Here is the March 13 edition of The Daily Recap presented by My Perfect Franchise.
'The next Jalen Carter'
Someone just had lofty expectations placed upon them.
At Georgia's pro day, defensive lineman Warren Brinson was asked about freshman Elijah Griffin and what to expect out of him. Brinson's words were of the highest degree in describing how good Griffin can be.
"(Griffin's) the next Jalen Carter," Brinson said.
Georgia would love nothing more than to have a dominant interior pass rusher who can also stuff the run. While Georgia had a talented defensive line the past two years, it has missed the sheer wow factor that Carter brought to the team during his time with the Bulldogs.
Brinson, who has known Griffin for a long time since both are from Savannah, said Griffin -- nicknamed Percy -- is one of the more athletic players he's ever seen.
"I want to see Percy just be Percy," Brinson said. "Percy is one of the twitchiest, most athletic guys I've seen on the front, violent hands, everything. I think he's going to put it together. It's going to be his world this year, honestly. The world is his and I can't wait to see how he plays."
Growing as a leader
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said that quarterback Gunner Stockton has looked the part of a leader in the early going of this offseason.
“He’s a tremendous leader, but there's nothing I didn't already know. I mean, I would be remiss if I said, well, all that he's done this or that. He's done everything right since he's been here,” Smart said. “That's really kind of what he embodies. He's a tough kid who loves football and loves his teammates. You're not going to get a lot of rah-rah out of Gunner. He doesn't feel like that's his role. He earns people's respect by how he works and how he carries himself. He's got a tremendous amount of confidence in his ability.”
While Ryan Puglisi is expected to receive a long look to be Georgia's starting quarterback, Stockton has the early edge based on his experience in the offensive system.
“He's got a lot of knowledge of our system, and I think that kind of resonates with the other players,” Smart said. “They rally around Gunner because they have a lot of respect for him.
Early exit
Following an incredible four-game winning streak to close the regular season, Georgia fell to Oklahoma 81-75 in its first and only game of the SEC Tournament. Given how the Bulldogs concluded the regular season, there's still a good chance they advance to the NCAA Tournament.
"We fought. We did some good things offensively and defensively. Not enough to advance," head coach Mike White said. "Unfortunately, we broke the four-game streak that we had. We were hoping to get to five in advance. I thought we could be competitive here in this tournament, but we went out a little earlier than we'd hoped. That said, this team has accomplished a lot. And we're ready to get some rest and move on to the next thing."
If Georgia does earn an invite to the NCAA Tournament, it will be the first time for the Bulldogs since 2015.
Jalon Walker discusses his pro day performance
Also on UGASports
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Dan Jackson seizes his moment at Georgia's pro day.
Smart shared his opinion on Georgia's new receivers.
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