UGASports is counting down the days until the Bulldogs’ 2024 season opener. For each day in our countdown, we will reveal our opinion of the best player in Georgia history to wear that particular jersey number.
We select Brock Bowers as the best Georgia player to wear jersey No. 19.
#19 BROCK BOWERS
Position: Tight End
Hometown (High School): Napa, California (Napa HS)
Height/Weight: 6-4, 230
Lettered: 2021-2023
Stats: 175 receptions for 2,538 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns; 193 rushing yards on 19 carries (10.2 avg.) and 5 touchdowns in 40 games/37 starts in three seasons.
Career: A four-star prospect out of Napa, California, Brock Bowers arrived at UGA in 2021, soon becoming the Bulldogs’ primary receiving target as a mere true freshman and for what ultimately would be a national championship campaign. That season, he led the team in receiving by tying a school record for most receptions by a freshman (56). The last of which was a critical score against Alabama in the national title game, Bowers’ 13 receiving touchdowns established a new single-season record at the school. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year and recognized as a first-team All-American by several NCAA-recognized outlets. For the next two seasons, it was more of the same as Bowers established himself as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of college football and most outstanding players in the annals of UGA football. His 63 receptions in 2022 are the second-most by a Bulldog sophomore, whereas his 56 catches in 2023 are the third-most by a junior at the school. In 2022, Bowers earned first-team All-American honors again and was the recipient of the John Mackey Award as the top tight end in college football. In 2023, despite missing four games due to injury, he earned unanimous first-team All-American status, becoming just the third Georgia player in history to be a three-time first-team All-American, joining Herschel Walker and David Pollack. That season, he won the Mackey Award again, making him the first two-time winner. Having played in just three seasons, Bowers ranks third in school history with 175 receptions, fifth with 2,538 receiving yards, and second with 26 receiving touchdowns. His 31 career touchdowns, which include five rushing touchdowns, are a school record for non-running backs. Selected by the Las Vegas Raiders, Bowers was the No. 13 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
#19 Honorable Mention: WR/RB/QB- Hines Ward (1994-1997); CB/PR- Scott Woerner (1977-1980); DB- John Little (1983-1986); DE/RB- Charles Grant (1999-2001); HB- Charles “Rabbit” Smith (1943-1946); CB- Mark Stewart (1966-1968); CB- Sanders Commings (2009-2012)
