Previewing Georgia football’s special teams
The Georgia Bulldogs lost 2022 SEC special teams player of the year kicker Jack Podlesny to the NFL this offseason. The Bulldogs are looking for a new starting kicker.
Georgia fans know very well that an entire season can come down to one kick or one special teams play. The Bulldogs should have excellent special teams coverage units due to Georgia’s stockpile of talent.
Who will be Georgia’s starting kicker, punter, long snapper, kick returner, and punt returner for the 2023 college football season?
Punter: Brett Thorson
Class: Sophomore
Thorson has made the Ray Guy award watch list. The Australian will take Georgia’s punts in 2023. Thorson boomed a 75 yard punt against Tennessee. He was outstanding as a true freshman and only had one touchback. He pinned 19 punts inside the 20 and averaged 45.0 yards per punt.
Long snapper: William Mote
Class: Senior
Don’t know William Mote’s name? Well that’s probably a good thing. Mote has 39 games of experience and should be the starting long snapper again in 2023. He has two career tackles.
Kicker No. 1: Jared Zirkel
Class: Junior
Zirkel made one 21-yard field goal in his career for the Bulldogs. He has recorded touchbacks on eight of his nine career kickoffs. Zirkel is in a competition with Peyton Woodring to see who is the No. 1 kicker.
Kicker No. 2 Peyton Woodring
53 Yard FG! In High School by Peyton Woodring AEHS pic.twitter.com/2latbefrBa
— Ray Johnson (@RayJohnson05) October 21, 2022
Class: Freshman
Peyton Woodring was the No. 1 kicker in the class of 2023 recruiting cycle. Woodring has a powerful leg and is pushing Jared Zirkel for the starting role, which remains undecided.
Field goal kicker has been a really tight race. They both have been extremely accurate, outside of the one scrimmage. We haven’t decided yet.
Kicker No. 3: Liam Badger
Liam Badger's 51-yard field goal is good to push the Black team's lead to 24-16 with 1:20 to go before halftime.
Badger's kick juuuuust cleared the crossbar
— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) April 15, 2023
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Badger impressed coaches with a 51 yard field goal in the spring game. He is not a bad back up option if Zirkel goes down. Badger is still fighting to win the starting kicker role, but we favor Zirkel to win it.
Punt returner: Ladd McConkey
Class: Junior
Kirby Smart emphasizes that Georgia will rely on a group to do punt returns. We would project McConkey to start at punt returner for the Bulldogs, but we could see Georgia playing Mekhi Mews if UGA does not want to risk an injury to McConkey.
Punt return will be done by committee, Ladd (McConkey) has been back there before, Mekhi Mews did a good job in the spring, has been back there, Dominic (Lovett) has done it, both at Missouri and with us since arriving, Anthony Evans, Zeed (Haynes).
Ladd McConkey returned 16 punts for 197 yards last season.
Kick returner: Mekhi Mews
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Georgia may rely on walk-on Mekhi Mews as the top kick returner, but Kirby Smart expects to use several different kick returners in 2023.
Mews, Dillon Bell, Daijun Edwards, we could get Joenel (Aguero) back there, Malaki (Starks) has been back there. Kickoff returns, there’s probably six guys working for two spots.
Following Branson Robinson’s injury, it would be surprising to see Georgia starting any running back as a kick returner.
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