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No. 11 Georgia: Can Nick Chubb carry the Bulldogs back to an SEC East crown?
Dr. Saturday will unveil its preseason Top 25 team-by-team during the next 25 days. This list is based on returning starters, schedule and prospects. However, we all know that once the games begin, things can change very quickly. Still, we thought we’d give our best guess heading into the 2015 season.
No. 11 Georgia
2014 record: 10-3, 6-2 SEC
Returning starters: 7 offense; 5 defense
2015 Outlook: The 2014 season was like a lot of other seasons for Georgia under Mark Richt: good, not great. The Bulldogs went 10-3, finished second in the SEC East and won the Belk Bowl.
In 2015, Georgia again looks like one of the top teams in the East. Can the Bulldogs make it back to the SEC title game for the first time since 2012?
There’s one thing about the Bulldogs we know for sure: they can run the ball. Nick Chubb was forced to carry the load for Georgia in 2014 after Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall went down with injuries. All he did was finish second in the conference with 1,547 yards (at a clip of 7.1 yards per carry) and tie Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott with 14 touchdowns. Oh, and he did all of that as a true freshman. Not too shabby.
The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Chubb is back and looks ready to carry the load once again. The talented but injury plagued Marshall, a junior, is back, too. As is Sony Michel, a sophomore speedster who may be the best pass-catcher of the three.
So the Bulldogs are clearly deep in the backfield, but quarterback Hutson Mason is gone. A three-man battle to succeed Mason is ongoing between sophomore Brice Ramsey, junior Faton Bauta and Greyson Lambert, a graduate transfer from Virginia.
Lambert started nine games at UVA last year, but transferred after losing his starting role in the spring. Ramsey has a big arm and was Mason’s backup last year, while Bauta is said to be a lot like Mason: steady, but unspectacular. Bauta is more mobile than Ramsey and Lambert, too.
Whoever wins the quarterback job (don't expect Richt to tip his hand any time soon) has a high-powered running game behind four returning offensive line starters to lean on, but beyond No. 1 receiver Malcolm Mitchell and tight end Jeb Blazevich, the Bulldogs have an unproven bunch of receiving options.
Still, new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has a lot of talent to work with, but it remains to be seen how his NFL style will translate to the college game.
The Georgia defense was an improved unit in 2014 under Jeremy Pruitt, who came to UGA from Florida State. Pruitt has three formidable pass rushers to work with in senior Jordan Jenkins (9.5 TFL, 5 sacks), junior Leonard Floyd (8.5 TFL, 6 sacks) and sophomore Lorenzo Carter (7 TFL, 4.5 sacks), but middle linebacker is a bit of a question mark – as is cornerback. At safety, sophomore Dominick Sanders looks like a good one.
Looking at it simply, Georgia is the most talented team in the SEC East. Tennessee is a trendy pick and Missouri is coming off back-to-back division titles, but it’s all going to come together for the Bulldogs this year, right? It should, provided Richt's squad avoids an inexplicable loss like last year's Week 9 setback at Florida.
A lot of things can happen over the course of a season, but the Bulldogs have three-week stretch in October that could seal their fate: Alabama at home, at Tennessee and Missouri at home in a three week span. That’s definitely the toughest stretch of the season. If the Bulldogs come out of it unscathed, a special season could be in the making.
Player to watch: Sony Michel, RB
It's easy to forget that Michel was actually ahead of Chubb on the depth chart for the early part of the 2014 season. Heading into Week 4 against Tennessee, Michel had 20 carries for 206 yards and three touchdowns along with six catches for 74 yards and another score while Chubb had 114 yards on 12 carries with no receptions.
And then in that Tennessee game, Michel went down with a shoulder injury and missed the next four games while Chubb exploded into one of the country's top backs. Michel returned, reaggravated the shoulder and simply wasn't the same for the rest of the season (though he did finish the season with a very respectable 410 yards and five touchdowns). Now he's healthy and is ready to provide a boost alongside Chubb.
Michel was a five-star recruit in the 2014 class and is a bit more of a speed threat compared to Chubb. Chubb will undoubtedly be the Bulldogs' primary back, but Michel is in line for more carries than people think. With the quarterback position a question mark, having another elite ball-carrier certainly can't hurt.
Breakout player: Isaiah McKenzie, WR
Beyond Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia has a lot to prove at the wide receiver position. McKenzie, a sophomore, could be the guy to move into that No. 2 role and thrive.
McKenzie caught only six passes for 67 yards as a true freshman in 2014, but established himself as a dangerous kick returner. McKenzie tied a program record for most return touchdowns in a season after returning two punts and one kickoff for scores.
The 5-foot-8 speedster showed his big-play capabilities by hauling in a 73-yard touchdown pass from Brice Ramsey in the team's spring game. And in new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's offense, the idea is to get the ball into the hands of playmakers in open space. That has McKenzie's name written all over it – especially in the slot.
Though he's been nursing a hamstring injury throughout preseason practice, McKenzie is a guy to pay attention to on the Georgia offense.
Miss one of our Top 25? No. 12 Notre Dame, No. 13 UCLA, No. 14 LSU, No. 15 Georgia Tech, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 18 Arizona State, No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 20 Arizona, No. 21 Tennessee, No. 22 Missouri, No. 23 Stanford, No. 24 Boise State, No. 25 Wisconsin.
For more Georgia news, visit UGASports.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
