Georgia Football: Final 2015 Positional Grades for the Bulldogs
A lot of things are happening in Athens right now.
The new Georgia Bulldogs coaching staff led by head coach Kirby Smart is taking shape. Also, the coaching staff for the TaxSlayer Bowl is being formed led by interim head coach Bryan McClendon.
But before we can move ahead, we need to look back on the 2015 regular season. Which positional unit had the most success? Which positional unit needs improvement moving forward? And which positional unit was just OK?
Here are the final 2015 positional grades for the Bulldogs.
Quarterbacks
1 of 8
If there was one big issue with the Bulldogs this season, it would have to be the quarterbacks.
Greyson Lambert cane in as a transfer from Virginia and won the starting job. And while he made some good plays and his numbers were way better than what they were last season with the Cavaliers, he was inconsistent. He finished the season completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,844 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.
However, in the three games the Bulldogs lost this season, Lambert completed no more than 46 percent of his passes in two of them. He did not play in the Florida game because the coaches went with Faton Bauta, who threw four interceptions in his lone start.
As for Brice Ramsey, he played little and was unimpressive, throwing for 247 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in six games.
Grade: C-
Running Backs
2 of 8
The running backs for Georgia were solid, but because of the Nick Chubb injury, the position was not as strong as it could have been.
Chubb went down in the Tennessee game with a gruesome knee injury, which led to Sony Michel getting the majority of the carries. Michel had a strong season, rushing for 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns. He came up big in the Georgia Southern game, as he scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime to give head coach Mark Richt his final win at Sanford Stadium.
Keith Marshall had a fine season, given that he has been battling numerous injuries the last couple of years. He finished with 288 yards and three touchdowns in limited action. And Brendan Douglas finished with 140 yards on 36 carries.
What’s funny is Chubb played in six games and finished second on the team with 747 yards and was tied for first with seven touchdowns.
Grade: B-
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
3 of 8
The receivers and tight ends weren’t as productive as the team hoped for, but that has more to do with the quarterback play than the talent at both positions.
However, Malcolm Mitchell had a strong season, catching 53 passes for 741 yards and four touchdowns. He finished 10th in the SEC in receptions and eighth in yards.
Terry Godwin emerged as a solid No. 2 receiver, catching 31 passes for 341 yards and one touchdown. Reggie Davis had a disappointing season with 12 receptions for 187 yards and one score.
Tight ends Jeb Blazevich and Jay Rome did not end up being security blankets for Lambert, catching a combined 21 passes and one touchdown.
Grade: C
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Offensive Line
4 of 8
The strongest part of the Bulldogs offense had to be the offensive line. There were a few times the O-line got pushed around, but the unit only allowed 13 sacks this season and led a rushing attack that was fourth in the SEC, averaging 194 yards per game.
John Theus ended his career on a high note, as he was selected to the Associated Press All-SEC First Team. In fact, he was the only offensive player from the Bulldogs to make the first team.
Brandon Kublanow also had a strong season, as he was a second-team selection. Greg Pyke, Kolton Houston and Isaiah Wynn round out the starters on the offensive line, and those three were solid all season long. Hunter Long also saw a lot of action at center and played well when the offensive line was going through some injuries late in the season.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
5 of 8
The defensive line for the Bulldogs was nothing to brag about, but it was not a disappointment either.
The best of the group was Sterling Bailey, who finished the season with 46 tackles, one sack and seven quarterback hurries. Chris Mayes was solid at nose tackle, tallying 41 tackles and one tackle for loss.
If there is one player to watch going forward, it would have to be true freshman Trenton Thompson. The Albany, Georgia, native played in 11 games this season and totaled 25 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. While those numbers aren’t spectacular, Thompson showed glimpses of becoming a dominant player down the road.
Grade: C+
Linebackers
6 of 8
Before the season, the thought was that Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd would dominate and have All-SEC-caliber seasons. However, it was Jake Ganus who stood out among the linebackers.
The transfer from UAB led the Bulldogs in tackles with 96 and was tied for second on the team with two interceptions. His leadership was a big reason the Bulldogs finished fourth in the SEC in scoring defense and third in total defense.
Injuries slowed down Jenkins, but he still managed to lead the Bulldogs with 10.5 tackles for loss; he also had four sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. And Floyd also had a good season as he finished second on the team in tackles with 68 and led the team in sacks with 4.5.
Tim Kimbrough was strong in his first season as a starter. He finished with 67 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Grade: B+
Defensive Backs
7 of 8
The secondary for the Bulldogs was not only the strongest part of the defense—it was by far the strongest positional unit on the team.
Under the leadership of former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, the Bulldogs finished first in the entire FBS in passing defense, averaging 146.1 yards per game, and they were only one of two teams in the conference that allowed fewer than 10 touchdown passes this season.
The one defensive back who stood out was Dominick Sanders. He finished with five interceptions, which was good enough to tie for first in the conference. He was the only defensive player for the Bulldogs to be selected to the AP All-SEC team.
Quincy Mauger also had a strong season. He did not have any interceptions, but he led the team in passes defended with five and also contributed 53 tackles.
Malkom Parrish played well in his first year as a starter, finishing with two interceptions to go along with his 36 tackles and five tackles for loss. Aaron Davis improved from last season, as he picked off one pass and recovered two fumbles.
Grade: A+
Specialists
8 of 8
As strong as the secondary was for the Bulldogs, the same thing can’t be said about the specialists.
Marshall Morgan had a really rough 2015 season. He missed seven field goals, and his completion percentage was 70.8, the 10th-best total in the conference.
Colin Barber’s year did not go any better. He averaged a shade over 40 yards per punt, which ranked last in the conference. That was one of the reasons the Bulldogs went with Brice Ramsey toward the end of the year, and he was solid as he averaged over 42 yards per punt.
The only positive to come out of the special teams is Isaiah McKenzie. The sophomore returned two punts for touchdowns, and he now has five special teams touchdowns in two seasons. Reggie Davis also returned a punt for a touchdown, but he struggled in kick returns, as he averaged only 23 yards per return.
Grade: C-
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