… and, a team I found it really hard to trust with my heart. As principal evidence, I thought UGA could lose to any number of the teams on its schedule; whereas, in years past, I thought it was us and Bama and no one else.
Carson Beck, while an able, serviceable QB in most respects, was never a leader with whom I was comfortable . Maybe it was his demeanor… because I never saw the fire of a Zeier, Stafford, Murray, Fromm, or Stockton over his two seasons of service. When the season began, and he was listed as a Heisman front runner, I really wondered what others saw that I missed. In the end, we’ll never know due to his arm injury whether the NFL saw him as valuable as the media.
The 2024 team, as a whole, was utterly lacking of standout players compared with previous seasons. If you think about 2017, for instance, there was Chubb, Michel, Fromm, Roquan, Hartman, and Woerner that you were absolutely sure could make a play if needed. The defense was a brick wall. Pick any subsequent season until this one and you can say virtually the same thing.
Our lack of stars plays into another of my neuroses. Like many of you, I am nervous about our NIL and portal game. Maybe I shouldn’t be about the former, but the latter concerns me sufficiently to question both. Supposed game changers seem to end up in places they shouldn’t (Nebraska, Colorado, etc.) or places that directly impact UGA (Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas, etc.). I can only wonder if the stars we have come to expect are now playing elsewhere.
In the coming weeks, I hope Kirby addresses a.) talent and b.) coaching. I need hope for 2025… which demonstrates just how spoiled I’ve become considering 2024 will forever be an SEC Championship season.
