Caution salty. This week, Kirby Smart spoke to the media to assess the Bulldogs after the team’s first Fall scrimmage. Smart was less than amused when asked about the progression of the offense and defense. “There’s not been a dominant side of the ball if that’s what you’re asking. There have been explosives, and then there’s not been explosives.” He said. “But at the end of the day, both units have had glaring moments of success and moments of not success. It’s like that every year. I can’t sit here and tell you that one side of the ball has been explosive, and the other side has given them all up. It’s a balance.” So, with two weeks until kickoff, let’s look at who can be Georgia’s explosive playmakers in 2024.
Who are Georgia’s Explosive Playmakers in 2024?
What exactly is an “explosive play”? Sorry, Iowa, but three yards and a cloud of dust just don’t fit the bill. Although, let’s be real—we’d consider the Hawkeyes explosive if they consistently gained three yards. For most teams outside of Iowa City, a play that gains 10 or more yards is considered explosive. Last year, Georgia tied with Oregon for the most plays (260) that went for 10 or more yards. While many programs would be thrilled with that, it’s not enough for Kirby Smart. He wants more: “I hope we’re capable of turning those 10- to 12-yard gains into 40- to 50-yard plays, not just 20- to 30-yard ones.” The numbers support Smart’s frustration.
- Plays of 20+: Georgia was sixth in the nation and had 85 plays go for 20+. Impressive, but there is a 22-play gap to #1 LSU.
- Plays of 30+: Now the slide begins, Georgia was 19th in plays of 30+ yards, three spots behind the Wramblin’ Wreck of Georgia Tech.
- Plays of 40+: Georgia regained some interstate pride, barely edging out the technical college on North Avenue for 15th in the nation of plays of 40+ yards.
- Plays of 50+: Georgia had just nine plays of 50+ yards, tied with Georgia State for 29th in the country.
So let’s look at where Georgia finds its explosiveness in 2024.
Running to Daylight
Smart has learned to adapt his offensive philosophy. James Chaney brought about a “bully ball” approach that had more two-back sets and ran the ball down the opponent’s throat. Todd Monken showed how the Dawgs could still run, but also be a helluva a lot more explosive. Mike Bobo now enters his second year back at the helm as Georgia’s offensive coordinator. The Bulldogs were impressive last year, averaging more than 40 points a game, but Smart’s comments this week show he wants more.
We do have a lot of 10 to 12-yard runs, but we didn’t have the home runs, the long runs that historically we’ve had, which are another category of explosive – more explosive. But it’s something that we pride ourselves on, and to be honest with you, you’re not going to be an explosive passing team because explosive passes happen off play action. You can’t be an explosive passing team off play action if you can’t run the ball. So, the balance of those two is really critical.
Georgia lacked the top-tier ability to turn those 10-yard runs into 30, 40, or 50-yard gains. Kendall Milton’s health issues held him back, and that kind of explosive play wasn’t really in Daijun Edwards’ skillset either. Smart addressed that gap by adding Trevor Etienne in the offseason from Florida. Etienne is a triple threat that will hurt opposing defenses in the rushing, passing, and return game. Smart shared Etienne’s impact on the running back room. “I feel like Trevor’s [Etienne] the leader of the room and understands things and does a really good job of setting the tempo and setting the standard. ” It is his big-play ability that will be the difference for Carson Beck.
Carson Beck: Georgia’s Explosive Playmaker
The question of who is Georgia’s explosive playmaker begins and ends with the Beck. The redshirt senior returns for year two as the Bulldog starter. With Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers, two of Beck’s favorite targets, off to the NFL Smart talked about how Beck is adjusting to his new cast of talent.
There’s a good nucleus of 11 guys who’ve played a lot of football when you count Arian [Smith], Dillon [Bell[, Oscar [Delp], Dom [Lovett] and those guys. But there’s not the depth around Carson and the skill positions that there’s been in the past. And it puts more pressure on him to probably feel like he’s got to be perfect, to feel like he’s got to make the right decision, the protection check, do this, do this, and can I count on that guy that hadn’t done it yet to do the right thing and trust that he’s going to do it even though he may be a freshman.
This is what Fall camp is all about. Learning to adjust to the new faces and finding comfort and who you can trust. Beck bid his time and has shown himself to be a natural leader on the field and throughout camp. Smart was quick to compliment how Beck can ensure that he and his teammate are all on the same page in camp. And that’s the hardest part in the depth we count on our quarterback to put us in the right play or make the right decision on so many plays. Carson does a great job of that. I think he’s had a very detailed, attentive camp. “We count on our quarterback to put us in the right play or make the right decision on so many plays. Carson does a great job of that. I think he’s had a very detailed, attentive camp.”
Who Are Beck’s Explosive Targets?
Georgia has an embarrassment of riches on the offensive side of the ball. Not only have they drafted well, but they’ve utilized the Transfer Portal to reinforce their roster. Smart shared how Georgia’s explosiveness in the passing game will be dependent on some of these “newer” faces. “We’ve been more explosive passing the ball in the last two years than previous years. A lot of that has to do with the skill players, has to do with the quarterback, has to do with how the coordinator calls the game.” To get you ready for camp, here are six players (three returning and three new faces) that will be counted on in the passing game to be one of Georiga’s explosive players.
Returning players:
- Dominic Lovett: The Missouri transfer enters year two in Athens and will be counted on to step up for Bowers’ and McConkey’s absence. Lovett ranked second on the team with 54 receptions for 613 yards, hauling in four touchdowns. He had long touchdowns of 43 yards (Ole Miss) and 55 yards (Florida) last year.
- Oscar Delp: Delp figures to fit in nicely into the long line of top-end Georgia tight ends.
- Dillon Bell: Bell can hurt opposing defenses on the ground and through the air. Look for Bobo to put him all over the field this year and take advantage of mismatches.
New faces:
- Benjamin Yurosek: The transfer tight end from Stanford has shown the ability to make plays in the air and on the ground. As a sophomore, he had 13 receptions of 20+ yards to rank second among Power-5 tight ends.
- London Humphreys: The sophomore transfer from Vanderbilt had six plays last year of 30 or more yards, including a 49-yard score against Georiga.
- KJ Bolden: The biggest recruit wasn’t the Patrick Mahomes look-a-like in Nebraska. Look for Bolden to make noise as a freshman possibly on both sides of the ball and the return game.
