Bruce Feldman: Where UGA could have an advantage against Clemson

At least one national college football reporter believes Georgia could take advantage of a key matchup in the trenches.

Bruce Feldman, who writes for The Athletic and appears on camera for FOX Sports, recently spoke with Jim Donnan and Dayne Young about a variety of items that included Georgia football and the sport at large. Among those topics was Georgia’s 2021 opener against Clemson in Charlotte, N.C., and where the Bulldogs could seemingly have an edge.

Based on how Clemson performed in its Sugar Bowl loss to Ohio State, Feldman thinks Georgia’s front seven could get after quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.

“I don’t know how good Clemson’s offensive line really is. It wasn’t like Chase Young was out there for Ohio State (this past) year,” Feldman said. “Georgia has a lot of four- and five-star talent in the front seven. Can they get after this big 6-5, 255-pound quarterback who can move and has a canon for an arm? Can they unsettle him? If they can, I’m curious what answers those guys have.”

In the Sugar Bowl, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked twice and pressured frequently. However, Lawrence, the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in this year’s draft, was able to limit what could have been an even worse day for the Tigers in a 49-28 loss.

For the Tigers, they’ll have to hope Uiagalelei will be able to avoid and maneuver around a Georgia front seven that returns a number of key playmakers, such as defensive tackle Jordan Davis and outside linebacker Nolan Smith.

Feldman thinks that if Georgia is able to replicate Ohio State’s success up front, it could be a tough day for the Tigers.

“I want to see if Georgia can whip that Clemson offensive line and I want to see how Georgia’s receivers hold up against a defense they should have a chance to make some plays against downfield,” Feldman said.

Feldman, Donnan and Young also spoke about how the transfer portal will affect teams around the country. Feldman specifically mentioned how former Tennessee running back Eric Gray has generated a good bit of buzz at Oklahoma. He mentioned that the Miami coaching staff has been impressed with former Georgia defensive back Tyrique Stevenson thus far too.

At Florida State, outside linebacker Jermaine Johnson, who also transferred from Georgia, performed well throughout the spring. Feldman noted that while Johnson didn’t see the number of snaps he wanted at Georgia, his new situation should see him on the field a lot more often.

“That (Florida State) staff thought he might be he best defensive player they had in the spring. He will definitely help an FSU program … they have a bunch of transfers there. If you’re a Georgia fan you’re like, ‘Jermaine Johnson? He was a good player but it wasn’t like they didn’t think he was a great player.’ But other programs, sometimes the talent is different—there’s a talent lag. This is not the Bobby Bowden days or the Jimbo Fisher earlier days at FSU. This is a program that’s basically 6-6, 7-5ish talent wise. That’s a guy who can come in and make a difference.”

Feldman also opined about Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith, who transferred to the program from West Virginia.

“He’s a really good player. Now he’s going to be more in the deep end of the pool, obviously, in terms of Big 12 defensive play vs. SEC defensive play,” Feldman said. “Tykee Smith comes in, Jahmile Addae who I think is a terrific addition for Kirby (Smart's) staff–I got to know Jahmile a little bit. Last year going into the season, West Virginia (lost) their defensive coordinator and basically he and Jordan Lesley, the defensive line coach, shared the DC job and I thought he did a really terrific job there. You bring over one of the two best players on that defense. I don’t know if I see him necessarily as an all-SEC player but I think he should be a really good player.”

Feldman, Donnan and Young also touched on the state of quarterbacks as it pertains to the 2022 NFL draft. Feldman said the class of 2022 won’t have the same kind of upper-talent tier that this year’s class had with Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance and Justin Fields.

Feldman does think NFL scouts and personnel could become enamored by North Carolina’s Sam Howell when it’s all said and done. He also mentioned Liberty’s Malik Willis as someone to keep an eye on when it comes to the next level.

As for Georgia quarterback JT Daniels, Feldman said NFL personnel are going to need to see more than the four-game sample size he put in to conclude the 2020 season.

“I think they still need to see a lot more from JT Daniels,” Feldman said. “I know there are some people who said he’s a top 10 pick. But from the people I talk to they haven’t seen it that way necessarily.”