travon Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Jordan Davis, just me learning from the guys, knowing deep inside if I could just gain this type of information, gain these strategies from these guys, I could use it when it was my time,” Stackhouse said. The nose tackle only played in six games as a freshman, then 10 during the first national title season, all off the bench, sitting behind three future first-round picks. These players, and others operating under the radar, are looking for what Nazir Stackhouse experienced last year. And with Podlesny heading out, the Bulldogs bestowed a scholarship on Peyton Woodring, a kicker out of Louisiana.īut Zirkel has stuck it out and is trying to win the job this spring. There was an opening with Rodrigo Blankenship off to the NFL, but Zirkel couldn’t beat out walk-on Jack Podlesny, who proceeded to lock down the place-kicker job for the next three years. Jared Zirkel came to campus in 2000 as a blue shirt, meaning he got a scholarship after arriving on campus. The third-year cornerback is competing with two second-year players ( Daylen Everette and Julian Humphrey) for the cornerback spot opposite Kamari Lassiter. Nyland Green is another veteran defensive back who has had to wait. This spring could be a chance to make a much-needed move, especially if he wants to take advantage of Dan Jackson being out (he suffered a season-ending foot injury last season) and hold off five-star freshman Joenel Aguero. The other safety spot - the one vacated by Christopher Smith - could be locked down by David Daniel-Sisavanh, who hasn’t done much other than add a last name since he came to Georgia two years ago. And from run-down stuff to third-down pressures, being able to see that over the past three years, the mental side of my game has definitely grown.” “Our defense shows a lot of different stuff. And definitely, every year that I’ve been here I’ve continued to grow on the mental part, 100 percent,” Beck said. “Obviously any experience in life that brings you either disappointment or enjoyment is something you can grow and learn from. That criterion excludes Bennett, who had a transfer year in between his first and third years when he was a backup.Īs last season ended, Beck reflected on his long wait, which he knew was probably about to end. ![]() If Beck wins the starting job, he would be the first Georgia quarterback of the Kirby Smart era to debut as a starter after being on campus for at least two consecutive years. The coaches first rewarded his patience by not taking a transfer after last season, saying they’d let Beck compete with fellow returners Brock Vandagriff (himself entering his third year) and Gunner Stockton (a redshirt freshman). So who could this year’s candidates be? There are more than a few.Ĭarson Beck is a rare case these days: a quarterback never starting for three years but never entering the portal. He ended up the team’s leader in sacks in 2021 and a starter in 2022. More examples: Robert Beal played so little during his first four years he actually entered the transfer portal at one point. Then McIntosh ascended to the featured role and became a star (1,313 combined rushing and receiving yards). Kenny McIntosh was a high-profile example last year, spending his first three years as the third or fourth tailback behind D’Andre Swift, Zamir White and James Cook. Smith became the starter on two national title teams and an AP first-team All-American. But one of the keys to the machine Kirby Smart has built is the luxury not to rush players into early playing time, and thus the ability to develop the players willing to wait, and not just for one year.Ĭhristopher Smith was a notable example, a player who saw scant playing time his first two years, then became a starter late in the 2020 season when Richard LeCounte got hurt. They were often players overlooked because they didn’t play right away. tight ends and the possible changing dynamics on Georgia's offenseįor all the (deserved) focus on returning starters - and all the hype for newcomers - in every season, especially the successful ones, veterans who had not played much the previous season emerge as key players. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |