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 Malcolm Mitchell as the best Georgia player to wear jersey No. 26.

Position: Wide Receiver, Cornerback

Hometown/High School: Valdosta, GA (Valdosta HS)

Height/Weight: 6-1, 195

Lettered: 2011-2015

Stats: 174 receptions, 2,350 yards receiving, 16 TD receptions on offense; 13 tackles, 1 fumble recovery on defense; 364 kickoff return yards, 56 punt return yards on special teams

Career: Malcolm Mitchell came to Georgia from national powerhouse Valdosta High School. Mitchell was ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect in the country, as well as the top cornerback, and had set the Valdosta High record with 77 receptions in his senior season. He started his Bulldog career in 2011 and scored a touchdown in his first game (51-yard reception from Aaron Murray vs. Boise State). Despite missing three games due to a hamstring injury, Mitchell finished tied for second in receptions with 45 (two behind Tavarres King) as a true freshman. He scored four touchdowns that season and four in his sophomore year. In 2012, Mitchell also played cornerback while still managing 40 catches. He made a career-high nine receptions against Kentucky that season, and likely made his biggest play as a Bulldog the next week. Georgia was up by just one point against second-ranked Florida with just over seven minutes remaining. Mitchell, who had called for an unsportsmanlike penalty just a few plays earlier, caught a short pass on third down then darted and cutted his way to score a 45-yard touchdown to help seal the game. In the 2013 season opener against Clemson, after teammate Todd Gurley scored on a 75-yard run, Mitchell celebrated with his teammate with a chest bump causing him to tear his ACL. Mitchell missed the rest of the season. He came back in 2014 and made 31 receptions. As a senior, Mitchell had his best statistical season, making 58 receptions (tied for 5th at UGA for a single seasons) for 865 yards (10th at UGA). He is also all over the top ten Bulldog charts when you look at his overall career.

Post-UGA Career: Mitchell was a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He had 32 receptions and four touchdowns as a rookie. Mitchell made six more receptions in a Super Bowl win against the Falcons later that season. Knee injuries forced him to retire early.

Mitchell was more than just a football player. In 2016, he wrote and released a children's book titled The Magician's Hat. He continues to visit schools to help kids understand the value of education.

#28 Honorable Mention: Ben Smith, John Bond