10 Dawgs To Be Excited for Next Year

We all can be excited for the return of A.J. Green next year, but for some Georgia fans and outsiders, the expanse of Georgia's arsenal may be a mystery.

A lot of old faces are gone, or potentially gone, but Georgia has a few classes of youngsters who have potential to become great players.

Aside from A.J. Green, here are 10 Dawgs you can be really happy to have next year.

Washaun Ealey

Ealey was listed at the bottom of the depth chart at the start of the season, behind the likes Caleb King, Richard Samuel, Carlton Thomas and Dontavius Jackson.

Twelve games later, and Ealey has become, essentially, the starter, getting half of the running load.

Story sound familiar? Washaun has reminded a lot of folks of Knowshon Moreno, and could become a staple back in this offense.

Caleb King

Or, will Caleb King finally live up to all of the hype? With all of the excitement surrounding Ealey, who was not red-shirted as people expected, it's tough to think that King is just one year ahead of him.

This could potentially result in a tailback-by-committee approach for the next two seasons, depending on whether or not Caleb King continues to run like he has the past few games.

One thing is for sure, he is finally showing that quick-cut ability that he seemed to lack while learning to run on his fragile leg.

Tavarres King

One of the big questions surrounding Georgia football during this past offseason was whether or not A.J. Green would have a complimentary receiver.

Pundits claimed "no."

I thought Michael Moore was on track to have a standout season. Well, Moore had an impact year, but it was nothing special.

With Moore leaving, Tavarres King is the next name on the list. King is a tall, long receiver with great speed. As long as we have a quarterback who can get him the ball, King should become a major part of the Georgia offense.

Orson Charles

Charles completely took over the reigns of tight end this year, taking considerable playing time away from Aaron White.

He has become a reliable receiver, especially in third-down situations. Considering he is just a freshman, we can look forward to Charles becoming the next great tight end to come from Athens.

Kris Durham

Remember this guy? Kris Durham went from being an occasional playmaker in 2007, to having a big opening game in 2008, only to suffer a season-ending injury before 2009 began.

Well, if all goes according to plan, Durham will be back in uniform in 2010. He could very well work his way back into the receiving mix.

Justin Houston

No one has been a bigger force on defense this year than Justin Houston, which is good news considering Georgia's number one issue for the past two years has been its pass rush.

Houston started this spring with a four sack performance in the G-Day game. He later would prove that performance was no fluke, recording seven sacks and becoming a major run stopper, all after serving an early season suspension.

Look for bigger and better things from No. 42 next year.

Brandon Boykin

Georgia hasn't had a big name cornerback in a while. Asher Allen was the closest thing to it, however Allen never fully bloomed in college and seemed to have won a spot in the NFL with a single performance against Michigan State last year.

Brandon Boykin has already done things Allen didn't, for instance, Boykin has recorded three interceptions this year, and he has two, not one, two 100-yard kickoff-return touchdowns.

His abilities as a corner and a returner proved very reliable in 2009. He isn't the tallest guy in the world, but his 5-10, 200 pound frame makes him one of the most physical corners in the SEC.

Quintin Banks

Quintin Banks, your time could not have come quick enough. As a matter of fact, it didn't.

Georgia labored through the past season with Bryan Evans, a senior-corner turned safety, who was undoubtedly the weakest player on our defense.

Quintin Banks, who has drawn tons of "oohs and ahs", in practice, has seldom made the field during his UGA tenure thanks to seniority in front of him as well as his own injuries.

Next year, with Evans and even potentially Reshad Jones leaving, Banks will finally have a starting role.

Trinton Sturdivant

This picture of Sturdivant was taken in 2007. Finding pictures of players who have major knee injuries two years in a row is difficult.

Sturdivant went from an All-SEC frosh to a weekly bench warmer for the Dawgs, thanks to his suffering of the same knee injury twice in two seasons.

For a big man, torn ligaments cannot be good, especially when you go through it twice. It will be interesting to see if Sturdivant can ever make it back to 100 percent, and become a force on the offensive line again. It would be heartbreaking if he struggles.

Aaron Murray

With the recent news of Logan Gray's switch from quarterback to wide receiver, it appears Aaron Murray is set for a solid two-to-four years as a starter in Athens.

Behind him in the race will be Zach Mettenberger, and potentially Hutson Mason, who recently received an offer from the Dawgs (out of Lassiter HS).

However, Murray was that Stafford type of recruit, and I expect him to fill in like Stafford did.

He's not the same type of player as Matthew was, but I think people in Athens are looking for a stable quarterback more than anything, and it's good to know we aren't looking at another QB-controversy filled year.