Georgia football: 3 major award candidates for the Bulldogs in 2022
By John Buhler
Look for any of these Georgia football stars to bring home the hardware during awards season.
Last year, two Georgia football players won major awards: Defensive tackle Jordan Davis (Bednarik and Outland) and linebacker Nakobe Dean (Butkus).
The new Philadelphia Eagles teammates were focal points on this all-time great Dawgs defense. Though Georgia usually has a player or two who is capable of winning a major award, their best candidates to pull that off this fall happen to play on the other side of the football. Do not look now, but Georgia could have a sneaky-good offense this season, while the defense reloads a bit.
If any Georgia players stand a great shot at bringing home the hardware, watch out for these guys.
Georgia football: 3 players who could win a major award in 2022 college season
3. 814. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Georgia Bulldogs. Jalen Carter. DL. player
Jalen Carter could be a unanimous All-American, maybe he can win the Bednarik?
In theory, Jalen Carter should be higher up on this than third but hear me out, dawg. If there is any player on the 2022 roster capable of being a unanimous All-American like Davis and Dean were the year season, it would have to be Carter. He is the most talented player returning to this team. If any Georgia player is going top-five like Travon Walker did last spring, it would be Carter as well.
However, Carter does play in the same relative position group as another elite defensive SEC playmaker in Will Anderson of the Alabama Crimson Tide. While he plays more out on the edge, as opposed to Carter in the trenches, that is going to matter come awards season to some degree. Yes, Carter could win the Lombardi or Outland, but all eyes are on the prize that is the Bednarik.
Let’s be real. Odds are, these will be the first two non-quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. One of whom may go play for those nearby crap-tastic Atlanta Falcons, for all we know. However, Carter will have to do more from a less stat-driven position, compared to the one Anderson plays to eclipse him for major awards like the Bednarik. Carter could win some awards, but which ones?
The only guy who could keep Carter from cleaning up during awards season would be Anderson.