One last ride
Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson’s return is key for upcoming season
Owen Warden
In January, both defensive linemen Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson announced their plans to return to Georgia as fifth-year seniors for another season. Both players are two-time national champions and have plenty of highlights, most notably Stackhouse’s game-changing interception against the Missouri Tigers in 2023.
“It’s so unreal right now and hard to explain with words. This is so exciting,” Stackhouse said after the game. “After my departure here from the University of Georgia, I can look back and say I did that. Even if it never happens again.”
Yet, Stackhouse elected to stick around another year alongside his 2020 classmate Brinson, who returned with him for the same reason: a bad taste in their mouths after the 2023 season ended. Stackhouse and Brinson weren’t expected to return for a fifth year going into the 2023 season, a thought shared by head coach Kirby Smart. “I certainly didn’t sit on this podium last year, this time, thinking those two guys will be back,” Smart said. “The fact they [are is] a luxury in terms of depth, but we still have
to get better, and if they stay the same, they did no good coming back.”
The two defensive linemen were among the last group of college players to use their COVID eligibility, which gives them one extra year since they played during the shortened 2020 season.
The Bulldogs’ interior defensive line heading into 2024 is incredibly young, which brought concern from Georgia fans that the group would struggle. However, the returns of Stackhouse and Brinson could be key going forward for a unit that Smart has full confidence in.
Brinson has been more productive each season. He hit a career high in tackles and sacks last season with 21 and two respectively, while tying his career high in tackles for loss with three. Stackhouse tied his career high in TFLs with three and broke his career high of sacks with two.
While Stackhouse’s role will likely be similar to what it was the past two seasons lining up over the center at nose tackle, Brinson will likely get the starting nod and receive more playing time this season at defensive tackle, a position that typically lines up over offensive guards.
Brinson couldn’t stay on the field consistently last season due to a calf injury, but when he did play, he demonstrated the best pass rush from any Georgia interior defensive lineman all year. With plenty of young players on the rise, a potential Brinson breakout season in his fifth year could be necessary for the defense to find success.
The offensive line has been key in both players’ development over their past four seasons with Georgia. Smart noted how much the pair has improved from facing Georgia’s offensive line in practice. But the offensive linemen themselves admitted how useful it’s been to face the two seniors.
“Like the cliche says, iron sharpens iron,” offensive lineman Micah Morris said. “Those guys are vets here, they know that, they know the defense, they know our offense
Iron sharpens iron ... having such stout guys and powerful defensive linemen ... that gets us better at the end of the day.
when we practice against them. Just having such stout guys and powerful defensive linemen like Warren Brinson and Naz [Stackhouse] that gets us better, that gets us better at the end of the day.”
The pair has played together for so long and has had an opportunity to accomplish a lot, but they also genuinely love being on the field and in the locker room together.
“It’s fun playing with them,” Brinson said in 2023. “Naz has his TikToks and stuff, so he’s always funny, making jokes and stuff like that. We know this is our time to shine, we got to keep the ball rolling man. We’ve got to keep that goal as a standard, we got to play to the standard. I trust them, they trust me.”
Brinson and Stackhouse, going into their final season as Bulldogs, have a chance to revitalize a defensive line unit and make an impact as big as their 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4, over 300-pound frames.
“They both have a purpose,” Smart said. “I hope they get better, I hope they grow up. They have intentions of moving up and improving their draft status and getting their degrees and both of them are on track to do that.”
Bo Underwood
Brock Bowers is one of the most unstoppable forces college football has ever seen.
The former Georgia tight end, who declared for the NFL draft following the 2023 season, left behind an unbelievable legacy in Athens — two national championships, two John Mackey Awards for the best tight end in the country, three All-American nods and a laundry list of other achievements.
With Bowers gone as an expected top 10-15 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, the task now falls on Georgia to fill the colossal void that Bowers left in his wake.
That’s not to say Bowers was carrying Georgia by himself. He benefited from great play-callers, talented teammates and all-world defenses who are all just as responsible for Georgia’s success as he is. Still, it’s almost comical how he could kick Georgia’s offense into another gear almost by himself.
Think back to last year’s road matchup with Auburn, where Georgia entered the fourth quarter tied with the Tigers at 17. Bowers was having a quiet day until he caught four passes for 121 yards in the last 15 minutes, along with the eventual game-winning touchdown.
“Bowers did what he does,” head coach Kirby Smart said following the game. “I mean, the guy is amazing. It’s a wonder why you don’t just go to him every play.”
Simply put, there isn’t a tight end on Georgia’s current roster who fans should expect to do things like that. Just like there isn’t another tight end who has ever played college football that can be held to that standard. But make no mistake — Georgia’s tight end room still has a ton of talent. Rising junior Oscar Delp is set to headline Georgia’s tight end group in 2024 following a 2023 season that saw him catch 24 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. He filled in for Bowers as Georgia’s starting tight end for two games when Bowers went down with a sprained ankle. Delp is a talented athlete who is much shiftier after the catch than someone at his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame ought to be, and his early high school background as a former wide receiver helps explain his fluid route-running and solid hands. Coaches have also praised his continued improvement as a blocker.
“He does things his way,” Smart said. “He’s not Brock, he doesn’t try to be Brock. He’s a quiet leader, similar to Brock, but he’s really physical. He’s tough. He knows the work ethic it requires. The guy’s taken a lot of reps since being here. He’s been durable. He’s doing a good job leading in that room, as well as [Lawson] Luckie is and the two young kids.”
Delp is certainly not the only talented tight end Georgia has waiting in the wings. Luckie, a rising sophomore, was the No. 2 tight end recruit in the 2023 class, per 247Sports, and appeared in seven games as a reserve in 2023. Luckie is a smooth route runner and an aggressive blocker, and turned heads with his performance last spring as an early enrollee. He was supposed to be competing with fellow highly-rated 2023 recruit Pearce Spurlin III, but Spurlin was ruled medically ineligible in March due to a heart condition. Georgia will add a more veteran presence to its group with the fall 2024 arrival of former Stanford tight end Benjamin Yurosek via the transfer portal. The rising fifth-year had his 2023 cut short by injury, but was named second-team All-Pac 12 in 2022 following 49 catches for 445 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs also secured 247Sports’ No. 7 tight end prospect for 2024 in Jaden Reddell, a versatile athlete who has shown the ability to line up in the slot, out wide and at in-line tight end, similar to Bowers. Three-star freshman Colton Heinrich joins Reddell to round out Georgia’s tight
Points from the press box
The road to redemption starts in spring
Well, that didn’t go as planned.
The Georgia football team entered 2023’s G-Day poised to accomplish something unprecedented in the contemporary college football landscape. The Bulldogs opened the season last year with a chance to win three consecutive national championships, a feat that hadn’t been done since 1936.
The Bulldogs boasted one of the most talented defenses in the nation and a star-studded arsenal of offensive options. Yes, Georgia lost multiple key contributors to the NFL draft — including Stetson Bennett IV, one of the most accomplished players in program history — but quarterback Carson Beck and his teammates were primed to make another run at the title.
As the regular season rolled along, it seemed as though the Bulldogs got better and better each
week. They faced some early obstacles in the form of near-defeats against Auburn and South Carolina, only to come out of those games stronger than ever. Their season peaked in November, as they outscored a stretch of three straight ranked opponents by a margin of 120-48. The season ended, and the Bulldogs had just one more opponent in their path before returning to the College Football Playoff: Nick Saban and his Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama was coming off of one of its worst performances of the season after needing a last-second miracle to escape Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Georgia had all of the momentum on its side, and the undefeated Bulldogs were looking to put a stamp on their season by taking down their rivals in the SEC championship. It didn’t work out that way. Georgia fell 27–24 to Alabama.
After entering the year with national championship aspirations, Georgia
faithful had to settle for a historic 63-3 victory over Florida State in what felt like a meaningless Orange Bowl.
So, with all of that in the rearview mirror, the question becomes: what now? How does a program recover from an unceremonious end to a potentially monumental season? That’s the answer head coach Kirby Smart and his staff will have to find in the coming months.
Beck is back after an impressive first season as the starting quarterback, though the Bulldogs also lost multiple All-SEC pieces like Brock Bowers, Sedrick Van Pran, Kamari Lassiter and Tykee Smith. Georgia made moves to improve the team through the transfer portal, and the young players returning to Athens will also be relied upon to improve during the offseason and bolster the roster.
Still, a football game in the middle of April isn’t going to prove anything. Sure, it provides a small glimpse
of what Georgia’s offense will look like without focal points such as Bowers, Ladd McConkey and Kendall Milton. And sure, there will inevitably be several players who show flashes of potential and excite the fanbase.
However, the point remains that the team shown on G-Day is far from a finished product. The real improvement will occur where the fans don’t see it — on the practice field, in the film room and in every moment where the team is growing, learning from mistakes and working to become better both individually and as a unit. This isn’t the first time Georgia has had to recover from massive offseason departures, and it isn’t the first time Smart has entered the season with massive expectations on his shoulders.
If his track record in prior seasons is any indication, Georgia football will be fighting for championships once again in 2024.
FRESHMEN FACES Players to watch on G-Day
Georgia football continues to dominate on the recruiting
#1
KJ Bolden, safety:
KJ Bolden is the latest in Georgia’s three-year run of recruiting five-star safeties after Malaki Starks in 2022 and Joenel Aguero in 2023. Listed at 6-foot, 187 pounds, he is the 15th overall prospect and the No. 1 rated safety. Bolden attended Buford High School, located about an hour away from the University of Georgia’s campus. The newcomer has a diverse skill set that could provide him with early playing time, whether that be deep in the secondary or slotted at STAR. Both of those positions were previously manned by Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith, who are each expected to hear their names called during the 2024
Daniel Calhoun, offensive lineman:
was rated the
Ellis Robinson IV, cornerback: Ellis Robinson IV was a longtime commit to the Bulldogs, who announced his commitment in February 2023. He is the team’s highest-rated recruit, according to the 247Sports composite. The 6-foot-1 cornerback who attended IMG Academy in Florida was rated as the No. 2 overall prospect in the entire 2024 class and the highest-rated cornerback. Although corners Daylen Everette and Julian Humphrey will return to the team, Georgia is losing standout Kamari Lassister to the NFL draft. Robinson may not see the field right away this season, but he’ll likely show why he was rated at the top of his position come G-Day.
#4
keep an eye on in the intrasquad scrimmage. #99 Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, defensive lineman: Joseph Jonah-Ajonye joins his high school teammate, Justin Williams, as another one of
overall prospect and the 11th-rated defensive lineman. Listed at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, he provides much-needed depth for Georgia’s defensive front. Jonah-Ajonye is a unique prospect due to his athletic capabilities and build. He has the size and strength to move bodies in the run game but also has flashed a quick first step as a pass rusher. This has allowed him to see snaps at outside linebacker in practice. Jonah-Ajonye provides plenty of versatility that could garner playing time either on the interior or edge of the line for the Bulldog defense on G-Day.
Trying something new
Mykel Williams set to play both defensive end and outside linebacker
Spring brings changes, and for Mykel Williams, that change is another position to play. Williams was second in sacks on the team last year as a defensive lineman, but he was still disappointed by his sophomore season. Williams played as a defensive end for the entirety of his freshman and sophomore years and occasionally slid inside. But, at the end of the season, there were discussions about making a full-time transition to the outside.
Talks of Williams’ move to outside linebacker started before the Orange Bowl against Florida State in December 2023 and were only amplified after his dominant performance in that game.
If the rest of the season was underwhelming for Williams, the Orange Bowl was the exception. He had a season-high four tackles, a sack, a forced fumble that he recovered and one and a half tackles for loss, all while trying out a new position.
“It was great because I mentioned it to [head coach Kirby] Smart and [defensive coordinator Glenn] Schumann, and they agreed with me,” Williams said. “That was something they planned to do already. For them to have the confidence in me, and then to go out there and we had the result that we did, it was a great confidence boost and a great feeling.”
Williams won’t be making the transition alone. Gabe Harris, who started transitioning to defensive end, has shifted back to play more outside linebacker with fellow 2023 recruits Damon Wilson Jr. and Samuel M’Pemba.
However, freshman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, who was expected to play primarily defensive line, has joined Williams in cross-training at both defensive end and outside linebacker.
At outside linebacker, Williams will join veteran linebacker Chaz Chambliss, who announced his plans to return in 2024 a few days before the Orange Bowl in December.
Chambliss doesn’t bring the same level of athleticism that Williams could bring on the edge, but has been a consistent starter and run defender. He noted that Williams’ bigger body and long arms will be a boost for the outside linebackers in both the run and pass game when he lines up with them next season.
“He’s a big asset to us,” Chambliss said. “[We] try and keep to his strengths when he’s out there. We want to keep him on the edge, we want to keep him with his hand in the dirt and doing stuff that pertains to his abilities. We’ve asked him to drop [in coverage] and he’s done a good job doing that too.”
Williams’ transition to outside linebacker is not just a preference switch. This past season, Georgia football had three outside linebackers transfer out: Marvin Jones Jr., C.J. Madden and Darris Smith.
Chambliss is the only senior with the outside lineback-
ers as the majority of talent off the edge are sophomores or younger. Williams’ overall experience as a rising junior could be useful for a young group.
“I feel like wherever [Mykel] is at, Kel’s going to do his thing,” inside linebacker Smael Mondon said. “I’m excited to see what he does at that new JACK [outside linebacker] spot.”
Williams’ move outside is similar to fellow 2022 recruit Jalon Walker’s career path at Georgia. Walker played primarily outside linebacker last season and will split time between inside and outside linebacker this season — as Williams will do at outside linebacker and defensive end.
Moving into the outside role for the defense will highlight Williams’ versatility and unique athleticism as a pass rusher. As he moves into a football future past college, an ability to play multiple positions could set him up nicely for a future NFL career.
“[Mykel’s] trained to play on the edge a lot of times in his role,” Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said. “As a D-end, he’s on the edge already. There’s actually been times this year that he’s played in specialty roles that way. He definitely is an athletic enough guy that has enough length that he can potentially do that.”
But that’s another season away for Williams. For now, he’s focused on one thing: finding success at any position. “Better never rests. That’s the saying we have here,” Williams said. “We truly believe that.”
#0 Running Back
Roderick Robinson II
When Roderick Robinson II arrived at spring camp last year, he already looked like a collegiate running back. He ran for 196 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries and capped off his season with a 70yard performance against Florida State in the Orange Bowl, as he found his rhythm as the season went along. With Trevor Etienne’s recent suspension and Branson Robinson working back from injury, Roderick Robinson III — if he can combine his size and efficiency with the burst and speed he showcased last season — could be in for a big year.
#8 Defensive Back
Joenel Aguero
Hard-hitting, athletic, intelligent. Just a few words Joenel Aguero’s teammates have used to describe him. Aguero will slot right into the STAR position for the Bulldogs, a role former Bulldog Tykee Smith excelled in last season. Aguero wasn’t ready to see the field full time in 2023, only nabbing seven tackles and a pass deflection, but showcased his athleticism on a blocked punt against Florida — Georgia’s only blocked punt of the season. As an expected full-time starter in 2024, Aguero will get to showcase all the traits that made him a five-star prospect and an exciting player coming out of spring.
#12 Cornerback
Julian Humphrey
Julian “Julio” Humphrey had an interesting offseason. He flip-flopped his intentions in and out of the transfer portal, only to finally announce he would stay with the Bulldogs. Humphrey himself credited the coaching staff for convincing him that “this year is [his] year,” and they may be right after a promising 2023. When Humphrey saw the field against Missouri, he consistently made great plays and showcased tremendous athleticism, only to get injured the next week and miss the rest of the season. Now, with big expectations, Humphrey’s back and expected to play opposite of Daylen Everette.
No. 1 target
Ladd McConkey went out with injuries. With both gone, he could propel himself even further toward firstround consideration after the 2024 season.
