Latest / Beliefs, Ballots, And BullDawgs / Tuesday August 4, 2026
Transcript
- Greg: Hey, what's up, everybody? It is Tuesday, August 4th, 2026. I'm your host, Greg Miller, and this is the latest episode of Beliefs, Ballots, and Bulldogs. ⁓ today we're going to talk about the Georgia passing game, and and we've talked a little bit about the offense already, but I want to talk specifically about the guys that we need to step up and make life a little bit easier for Gunnar Stockton this year. Every quarterback needs help. I don't care how tough he is, how talented he is, how much the coaches believe in him or How much we as fans want him to be the guy that we all want him to be. At some point, the quarterback needs answers. He needs a guy he can trust on third down. He needs somebody who can win one-on-ones in the red zone. We definitely need somebody who can stretch the field. We need somebody who can who can take a short throw and turn it into a big gain and be a problem. We need tight ends to create mismatches. We need receivers to separate. We need a room around Gunner that that doesn't make every completion feel like it's pulling teeth. And that's why I think that this year the the Georgia receiving group is one of the most important storylines of the season. And it's a very unproven, untested group at this point. The question isn't whether or not we have names. We we've got names, we've got talent. It's just a question of whether or not any of those names step up and become answers. And that's that's a big difference. The the star rankings, the recruiting, the the name looks good on the roster, but an answer is what changes things on a big third down. An answer is what changes things in the red zone. An answer is what changes how a defensive coordinator has to call a game. So the names on the roster and the recruiting rankings and all that's great, but we need answers. An answer will change how comfortable your quarterback feels when the pocket gets a little muddy and the game gets tight and things are things are tense. And that's what Georgia needs. We we don't need a superhero. We don't need one receiver to catch 95 balls and save the entire offense. That's not ever been how we've been built. What we need is a a passing game that has options. We need Different body types, different skill sets. And I think that's what we're we're lining up with this year. It's it's a bunch of different problems for the defense to solve. We need a a receiving room where Gunnar can look around and say, I don't have to force this play. I I've got answers. Somewhere out there is a mismatch that that we can use. And and the first answer starts with probably the, you know, the most known and dependable guy on on the receiving team. It's gonna be Lawson Lucky. ⁓ Lucky feels like this is gonna be natural for for Gunner's go-to guy. He's experienced, he's physical, he knows the offense, he gives Gunner a big target in the middle of the field. And I feel like when we get to those moments where it's third and six, third and seven, and and everybody knows that that we need a completion, I I think Lawson Lucky feels like one of those guys that that Gunner's gonna look for. And and that matters. The you know, young quarterbacks or or even quarterbacks that, you know, in Gunnar's case isn't really young, but But he's stepping into a larger spotlight, stepping into a a higher realm of expectation. He needs some easy rhythm throws. He needs some high percentage throws. He needs somebody like Lucky who can sit down in a zone, sit in that window, and take a hit, move the sticks, keep the chains moving, and and let the offense catch its breath. And that's where I think loss of Lucky is going to be a a real crucial key to us this year. He may not be flashy, he may not make a lot of highlight plays, but But if he can become Gunnar's security blanket, then I think that changes a lot for us. Sometimes the most powerful and most valuable player in the passing game isn't isn't the guy who makes the crazy big catches. It's the guy who makes the routine play every single time you need it and and the guy that you can count on. And then you look at the the other end of the spectrum in the tight end room. You got you got a guy like Jaden Riddell. J Jaden Riddell is Is a name that I think people are going to get to know this year. And look, Georgia has built a reputation for depth at tight end. And this is no different. We're used to having a tight end room that can be used as a weapon. And, you know, not just one guy. I think back to Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington days. If if Riddell keeps developing like the coaches hope he can, it it gives us a lot more flexibility. This this will allow us to to stay in some bigger packages without becoming quite as predictable. It means we can line up with some heavier personnel and and still throw the ball around. It means that defenses will have to decide whether they want to match us with size or speed, because a guy like Jaden Rodell has both and can give you both options. And that's the beauty of having multiple tight ends who who can actually play. If the defense lines up and goes small, then we'll run the ball at them. If the defense goes big, we'll flex a tight end out and create a mismatch that way. That's that's what we need from Bobo with this offense. Nothing cute, nothing complicated, just efficient. And and we just need answers. And the next guy we talk about is is Elias Williams. And you know, we talked about him a little bit on the on the breakout players ⁓ episode, but look, this this dude is six foot eight, two hundred and fifty-ish pounds, just a completely different type of target. That that kind of size matters. That it you know, it matters in the red zones, it matters on seam routes, it can matter on play action to to hit little dump passes over the middle. It matters when when a quarterback needs to put a ball where only his guy can catch it. And again, I I'm not saying nor do I expect ⁓ Elias Williams to be Brock Bowers. Nobody is gonna carry that level of comparison. ⁓ but he doesn't have to be Brock Bowers to to be an absolute nightmare and and to be a big part of this season. He just needs to become a problem in his own way. He needs to become, you know, that that red zone weapon. And and if he can become a a red zone weapon and a seam threat and and frankly somebody that that linebackers just can't cover and safeties can't cover, then that That opens up this offense. And this offense gets gets a whole different level of dangerousness to it. Size, size, like what Elias Williams possesses causes causes defenses to have to treat him specially. And it it makes it makes defenses have to think. And when defenses have to think, that that slows things down a little bit. And so that becomes a huge advantage. And then the the the fourth guy in the tight end room I want to talk about is a guy that got hurt early in his career before he was he was set to make some noise. Coaches were raving about him as a true freshman. And that's Ethan Barbor. And look, ⁓ it this reminds us just how loaded that tight end room can be. This is four guys that they could probably play at tight end anywhere in the country. And and Barbore may not be the first guy that that fans mentioned, but but that doesn't mean that he's not important and not going to have an impact. You know, the the depth in the tight end room is is just another example. And it it's not just insurance for a program like Georgia. Depth depth puts pressure on the starters to continue to perform. It it pushes everybody to be better. And it keeps everybody honest and frankly it it gives the coaches more options and people know that. If if Ethan Barbour can develop and and earn some snaps, ⁓ if he proves that he can he can handle the physical side of the game and the mental side of the game, then that's that's just another guy that's gonna be a factor as a pass catcher and and and give us another piece with with some athleticism that can create some mis mismatch problems. And look at you know, at the end of the day, we we don't expect any of our tight ends to break out and have eight hundred to a thousand yards. You know, sometimes it's just it shows up in the formations they allow you to use. It shows up in certain personnel groupings where where just being able to have these guys on the field can can prevent or can present an advantage for your offense. It shows up w whether the defense doesn't know whether we're gonna run or pass or or hit a tight end off play action. And that becomes a very valuable commodity when you need to hit some big plays. And then we're gonna get to the wide receivers and and you know, this is where the conversation really gets interesting to me because this is a a room. Full of talent, but very, very little production to this point. And again, we don't need one guy to dominate every week. We don't need to have an AJ Green or a George Pickens type. But we do need somebody to separate themselves. We need, we need somebody that scares people a little bit. We need somebody to, you know, make a defensive coordinator say, hey, we we have to know where this guy is. We can't leave that guy alone. My pick this year for the guy to step up, I think it's going to be Talon Taylor. And look, it's, you know, a For a guy with limited time on the field and limited production, that that's hard to say that I think he may become the go-to receiver. But ⁓ from what I'm hearing, from what I know about his talent level and expectations, I I think he may be that guy. You know, he he's one of those names that that it jumps into the conversation when we start talking about the the expill the ability for explosive plays. You know, we we need to create more chunk plays. Can can we push the ball down the field? Can we make defenses pay when they crowd the box? Talon Taylor will be a big part of the answer to those questions. He doesn't have to come in here and be wide receiver number one from from the very get-go. He he can earn his way into that role as the year develops. But if he becomes a reliable route runner and if he can if he can win those one-on-one battles on the timing throws and show the ball skills to earn gunners trust, then then all of a sudden if we have that one A receiver, this whole receiving room starts to look completely different. Sometimes a passing game doesn't need just one superstar. Sometimes it needs, you know, one guy who can just consistently win his matchup. And and I think Taylor's gonna be that guy from us. And you know, it just boils down to can can he become a a talented name and and turn that talented name into becoming a trusted weapon. ⁓ and then there's the other guy we mentioned on the on the breakout episode is Craig Dandridge. And ⁓ this is you know, again, it it this is somebody who is a true freshman, a lot of guys are not gonna know. ⁓ this is a young receiver who who may not be on the radar yet, but this is the kind of guy I think's worth watching when when camp gets rolling. He this is a receiver room that's still trying to sort itself out. So reps are available and a guy like Dandridge, even as a true freshman, can can come in here and and get some attention and earn some trust. And you know, somebody's gonna earn it. And it might be Dandridge. I think he's got the skill set, he's got the explosiveness. ⁓ he's got the body control you look for. He he's just one of those guys that, you know, when I watch him on film, he just looks like a natural receiver. And and look, this may not be the guy that everybody expects. Maybe he's not the the loudest name that that people are screaming out yet, but young receivers have opportunities to step up and make a few plays. And when they start making plays, that conversation can change real quickly. A couple of good camps, ⁓ with strong scrimmage, you know, one stretch where he just gets on the field and starts making plays. And And then all a sudden you you just hear keep people keep mentioning his name and and that connection with the quarter sta quarterback will start to develop. And he and Gunnar will develop the the trust that they need. And if Dandridge can hang up physically and prove that he belongs at this level, you know, he could become one of those names that by the end of the year we start hearing more and more of Craig Dandridge. And I think that's a real possibility. The the next key guy for from a receiving standpoint is the is the transfer coming in from Tech, Isaiah Canyon. And this is a big body, runs well. ⁓ this is a guy that matters because we need we needed somebody with size. We needed somebody with experience. And and again, he's got a lot of upside. He's got a lot of potential. ⁓ this this is a good outside receiver that that I think you're gonna see a lot of things from from this year. You know, you you don't want a receiving room clearly where every guy feels like the same. And that's where, you know, a guy like Isaiah Kenyon is is different from the from Talon Taylors and Craig Danders. He's a little bigger, a little thicker. You want some variety, you you want some Some players who are quick and and in great in space. You want the downfield speed guy with with great hands and and long reach. You you need the big bodied red zone receiver. You need the possession receiver. You need receivers who are who are not only good at, but willing to block. You need a guy who can go out there and win that one-on-one matchup when when everybody knows the ball is coming. And I think Isaiah Canyon is a guy that has a part to has a chance to be in that mix for that one-on-one possession receiver. And look again, it's not to say he can't make the big plays. He absolutely can, but I I think he's gonna be a a a big target in in some of those key moments for some some third down pickups and things of that nature. And I don't think I don't think we're gonna have to force him into some massive role before he's ready. I think we'll we'll give him time to pick up the offense. It it's just about asking whether or not he can become another one of those answers in that receiving room to to help us out. Because frankly, if if Isaiah Canyon becomes a legitimate option along with the other guys, it just means as more competition, it's more depth, it's more ways for us to open up people and attack them on offense when we have the ball. And and then we ⁓ the other guy I want to talk to is I'm talking about London London Humphreys. ⁓ London transferred in from Banderville a couple of years ago. We've seen some flashes from London. ⁓ but this is a guy who who gives us a little bit more of that vertical ability. He he's shown that he can stretch the field. He's shown that he can make the the big catches down plays ⁓ or down the field and And in this offense, that's that's not a luxury. It's necessity. We need a big play receiver and London Humphreys may be that guy. If if if you don't respect our our offense, then then watch out. London Humphreys is a guy who can get vertical on you and and make a big play. And man, that makes everything great. The the the run game gets gets a little easier when he can open up. The the underneath throws gets a little easier when when he can open it up. And so that's that's where you know a guy like London Humphreys stretching the field can can really become a big threat. And and that helps create space for everybody else. It'll help Lucky. It'll help Riddle. It'll help Williams. It'll help the the running backs. It'll help everybody. It'll help Gunner. It'll help Bobo call plays if we have a vertical threat and Humphreys can be that guy. So sometimes just the threat of the deep ball i is almost as as important as as being able to hit the deep ball itself. And so when when the safety starts having to back up, man, that's just gonna open up a lot of room to do a lot more damage. And then final guy I want to talk about that I that I could see having some ⁓ some impact on getting some receptions this this year is Sokovi Whitehelton. He he's been in the program a few years now. And you know, I I think had Zachariah Branch not transferred in last year and been such a key player for us, I think Sokovi might have might have filled that role in the slot a little bit. And like I'm not in any way saying he's gonna be Zachariah Branch, so we wouldn't put that sort of expectation on him, but but he gives us a little bit of a different profile from some of the other guys we've mentioned. He's a little smaller, a little more muscled up, the speed, quickness, just great in space, real good cutting ability. He's he's the kind of guy that doesn't need it to be a forty yard throw to be a fifty yard play. Getting the ball quickly in space and and letting go to work and and and that matters because you know again, not every explosive play can come can come from a perfectly designed play action pass where you put the ball up in the air forty or fifty yards. ⁓ sometimes it's gotta come from a screen, sometimes it comes from a quick slant, ⁓ sometimes it comes from putting a player in motion and and creating a mismatch. ⁓ sometimes it has to be manufactured where where you just get the ball to an athlete and say, hey, Go make somebody miss and make something happen. And that's where a guy like Sokovi can can come in and make a difference. I think I I think that's one thing that's gonna help this offense is for a guy like him to to make some easy plays, make some plays where Gunnar can just swing it out there real quick and and and Sokovi can pick up seven, eight, ten, twelve yards. And that that's one of the things I think we wanna look for. We wanna look for some easy yards, easy completion, some easy touches by by players who can make something happen once they've got the ball in their hands. And Look, if Sokovi can can become a a a real weapon in space, then then that gives us another way to create some stress without having to make, you know, gunner make perfect throws all the way down the field. And that's that's smart football. So when we look at this whole passing group, I I don't think the question is, you know, who's the guy? I I think the better question for us is do we have enough guys? Do we have enough answer? You know, Lucky can be the third down trust piece, Riddell can can help keep the the tight end room multiple. Williams is going to be a matchup nightmare. Barbour will will provide some some formational flexibility. Talent Taylor on the outside, Dandridge, Humphrey, Kenyon. We we've got weapons. It's just about can somebody step up? And and again, there's probably even names that'll step up this year that we haven't even mentioned yet. And that that's what what this Georgia team needs to to get to work. We need we don't need a savior outside. We don't need a savior in the receiving room. We just need a room full of guys who are willing to be the answer. Because if Gunner has answers around him, then Then I think this offense can grow and show out relatively quickly. If if he can trust Lucky on third downs, then that's gonna matter. If if Humphreys can become a vertical threat, then that's gonna matter. If Sokovi can create some easy, easy yards on some screen passes, then that matters. And if if Talon Taylor or Craig Dandridge step up and mature and start pushing for real, you know, A-level playing time as a receiver, then then that's gonna matter. All this stuff, it it it it all adds up. And All of these pieces are how Georgia's passing game becomes more than just good enough and becomes something that that we can lean on, something that actually is dangerous. Georgia's passing game will never be flashy. It's not ever gonna look like some of these video game style offenses that some of these teams run. Probably not gonna have a thousand-yard, thirteen hundred-yard receiver, but it's dangerous because the defense knows they're gonna have to defend everybody. And it's dangerous because it gives Gunner and and Bobo some options. You know, it it's it's dangerous when you can. When you can take one thing away from a team and then they can go in a different direction. That makes it really hard for them to defend. And and that's that's what we want to see. We want to see we want to see the receiving group develop so that so that the it opens up the entire offense for us. The run game will get lighter boxes, gunner will will be smoother and play faster, the tight ends will get great matchups, the defense will get to sit on the sideline and rest a little bit. And hey, once you start putting points on the board, that pressure on the other team increases real quickly. And And sort suddenly Georgia's not just a ⁓ physically hard team to play against. It gets stressful mentally trying to figure out how to defend all the weapons. And that's the goal. So that's that's it. Ultimate my question is do we have enough answers in the passing game? And maybe more importantly than that, it's who will become the answer for for Gunnar? Who who will be the guys that Gunner can trust? Because if if this receiving group goes grows up fast, and and I think they will, then the the ceiling of this whole football team gets a whole lot higher. All right guys, feel give me a moment today. I want to talk about something ⁓ a little bit personal. We don't share a lot of personal life stuff on here, but today's a today's a special day for me. My my oldest daughter, Bailey, turns eighteen years old. And I I know every parent says this, but ⁓ honestly I have no idea how how eighteen years has has flown by so fast. It it seems like just yesterday I was I was holding my precious little daughter in my arms for the first time and teaching her to ride a bike or cheering for her softball games or whatever it was. reading her bedtime stories and saying prayers with her before she laid down to go to sleep. And and now she's stepping into adulthood and she's, you know, she's following in my footsteps. She's enrolling in the University of Georgia, be moving into Athens over this weekend. And it's just crazy. Birthdays have a have a funny way sometimes of kind of slowing us down and and making us realize that that time doesn't just pass. Time flies by. And as I've been spending some time reflecting on and thinking about Bailey this week, it's just, you know, one question keeps coming back to me. And it's, You know, what will still matter, you know, not just when she's my age, but but what will still matter 50 years from now, 100 years from now? Because I mean, here's the truth. You know, none of us in a hundred years are going to care what the stock market did this week. None of us are gonna remember what was trending on social media this week in a hundred years. Most of the political arguments that we all get caught up in every day will long been forgotten a hundred years from now. The headlines will be gone, the trophies are all going to collect us, none of the promotions are going to matter. So a hundred years from now, what's going to matter? What are we really building? Our culture spends ⁓ an incredible amount of energy and time helping people build successful lives, helping people get good grades, get into the right college, find a great career, buy a nice home, save money for retirement. And none of those things are wrong. Those are all Part of a great plan for life. And they're they're great goals, in fact. But somewhere along the way, I feel like we've confused making a living with making a life. We spend years kind of preparing our children for academics and for a career. But how much time do we spend really preparing them for real life? And how much time do we spend preparing them for eternity? We teach them how to compete, but do we really teach them how to forgive? We teach them how to strive for and attain success, but we teach do we teach them how to serve and be a servant? And those questions have been sitting kind of heavy on my heart. And ⁓ I, you know, I when whenever anything's weighing on me, I always I try to turn to the Bible. And in in Matthew chapter six, Jesus says, Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rush destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. We we've we've talked about and we've studied this verse on on this show before, and it's it's a very famous Bible verse, but it it naturally tends to make us think about finances and think about money because because that's our society programs us. That's that's what we think of when we hear the word treasure. But it Jesus is talking about something way bigger than finances when he's when he's talking about treasure here. He he's talking about investment. But he's asking it as as a simple question of what are you pouring your life into? Whatever captures your heart is gonna shape your life. And and whatever shapes your life will shape your legacy. As I as I think about Bailey turning 18, it it it made me realize something. And it's honestly, I don't I don't care if people remember what kind of car she drives, I don't care how many followers she has on social media, I don't care if she becomes rich and famous. Don't care if she has a corner office in corporate America. Look, I hope she has all those things if that's what she wants. None of those things are bad. That's just not the things that I'm praying for when it comes to my daughter. My prayers that she loves Jesus. My prayers that she lives by and tells the truth. My prayers that she keeps her word and that she shows compassion to people who who may never be able to repay her. My my prayers that she has the courage to stand for what's right, even if it's unpopular. And that she'll remain humble when she succeeds. And I know this child, she will succeed. I I hope she's able to stay faithful even when life gets hard. Those are the things that are going to matter long before any of these headlines we argue about and any of this stuff that's going to be forgotten shortly. These are the things that will matter. And here's something I I've been learning. You know, ⁓ children rarely become what we tell them to become. They become what they constantly see. If if your children see you chasing money above everything else, then they're going to learn that that's what matters. They're going to see, you know, they're going to see financial motives driving everything you do. If if they see you constantly irritated and angry and upset, they're going to assume that that's normal and that's the way it should be. If they see us gossiping and talking about other people, they're going to start to think that that words don't matter and what you say doesn't matter. But What if they see us praying? What if they see us forgiving? What if they see us ⁓ portraying a servant's heart and serving others? What if they see us choosing to love people who were absolutely a nightmare and difficult to love? What if they see us stand on the truth at all times, but doing so with humility? They'll remember that too. And whether we realize it or not, every single day we're writing someone's definition of what it means to be a follower of Christ. And that's a that's a pretty sobering thought when you think about it. But It's also a pretty powerful opportunity that we get to reflect what it means to be a Christian. The greatest gift our Heavenly Father ha has ever given us wasn't success, it wasn't comfort, it wasn't material wealth or anything like that. It was a son. He gave us his son. And Jesus never came to improve our lives. He he came to redeem our lives. He came to make us new again, to shape us into the people who look more like him. And that's the legacy that God's trying to build in every believer. It's not just a better future for what's on this earth. It's it's a transformed transformed heart. A transformed heart will leave a legacy that will outlive every worldly accomplice you could possibly imagine. If you'll if you let me take a minute, I I'd like to say something directly to my daughter. Bailey, happy 18th birthday. I couldn't love you more, couldn't be more proud of the young woman you're becoming. Not because you're perfect. None of us are. But because I've watched you grow in your character and in your kindness and most importantly in your faith. As you step into adulthood, the world is going to offer you a thousand different definitions and options for success. Some will tell you about money, some will tell you it's about power or popularity or status or recognition. Don't believe any of them. Chase Christ, tell the truth, and love people. Work hard and stay humble. Most importantly, when you fail, Sweetheart, you will. Let God's grace pick you back up. When you succeed, remember it came from hell. And never forget this. Your greatest identity will never be found in what you accomplished. It will always be found in who you are. You are loved deeply, more than you possibly know. But even more importantly than how much I love you and how much we all love you, you are deeply loved by the God that created you. Happy birthday, sweetheart. I love you more than words can ever express. For the rest of us, whether you're raising young children or celebrating grown children, or maybe you've never had any children at all, the question is still the same. What are you building? What are you building that will still matter a hundred years from now? Careers end, championships fade, elections come and go, headlines disappear, but every single act of faithfulness, every prayer, every soul pointed in the direction of Christ, every child raised to know the Lord. And every life touched by the love of Jesus echoes into eternity. Let's spend our lives investing in the things that never die. Have a wonderful day. And remember, get in your Bibles, say your prayers, love one another, and tell the truth. Happy birthday, Bailey, and God bless.