Latest / Beliefs, Ballots, And BullDawgs / Thursday August 6, 2026
Transcript
- Greg: Hey, good morning, everybody. It is Thursday, August 6th. I'm your host, Greg Miller, and this is the latest edition of Beliefs, Ballots, and Bulldogs. ⁓ today I want to throw out a topic that ⁓ I'm hoping will will generate a little bit of an argument, maybe. And I mean argument in a good way, maybe more so of a of a little bit of a debate or discussion. And it's one of those questions where I don't know that there's an obvious answer, and hopefully we can get some of my my fellow dog fans on here to to engage and get a little back and forth going. Who is who is Georgia's most important non-quarterback this year? Not the best player, not the most talented player, not the not the guy who will be the highest NFL draft pick, the most important player. And we're taking Gunnar Stockton off the board. Obviously, you know, quarterback is always one of the biggest keys to the season. You know, quarterback is probably one of the most important single positions in all of sports. So so once we take the quarterback out of the equation. then I think it becomes an interesting conversation. There's there's a lot of candidates for who who other than Gunner may be the most valuable and important person on this team. If you think it's, you know, if you think the key this year is going to be, you know, needing more offensive explosion, you know, maybe it's maybe it's a guy like Nate Frazier. ⁓ if you think it's, you know, the key this year is coming gonna come down to giving Gunner a security blanket, you know, on third down, maybe it's a guy like Lawson Lucky. You know, if if you believe the old football say that everything starts up front, you know, maybe it's a guy like Jordan Hall or Ernest Green in the trenches. If if you think that the defense has to get back to leading this team, maybe it's a guy like Raylan Wilson in middle linebacker or or in the secondary, you know, KJ Bold and Ellis Robinson, both of those guys ha have the chance to be the game changer. And, you know, honestly, I think we can make a case for for all of these guys and and possibly even a few more. start with let's start with the running back start with with Nate Frazier if you know if Nate can really step his game up and become you know really a key cog and and really become part of the engine of this offense and that makes life easier for everybody. When you can run the football good things happen. Life will get easier for Gunner, easier for Bobo, easier for the line, easier for the receivers. If it gets easier Easier for the defense because Georgia can now control the game, control the tempo and control the offense standing on the other side. Watch out. If if our offense can control the game, we're in great shape. And and that matters. A a special running back really does have the ability to calm an entire football team down because it just allows you to get into that rhythm and a sense of controlling the game. When things get loud in the stadium, you turn around and you hand it to him. When when the quarterback needs help, you turn around and you hand it to that back. When the defense is tired and and gasping for air, you turn around and you hand it to that back again and let him just keep punishing them. And then when the game gets tight in the fourth quarter, you you keep handing it to that stud back and just let him make plays and let the big boys in front of him lean on people. That's that's Georgia football. And if if Frazier is is not just good, but but truly a special back, then then that opens up and changes this offense dramatically because at at that point now defenses ha have to honor the run on every single snap. ⁓ and when defenses start creeping down and and stacking the box to stop Nate, well that's gonna open up the tight ends and the play action and and the deep shots and and if everything else. So yeah, Nate Nate Frazier is a key person, ⁓ key player on this year's team and and you could certainly make the case that outside of Gunner, he is he is one of the, if not the most important player on this year's team. ⁓ the next guy we dropped in there and Scott, I feel like we've been talking about a lot is is Lawson Lucky. I know outside of ⁓ the University of Georgia, tight end might not be the sexiest position or the sexiest answer to a question like this, but but Lucky may very well be one of the most important players on this roster. And and a lot of that comes, you know, from his he's been around the program. He's he's a legacy kid. He knows the program, he knows the system. He's he's just a UGA guy. So his his leadership is gonna be crucial and and he will obviously be a big piece in that realm. ⁓ but also e every quarterback needs that third down trust piece. Every quarterback you know, that that steps into the kind of spotlight that Gunner is stepping into, he needs that security blanket. When it's third and six and and the defense is going to bring pressure, he needs somebody he can look to and trust to be there. You know, when the red zone, when you get down in the red zone and the windows get tighter and and everything gets smaller and moving faster, you know, he needs that guy that he can trust to win the one on one matchup. And, you know, when the offense just needs to find a little bit of rhythm or get an easy throw. You need a guy like Lucky who can just go find that window and sit down in a soft coverage and and just help you keep the change moving. And and I think Lawson could be that guy. He doesn't he doesn't have to catch 80 balls and and he's not going to. He he might have games where the stat line is just not that impressive where he may only have a couple of catches. But some of those catches may be the ones that that keep drives alive on third down or in the red zone. You know, a big play action pass over the middle. You know, those those plays matter and and really help develop momentum in the game. And if If Lawson can become kind of Gunner's best friend in this offense, then I think his importance may go way beyond just what you see in the box score. Now, if you want to if you want to get into the real football answer, the the the answer to this question about who the most valuable or important piece on this UGA team outside of Gunner might be big Ernest Green. Look, left left tackle has has not always been a glamorous position, but if you know football, you know left tackle is a highly valued and respected position. And And it it you know, your left tackle isn't a glamorous spot until it becomes a problem. And then it's all anybody can talk about it. If you can't block and protect the quarterback's blind side, you ain't gonna do nothing. So if Ernest Green can lock down that left tackle spot and and then that just that makes the entire offense breathe easier, gives us more flexibility through the rest of the line to shuffle pieces and move people around. It it'll allow Gunner to to get his feet set with confidence. It'll allow Bobo to to open up the playbook and call a more complete game. It'll give the receivers just a little bit more time to separate. Ernest can give the the run game a a physical edge and and help the offense stay on schedule. But look, make no mistake, if if if the left tackle position becomes a little shaky, then then every other question on this offense gets gets a little bit louder. You know, i is Gunner comfortable? Can we push the ball downfield? Can the receivers get enough time to to get open and run their routes? Can we run the ball when everybody knows we want to run it? Can we pick up a third and and seven or eight when we need to? I smile guy like Ernest Green and that offensive line can be the most important players on the team, even though they don't get their names called or get the headlines very much. You know, quarterbacks get praised, coordinators get the blame, receivers get all the highlight plays, running backs get to make the touchdowns. ⁓ but the big men up the in the middle and the big men on the line decide whether any of that stuff works. And you can make a strong case this year for Ernest Green being being a crucially important player because you know, we need that offensive stability up front and And and then that that will flip to the you know to the defense. We we've gotta we've got to be able to lean on this defense. And that's ⁓ that's where my answers start to to lean pretty hard. If if I'm leaning on who I think, you know, the the crucial second number two player to Gunner this year, it brings me to guy like Raylan Wilson. And you know, Raylan may be like the emotional thermostat of this defense. And and I I love that phrase, the emotional thermostat, because You know, every great defense needs a tone setter. They need somebody who brings the violence, but they also need somebody who who brings leadership and and calm communication. It's somebody that makes sure everybody is lined up, somebody that understands the entire defense and the standard that it's held to, somebody who plays fast and quick, but not reckless and not emotional. You know, at at Georgia, we've talked about it. Linebacker is not just a position, it's it's a responsibility, it's a mentality. You you have to fit the run, you have to communicate the checks, you have to cover, you have to give the blitz, you gotta clean up the mistakes in front of you. You've got to be able to play with speed and and violence, but also discipline at the same time. And and and trust me, that's not an easy combination to to house. If Raylan Wilson can become the the guy that I think he can become, the you know, the guy in the middle that just ties everything together and keeps everybody together, ⁓ then Georgia's defense can take on an entirely different personality. You talent's not always enough. We've got talent. Georgia's always gonna have talent. ⁓ but the defense becomes really special when when they have that connected feeling, when they seem like they're really playing as one solid unit. But when the front and the linebackers and the secondary all all move like a cohesive unit, like they all know what's coming, they all know where each other is going. And and that's when this Georgia defense can become the kind of Georgia defense we all love to watch. And and I think Rayland may be the guy that that makes that happen. Next guy on the list is is obviously a star name is KJ Bolden. And you know, you know, a safety like KJ can change the entire feel of a defense. A guy like this can can erase mistakes in front of him. He can trigger turnovers on big hits coming downhill. He can cover in space. You know, he can sit back in there, you know, roving at safety and just make the quarterback think twice about every throw. He can give Kirby a a little bit more freedom to to be aggressive because you can trust a guy like KJ on the back end. And that's huge because, you know, a great safety doesn't just make plays. A great safety changes what you're allowed to do on defense. It changes what you're allowed to do with all of the other players on defense. If KJ Bolton can become the best version of himself, then this defense gets an entirely different kind of swagger. This defense will play faster. It will play more confident. This will be a dangerous defense if KJ Bolton can step up and be the guy we think he could be. And then the last guy I want to talk about is is Ellis Robinson. I I my opinion is Ellis Robinson might be one of the most talented players on the team. He is he is the true definition of a lockdown corner, ⁓ if if there is one. If if this guy's right, he's he's as good as there is and And look, let's be honest, if you've got a quarterback or if you've got a cornerback that can can lock down and handle elite receivers one-on-one, that changes the math completely. You can you can roll coverage and help in other directions. You can bring more pressure, you can disguise the blitz easier. You can you can take away a one of a team's strongest options without completely having to change the structure of what you want to do. So having a guy like Ellis Robinson can become a huge deal to to this defense. And look, if Ellis can become the kind of corner You know, that that Georgia fans believe he can become, then this defense becomes a whole new animal. It becomes an anaconda just waiting to suffocate people. A shutdown corner doesn't just cover a receiver. He changes the the entire way a defense is called. So yeah, you you could obviously make a case for Ellis Robinson too. I mean, a a shutdown corner is a hugely valuable and important piece to a defense. So like I said, there's there's a lot of good answers. If if you want to lean towards the offense, you can say Nate Frazier. Or or Lawson Lucky. You you if you want to lean in the trenches, you can go with Ernest Green, ⁓ Raylon Wilson, KJ Bolden, you know, Ellis Robinson could could be the the greatest NFL prospect on this defense. But if you if you want my answer, and and that's what we're here for, I I I want you guys to comment. I want you guys to get involved. Tell me who you think the most important player on this Georgia team is gonna be other than Gunner. But my guys, I'm I'm going with Raylan Wilson and not because Not because he's necessarily the flashiest or not because he's even the best player on this team. ⁓ and not because he'll get the most national attention. I'm picking Raylan Wilson just because I think ⁓ the the Georgia ceiling starts with with this defense becoming nasty and connected and physical again. And and and I think somebody's gotta be the heartbeat. Somebody's gotta set the tone for that. Somebody's gotta be the voice and and and somebody's gotta make sure that that all of this talent on this defense. It plays like one cohesive unit in instead of eleven talented individuals. And and I think that's, you know, the because of the position and because of the leadership, I think that's gonna be Raylan this year. If if he becomes a true commander in the middle, then this defense will be lights out. This defense will get back to hunting and And making life miserable for other offenses. And look, if we get back to that, then everything changes. This is a championship level team again. The the offense will get shorter field, the quarterback will get more possessions, our crowds will get louder, you know, the other sidelines will tighten up, knowing that Georgia defense isn't gonna give them anything. And and you can see the whole team starts playing with that demeanor and that edge that we all like to see. So taking Gunner off the board, I'm I'm going with Rayland as the most important dog this year. And and I but I want to know what you guys think. Tell me, tell me what my other dog fans out there think. It's not an obvious answer. If you take Gunner off the board, who's Georgia's most important player? Nate Frazier, Lawson Lucky, Ernest Green, Raylan Wilson, KJ Bolden, Ellis Robinson, or somebody else entirely? Who who do you have? Not not the best player, not the biggest name, not even the highest draft pick, but but the most important player to to this UGA team for this upcoming twenty two eighty six season. Who you got? Let me know. All right, guys, getting into our scripture talk for the day. I want to ask you a question. Have you ever and it's something I've noticed it But and I don't know if you have, but it's something you're almost kind of even a little afraid to ask about it. But think about all the people that Jesus didn't heal. Like why why did why did Jesus walk past so many hurting people? And to to even say a phrase like that or make that statement out loud sounds sounds weird. Like it almost sounds shocking because you don't really think about that. But there were a lot of people that Jesus had the opportunity to heal and he didn't heal them. So, you know, when we picture him, we we picture him healing the crowds, we we picture him, you know, opening the eyes of the blind, helping the lame walk, ⁓ cleansing the the lepers, raising the dead. And and he absolutely did all of those things. ⁓ but then we come to to a story and it's almost like nobody talks about it. And and if we're willing to sit with it, then I think it it kind of reveals something profound about who Jesus really is and why he came. In the book of John, the Gospel of John, chapter five. We're told now there is in Jerusalem by the sheepgate a pool. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie, the blame, the line, and the paralyzed. So just picture that seat. Not not one sick person, not ten, an entire crowd of blind people, lame people, people who had spent years suffering, and and people who had exhausted every earthly hope they could possibly have. And then Jesus walks in and And can you imagine the expectation that if the Son of God enters this room full of sick people, surely everyone in the room is about to be healed? But that's not what happens in this story. And John tells us one who was there and had been an invalid for 38 years. Now think about that, 38 years. Some of you guys listening probably aren't even 38 years old yet. But this man had been suffering for almost four decades. And Jesus walks over to him and asks him, you know, an unexpected question. He says, Do you want to get well? I mean, you would think, yeah, well, of course he wants to get well. Or does he? Jesus isn't asking if he wants to get well because he lacks the the information. He's inviting the man to to respond to faith. The man begins explaining why he can't get into the pool, but Jesus interrupts him and says, Get up, pick up your mat and walk. And instantly the man is healed. It's it's an incredible miracle. But then John just moves on. And here's the question that that I've been wrestling with and it's kind of challenging me is what about everybody else in that pool? What about everybody else around there? What about the blind, the other lame people, the paralyzed, the other people still just laying around that pool sick and in an invalid state? John never tells us that they were all healed. He simply tells us about that one man. Why is that? ⁓ this is where I sometimes I think we we get a little rushed, and sometimes I think we move a little too quickly. We want to answer a a ⁓ question that the Bible doesn't answer directly. John never says the other people didn't matter. He never says Jesus didn't care. He doesn't tell us why Jesus only healed one person and and not everybody at the pool that day. Instead, he points our attention to somewhere else. He wants us to look carefully at who Jesus is. Throughout John's gospel, miracles are referred to as signs, not because they aren't real, but because they point beyond themselves. A sign on the highway isn't the ultimate destination. It points you to the destination. And that's the same way that Jesus' miracles are just signs to point us to his identity. The question John is asking here isn't merely who got healed. The deeper question is who is the one doing the healing? What are these signs pointing to? Think think about it this way. If if Jesus had healed every sick person in Israel, they all still would have died someday. If he had eliminated every disease, death would have still ultimately come for everybody. His miracles were never meant to be the final solution. They were just our first glimpses into the kingdom. They were signs for us to announce that the king had arrived. Jesus didn't come to just make lives easier. He came to conquer the deepest enemies that every human being faces: sin, death, separation from God. The miracle at the pool mattered, but it pointed still to a much, much greater miracle. And that's where this story meets meets our lives. You know, every one of us has has prayed a prayer that has seemed to go unanswered. We've asked God to heal someone we love. We've asked God to restore our marriage, to provide a job opportunity, to remove anxiety, to help take away some grief. Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't. And if if we're honest, I'm sure we all wonder why. And John doesn't answer every why in the gospel, but but he reminds us of something much bigger. He reminds us that the presence of unanswered questions doesn't mean that that it's an absence of a faithful savior. Jesus is still at work, even when not everyone understood what he was doing. And that's that's a hard truth for all of us to swallow. But it's also a hopeful one. It's hopeful because God's purposes are are often always bigger than what we can see in the moment. The greatest miracle that Jesus performed wasn't making one man walk, it was making dead hearts come to life. You know, the man that he healed that day eventually grew old and died. His his body failed again. But the salvation that Jesus offers lasts us forever. The cross wasn't simply another miracle. It was the moment where the the deepest sickness of humanity, our our sin, was dealt with once and for all. The empty tomb wasn't just proof that Jesus had power over one disease. It was proof that he had power over death itself. And that's the hope of the gospel. So so here's the question I want us to wrestle with today. And it's, you know, have you been asking God, why haven't you done this one thing I keep praying for? And look, if you're asking that, you're not alone. The Bible doesn't pretend that those questions don't exist for all of us, but it does remind us that even when we don't understand every decision God makes, ⁓ we know his heart. We know the heart of the the one that's making those decisions. And the same Jesus that walked into that pool, you know, full of people suffering, is the same Jesus that walked towards the cross for us. His his greatest work was never to remove temporary suffering. It's making eternal life possible for us all. So look, if if you're waiting, keep trusting him. If you're hurting, keep praying. If you're confused, keep seeking him. Look, sometimes we're not gonna understand what God's doing until we understand who God is. Keep seeking him and find out who he is. Have a great day. And as always, get in your Bible, say your prayers, love one another, and tell the truth. God bless.