Four Georgia football players ready for more prominent roles in 2024
It took less than 48 hours after Georgia football thumped Florida State 63-3 Saturday in the Orange Bowl for players closing the book on their Bulldog careers to go public with their decisions.
Defensive backs Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter and Tykee Smith, offensive tackle Amarius Mims, running backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards and wide receiver Ladd McConkey all announced they were turning pro. Wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and defensive lineman Zion Logue are also departing.
More: Georgia football WR Ladd McConkey announces his stay-or-go decision for 2024
More: Why winning mattered to Georgia football on a non-playoff stage in an era of opt-outs
All-American tight end Brock Bowers joined them on Tuesday night.
Who’s got next?
Here are four names to know who will have more prominent roles in 2024:
Georgia football center Jared Wilson
The 6-foot-3, 310-pound rising redshirt junior is in position to step in for Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, who started 44 straight games for Georgia and is expected to announce his departure soon. He’ll leave a void in leadership, garnering the most votes of any UGA player this past season for captain.
Coach Kirby Smart said early in the season he viewed Wilson and some other top backups as starters.
“He gets probably 30 percent of the ones reps,” Smart said. “He does a great job. Jared is an incredible athlete. He runs the highest speed of all of our offensive linemen. I trust Jared a lot.”
The Winston-Salem, N.C. product saw action in nine games this season, hitting double digits in snaps seven times, according to Pro Football Focus.
"I knew that I was going to have to wait my time and develop and that's what I've done over the past two, three years," Wilson said.
“He's dependable, he's accountable," Smart said. "He's in great shape. He's smart. … He plays like a starter.”
Return man/wide receiver Anthony Evans
The rising sophomore from Converse, Texas, had his first college touchdown late in the Orange Bowl takedown of Florida State on a 14-yard pass from Gunner Stockton, but he’s already shown he can make an impact in the return game.
The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Evans returned a punt 28 yards against Alabama in the SEC championship game and had a 17-yard punt return against the Seminoles in the first quarter to set up Georgia’s first touchdown drive.
Georgia is bringing in transfer wide receivers Colbie Young from Miami and London Humphreys from Vanderbilt and is returning Dominic Lovett, Rara Thomas, Dillon Bell and Arian Smith.
Tight end Lawson Luckie
With Georgia prepping for the bowl game knowing Brock Bowers would be watching from the sideline, coaches still used their share of two-tight end sets, getting true freshman Lawson Luckie expanded game time.
He had 17 snaps, the same number he did against Georgia Tech when Bowers was also sidelined. His season-high of 30 came against Florida when Bowers was out following ankle surgery.
The 6-3, 240-pound rising sophomore showed in that game he knew what to do and played with effort, said Van Pran-Granger who saw Luckie show flashes before the season.
Luckie caught a 4-yard touchdown pass in the bowl, just his second catch of the season. He missed time in his first Georgia season following ankle surgery after creating buzz in the offseason.
“He was a guy when you first saw him, he kind of popped,” Van-Pran Granger said. “He kind of flashed to you. That that guy would be a good player if he continues to work and stay true to who he is.”
Defensive back Joenel Aguero
Georgia is set to have another new starter at the nickel Star position in 2024 to replace Tykee Smith.
Javon Bullard manned the spot in 2022 and Latavious Brini was the primary starter for 2021.
Rising sophomore Joenel Aguero is the top candidate to step in next season.
The 5-11, 205-pound former-five star from Lynn, Mass., had 7 tackles including one for loss with one pass breakup in his first season. His biggest play may have been a blocked punt against Florida.
“A real good player, smart, gets out of his breaks smooth,” Smith said in the preseason.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Four Georgia football players ready for bigger roles in 2024
