Georgia opens the season today against Tennessee State in a game the Bulldogs should control from beginning to end.
This isn’t a game where Georgia simply needs to survive and advance. It is an opportunity for Kirby Smart to answer some questions before the Bulldogs begin the difficult part of their schedule.
Georgia has plenty of proven talent, but it also has players stepping into bigger roles. Some are attempting to become national stars. Others are being asked to replace major production. Today is their first opportunity to show they are ready.
Here are five Georgia Bulldogs who have something to prove against Tennessee State.
1. Gunner Stockton, Quarterback
Gunner Stockton has already proven that he can win football games. He led Georgia to an SEC championship last season, protected the football and delivered in some of the Bulldogs’ biggest moments.
Now he needs to prove that he can take the next step.
Stockton finished seventh in the Heisman voting last season, but he still doesn’t receive the same national attention as several other quarterbacks. If he wants to become a legitimate Heisman contender, he cannot afford a slow or sloppy start against Tennessee State.
Georgia should dominate this game, and Stockton should look like the best player on the field. He needs to command the offense, push the football downfield and put points on the board early.
This is the beginning of his Heisman campaign.
2. Nate Frazier, Running Back
Nate Frazier finished just short of 1,000 rushing yards last season. He has already shown that he can be productive, but Georgia needs more than production from him this year.
The Bulldogs need a difference-maker in the backfield.
Georgia’s running game has been solid, but it hasn’t always produced the explosive plays we became accustomed to seeing from backs such as Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and D’Andre Swift. Frazier has the ability to change that.
Against Tennessee State, I want to see him hit the hole decisively, run through contact and create plays beyond what the offensive line gives him. A Georgia running back should be capable of taking over a game like this.
Frazier has an opportunity to establish himself as one of the best backs in the SEC. That starts today.
3. Isiah Canion, Wide Receiver
Georgia lost six of its top seven pass catchers from last season, which creates a tremendous opportunity for Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion.
It also creates pressure.
The Bulldogs didn’t bring Canion to Athens to become another body in the receiver rotation. They need him to become a primary target for Stockton and help replace the explosiveness Georgia lost from last year’s offense.
Today is his first opportunity to show that he can be that player.
Canion needs to create separation, make plays after the catch and demonstrate that Stockton can trust him in important situations. Georgia has plenty of talented receivers, but somebody has to emerge as the guy.
Canion has the ability. Now he has to prove it.
4. London Humphreys, Wide Receiver
London Humphreys is Georgia’s leading returning receiver, but that doesn’t automatically make him a true No. 1 target.
He has flashed big-play ability throughout his career. What Georgia needs now is consistency.
Humphreys can stretch a defense and create explosive plays down the field, but the Bulldogs need him to become more than an occasional deep threat. They need him to be dependable from one possession to the next and one Saturday to the next.
With so much production gone from last year’s receiver room, this is his opportunity to take ownership of the position.
Today, I want to see Humphreys involved early. I want to see Georgia move him around, get the football into his hands and give him a chance to show that he is ready for a larger role.
5. Elijah Griffin, Defensive Lineman
Georgia has produced some of the most dominant defensive linemen in college football over the past several years. Elijah Griffin has the talent to become the next one.
The question is whether he is ready to dominate consistently.
Griffin is no longer just a talented young player with enormous potential. Georgia needs him to become a disruptive force in the middle of its defense. The Bulldogs need more pressure from their defensive front, and they need players who can finish once they get into the backfield.
Against Tennessee State, Griffin should be difficult to block.
I want to see him control the line of scrimmage, collapse the pocket and make plays behind the line. This is the kind of opponent a future All-American should physically overwhelm.
Georgia isn’t going to learn everything about itself today. Tennessee State simply doesn’t have the talent to provide the kind of test the Bulldogs will face once SEC play begins.
But that doesn’t make this game meaningless.
Stockton can begin building his Heisman résumé. Frazier can establish himself as a featured back. Canion and Humphreys can begin defining Georgia’s new receiving corps. Griffin can show that he is ready to become the next dominant player on Georgia’s defensive front.
The Bulldogs should win this game comfortably.
The bigger question is which players will use it to prove they are ready for what comes next.
