FORT LAUDERDALE - Georgia's 2020 recruiting class has had one heck of a ride.

Their first college seasons were played in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then they won two national titles. One of their own, Devin Willock, lost his life in a tragic car accident.

Now they're on the brink of becoming the winningest group of seniors in Georgia history. Through it all, the group has formed some of the strongest relationships a class can have.

"It’s about what we had to go through," receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said. "We had to fight for each other, really. The stuff we had to fight for, it was just hard. To see that we got through all that and we’re still together, it’s just a blessing. It’s really like, makes you want to, okay, you will be my brothers forever, really."

The original class consisted of 25 signees. Eleven are still on Georgia's roster: Nazir Stackhouse, Carson Beck, Tate Ratledge, Warren Brinson, Rosemy-Jacksaint, Chad Lindberg, Kendall Milton, Sedrick Van Pran, Arian Smith, Daijun Edwards, and Ladd McConkey.

The group started forming their relationships well before they stepped on campus. Milton said they had a group text that began when they were all being recruited by Georgia. That same group message is still in use today.

In their first days on campus, the 2020 signees relied on each other to get through Georgia's grueling offseason workout regimen.

"Y’all don’t know about the offseason workouts," Rosemy-Jacksaint said. "We had to pull for each other. When we’re doing those runs and we’re sprinting and I see Kendall hurting, I’m like, all right, come on Kendall, you’ve got this. We’ve got six more sprints left. You’re good, we’ve got this, come on. Stay with me, let’s go."

McConkey recalled James Cook setting an example for the new faces. He watched Cook run and run and run, wondering what it would take for him to not get tired one day.

Now, McConkey is the old guy in the room for players to look up to.

"You still think those are the older guys," McConkey said. "But then you look at it, you’re like, oh jeez, I’m the old guy now, this is my fourth year. I just try to lead by example and show those guys the ropes and always be there for them whether it’s on the field, off the field, anything."

That first offseason came to a screeching halt with the escalation of the Covid-19 pandemic. Spring practice went by the wayside. The freshman football players were the sole occupants of the East Campus Village dorms.

A class that featured players from all across the country found themselves forced to bond.

"Just for the simple fact guys were living together and things like that, but you couldn’t really go anywhere," Van Pran said. "When you weren’t at practice, you were pretty much spending all your time in your dorm room with your teammates. It was huge from that aspect, just getting to know guys and kind of figuring out where they come from and different things like that."

From those early days to now, the 2020 class has supported each other through all kinds of adversity.

For example, they helped Rosemy-Jacksaint recover from a broken leg suffered against Florida during that 2020 season. He recalled how his teammates kept him going during workouts throughout the rehab process.

"I’m telling you, I wouldn’t have made it through if it wasn’t for them. I would have quit football. I would have been done with football," Rosemy-Jacksaint said. "That’s the type of pain I was going through. Every day of workouts, every time we were running, I was throwing up. It was bad. Those guys really helped me. They helped me stay strong, helped me stay grounded, helped me keep my eyes on my vision and keep the focus. Without my teammates, I would not be here. I would have been done."

In the years since 2020, the class has produced some major pieces of Georgia's championship run.

Rosemy-Jacksaint and McConkey are staples of the receiving corps. Milton and Edwards have played key roles in the backfield rotation. Van Pran has started all 43 games at center since the beginning of the 2021 season. Stackhouse, Ratledge, and Brinson have been fixtures in the trenches as well.

Others are already in the NFL. Names such as Darnell Washington, Kelee Ringo, and Jalen Carter are in the pros with a pair of championship rings on their fingers.

A win in Saturday's Orange Bowl against Florida State will mark the 50th triumph for the 2020 class. That would make them the winningest group of four-year seniors in the history of Georgia football.

That mark is certainly one that means a lot for the group. But even more than that, the 2020 class will leave Athens knowing they've helped set the program up for even more future success.

"I feel like it’s opened up a blueprint for the future teams to come," Rosemy-Jacksaint said. "I feel like us being the old heads and seeing the seniors on the team and whatnot, we’ve taught the younger guys how it is to practice at Georgia, how it is to play at Georgia. What’s the standard, right? At this point, it’s up to them to keep the standard going."