The Bulldawg Blog: Position Review

2008 Season Preview-Position by Position

Quarterback
Depth: Fair
Experience: High
Overall Position Grade: B+
Status: QB is obviously a strength for the Dawgs with JR Matthew Stafford primed for a breakthrough season. Whether or not Stafford has that breakthrough season will have a huge impact on Georgia’s season. Stafford’s numbers improved from his freshman to sophomore season: 52.7%, 7 TD, 13 INT in 2006; 55.7 %, 19 TD, 10 INT in 2007. That’s good to see, but those numbers have to improve by just that much this year if the Dawgs are to fulfill expectations in 2008. This unit could be an A+ if Stafford has a great year. I have the grade at B+ only because Stafford hasn’t been an elite QB yet. Should injuries knock Stafford out for any period of time the Dawgs are in good shape with JR Joe Cox at backup. Cox has seen action in each of the last two years. There is a good chance that R-FR Logan Gray could contribute this season, perhaps somewhere other than QB. He is the fastest and most athletic of the QB’s and he has gotten some high marks in spring/summer.

Running Backs
Depth: Stacked
Experience: Young
Overall Position Grade: B+
Status: It’s no secret that Knowshon Moreno is one of the key reasons that Georgia has been voted preseason #1 by the coaches and the AP. Behind Moreno the Dawgs have a stable of young running backs who were all highly recruited. However, it’s unlikely that any of them will have the impact on the team that Moreno has had, and thus, if Moreno is injured for any period of time it will be a serious blow to the team. The loss of Thomas Brown is great, not only because of his skills as a runner but also because of his blocking and knowledge of the game. Brown’s biggest talent was his break away running ability, but his absence will also be felt in the passing game, as he was a good blocker. Along this same line, the loss of FB Brannan Southerland for part of the year is also nothing to spit at. He is the key blocking back, short yardage back, and at times a receiver out of the backfield. The Dawgs do not have much depth at Fullback. SO Shaun Chapas is being asked to hold it down until B South gets back. He will have to step up and one of the young RB’s—King, Samuel, Daniels—or a couple of them will have to make up for the loss of Brown. Moreno can’t be carrying the ball 30 times a game; if he does it will limit his effectiveness and no doubt lead to injury.

Receivers/Tight Ends
Depth: Solid
Experience: Fair
Overall Position Grade: B-
Status: To be honest, I’d have to give a lower grade if not for the potential of freshmen AJ Green and Tavarres King. Mohamed Massaquoi is the top returning receiver and Kris Durham has also proven to be a dependable pass catcher. Perhaps Demiko Goodman will emerge this season as a deep threat. The receivers, along with SR TE Tripp Chandler, really just need to catch the ball the way they were at the end of last season. Surely some of Stafford’s relatively modest accuracy numbers can be attributed to the trouble this unit had dropping balls in 2006 and in part of 2007.

Offensive Line
Depth: Fair
Experience: Young
Overall Position Grade: C
Status: It may be that the length of time the Dawgs are able to hold on to their National Championship dreams this year will come down to the offensive line. In my opinion, offensive line is the second most important position on the field in college football (behind QB, just in front of secondary). It is Georgia’s youth at offensive line that has me most worried heading into 2008. Going into this summer, the Dawgs were already going to have to replace 2nd Team All-SEC Center Fernando Velasco, as well as 2 year starter RT Chester Adams. Then in the first full scrimmage of the summer the Dawgs lost their best returning lineman, LT Trinton Sturdivant, who had started 13 games last year and been named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. Due to a great focus on the position in recruiting over the last few years, the Dawgs finally have a good number of bodies at the OL spot with which to form a decent line. The problem is inexperience (now replacing 3 full time starters) and youth (no seniors, only 1 junior among the two deep). Last season the Dawgs were replacing the entire O-Line and they started 3 freshman, and yet they had an excellent season as an OL and went 11-2 as a team. However, it was a little rough early on. The Dawgs allowed just 15 sacks in 13 games, but 5 of those came in the first 2 games. Once again it will probably take time for the line to gel this year.

Defensive Line
Depth: Stacked
Experience: High
Overall Position Grade: A-
Status: 7 of the Dawgs top 8 defensive lineman return this year for UGA. Georgia is loaded along the D-line, particularly up the middle, with DT’s Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens plugging it up and getting after QB’s. Kade Weston is another talented DT. At defensive end the Dawgs aren’t quite as strong, but SR Jeremy Lomax and JR Roderick Battle are quality DE’s. Top sack man Marcus Howard will be missed for sure but hopefully another rush end will emerge to help make up the loss. This is a strong unit to be sure.

Linebackers
Depth: Solid
Experience: Fair
Overall Position Grade: A-
Status: Last year the Dawgs had to replace all 3 linebackers and had a talented but very inexperienced unit. This season the Dawgs have almost all of that talent back (and more) and this year the LB's are seasoned. At the heart of the defense is SR MLB Dannell Ellerbe who earned 2nd Team All-SEC honors last year. Rennie Curran is a special talent at WLB, and made 53 tackles as a true Freshman last year. Akeem Dent and Darius Dewberry should form a solid tandem at SLB. There is added depth with Akeem Hebron back after a year at GA Military Academy. This is a rock solid unit.

Defensive Backs
Depth: Solid
Experience: High
Overall Position Grade: A-
Status: This year’s secondary is very experienced and very talented. Begin with JR Asher Allen, a play maker and one of the best CB’s in the conference. Prince Miller is undersized but solid at the other corner and the Dawgs have a number of players capable of being useful backup corners. UGA has a pair of hard hitting safeties in SO Reshad Jones and SR CJ Byrd. R-FR John Knox has good speed and has been bragged on by coaches in the spring and summer. I do believe SS Kelin Johnson will be a tough man to replace. While not the most talented DB, KJ was certainly one of the brightest. His leadership will be hard to replace but fortunately the Dawgs have just about everyone else back. Secondary is probably the defense’s greatest strength heading into 2008.

Special Teams
Depth: Fair
Experience: Fair
Overall Position Grade: B
Status: This grade could end up being on the low side, but the Dawgs are facing some unknowns on ST going into 2008. The most glaring loss is at place kicker, where the steady and clutch Brandon Coutu must be replaced. Fortunately, the Dawgs feel good about true freshman Blair Walsh taking over the kicking duties. Still, we won’t really know if Walsh is up to the task until he proves it one way or another on the field. Senior Brian Mimbs is a strength at punter. Neither of the top two punt return specialists are back for Georgia, as both Mikey Henderson and Thomas Flowers are gone. Asher Allen returns as the top kickoff return man. Hopefully the Dawgs will find someone on this very talented team to be a return specialist, preferably someone not in the starting lineup. It’s really not worth it to have a starter returning kicks unless it is an absolute game breaking type of player. While there isn’t much to go on, I feel confident that the Georgia special teams unit will be solid again in 2008.

Coaching
Grade: A
Status: Mark Richt has done a tremendous job as head coach of the Bulldawgs since 2001. Willie Martinez has not gotten enough credit for the job he has done as DC and he returns for his 8th season at UGA and 4th as defensive coordinator. Mike Bobo should be more comfortable in his second full season as Offensive Coordinator. Last season Georgia fans saw a different side of Richt than they had seen before, as he used a number of alternative tactics to motivate his team. With Richt now focusing on being the head coach and not the play caller, he is in better position to manipulate the game through mental and spiritual ways, and this seems to be his strong suit.