Breaking down the classes: Freshman impacts

It’s never too early to start breaking down and offering some takes on Georgia’s 2023 football team.

Today, let’s take it a step further.

In Part 1 of a four-part series, we take a deep dive into what players from each class we expect – and in some cases need – to be at their best to give the Bulldogs their best chance to be successful this fall.

We’ll start with the incoming freshmen.

Although it mostly comes down to conjecture when talking about freshmen who have yet to play a game in college, we can still have some fun by looking at how we “think” they will do.

We’ll be able to cast a more discerning eye on the sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Here we go (we take into account redshirt freshmen for this discussion):

Outside Linebacker Damon Wilson Jr.: Georgia is going to need to generate some pass rush from its outside linebackers, and of the freshmen, Wilson seems to be the player best prepared to provide the Bulldogs what they want.

Tall, fast, with a quick first step, Wilson was credited with two sacks during G-Day – the most for either team.

Wilson may not find himself with a starting role right off the bat, but he’s certainly expected to take advantage of the opportunities he does receive.

Safety Joenel Aguero: Malaki Starks’ success last year is one of the reasons we’re so high on Aguero, who seems to be on the same plane that Starks was on a season ago.

Georgia needs help with depth at safety, and Aguero figures to be a hard-hitting complement to Starks, along with Javon Bullard, who we believe will see most of his work at safety compared to last year.

Aguero will play a key role.

Inside Linebacker Raylen Wilson: Maybe it’s me buying into his high school hype.

But man, Wilson just looks like a “football player.” Even with guys like Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Smael Mondon, and potentially Xavian Sorey ahead of him, how can one look at him and not think he’s going to be on the field?

The take here is Wilson is going to force himself into some sort of rotation, and we’ll be talking about his impact throughout the course of the season.

Left Tackle Earnest Greene Jr.: You’ve already read much about Greene, battling Austin Blaske for the starting left tackle job once fall camp gets underway.

Greene has overcome the back issues that forced him to redshirt last year, and even if he does not start should take advantage of the playing time he receives.

If he does start, coaches are confident he’ll do an outstanding job.

Cornerback A.J. Harris: There’s no shortage of candidates to start opposite Kamari Lassiter at cornerback.

Sophomores Daylen Everette and Nyland Green may have the edge right now, but considering Harris is one of Georgia’s bigger corners – 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds – playing a taller corner when the opportunity arises could be an enticing thought for Kirby Smart.

Redshirt freshman Julian Humphrey is also in the mix, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll lean toward Harris due to his size.

Running Back Roderick Robinson: The reason Robinson is being included in this category is due to the injuries – and history of injuries – we’ve seen at the running back position.

Although Kendall Milton (hamstring) is expected to be OK for the start of fall camp, Branson Robinson (foot) may not be ready until sometime during the season. Add in the fact that redshirt freshman Andrew Paul is still recovering (he’s on schedule) from the ACL he tore last season, Georgia will need Roderick Robinson as ready to go as possible.

Defensive lineman Jordan Hall: Hall flashed during G-Day. Although he was only credited with a tackle, we did see him in the backfield on a couple of occasions.

His ability to provide an inside rush is just one reason we could see position coach Tray Scott use him as a third-down option, similar to what he did last year with Bear Alexander.

The Bulldogs are not afraid to play freshmen defensive linemen (See Travon Walker and Mykel Williams). Hall could be the next, and don’t be surprised at what he’s able to do.

Wide receiver Zeed Haynes: Georgia is deep at wide receivers, but of the freshman, Haynes seemed to be the most polished.

He made a nice back-shoulder catch for a 28-yard gain during G-Day, and it’s conceivable that even with Georgia’s depth at the position, he could get in and make some big catches for the Bulldogs.

Tight end Lawson Luckie: Luckie may have been the biggest surprise of all the freshmen during spring practice, so it’s no shock that we find his name here.

Brock Bowers and Oscar Delp are the returning incumbents, but with Mike Bobo expected to employ the tight ends similarly to what Todd Monken did, that all but guarantees multiple opportunities for Luckie, along with fellow freshman Pearce Spurlin III.