Iron sharpens iron over in Athens. The Georgia Bulldogs have been among the very best teams in college football over the last eight or so years. Outside of his first year back at his alma mater in 2016, Georgia has played in a New Year's Six Bowl every season Kirby Smart has been in charge. Projected to win around 9.5 games this season, look for that to continue heading into year 10 for Coach Smart.
That being said, I did notice something quite intriguing when it comes to his team's depth chart heading into fall camp. Georgia does use a wide array of players in its defensive rotations, but newcomer Zion Branch is not listed as a starter at either safety spot. The former USC transfer is slated to back up JaCorey Thomas at strong safety, who will be opposite of KJ Bolden over at free.
Georgia's secondary may be among the best and most experienced in college football, but keep in mind who Branch's brother is. That would be fellow USC transfer in projected starting Y wide receiver Zachariah Branch. It should be noted that Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas is not projected to start at the X wide receiver position, as he is behind former Miami transfer Colbie Young in that key spot.
Branch being behind JaCorey Thomas may signify key depth, or it may be a future cause for concern.
Why Zion Branch not projected to start may be a big deal for Georgia
Look. This is all about The Branch Brothers coming over from USC. They eventually followed former USC interim head coach Donte Williams to Athens in the wake of another frustrating season in Los Angeles under Lincoln Riley. Again, Zachariah Branch is the better pro prospect, but Zion Branch was expected to be a big contributor as well. He still might be, but seeing him behind Thomas is a bit odd.
Truth be told, this may not matter as much as we may think. The Georgia secondary will be led by seniors Daylen Everette, Joenel Aguero and Thomas. Bolden is only a true sophomore, but he is dripping with talent. Ellis Robinson IV is a redshirt freshman backing up junior Daniel Harris at the other corner spot. Again, I see this as a strength for Georgia more than anything. The best will play.
Where I do have concerns is if The Branch Brothers do not assimilate fast enough to SEC speed and culture. They were names in the Big Ten last year and the old Pac-12 before that. However, they will be going up against the athletes that make fellow SEC teams like Alabama, LSU and Texas so profoundly good. They may play at Georgia now, but nothing will be handed to them. I think they both realize this.
If anything is going to propel Georgia to a national title this season, it might as well be their depth.