Georgia absolutely blew out Tennessee State 63-3 in their home opener on Saturday, and while the scoreboard was wild, it was the play of the Athens-area young guns that really stood out, giving us an early peek at what’s brewing.
Young Talent Stepping Up, Making Plays
We saw four recent Athens-area graduates hit the field, and they wasted no time making an impact. Landon Roldan, a sophomore wide receiver from North Oconee, snagged the first pass of the game, a sweet 17-yard grab from graduate quarterback Gunner Stockton. He even tacked on a 4-yard carry! Then we had sophomore quarterback Hezekiah Millender out of Clarke Central connect on a 17-yard pass with North Oconee freshman wideout Dallas Dickerson. And on defense, freshman outside linebacker Khamari Brooks, another North Oconee guy, was everywhere with three total tackles, one solo and two assisted by teammates JJ Hanne and Zayden Walker.
Kirby Smart Delivers a Reality Check
But let’s be real, Coach Kirby Smart isn’t letting anyone get too comfortable, especially with those young outside linebackers. Despite the huge win, Smart flat out said of Brooks and his fellow young OLBs, “They’ve got to grow up.” He stressed they only played Tennessee State, not an SEC opponent, making it clear this was just the beginning. “They’ve got to grow up and they’ve got to get better because we need them better like, yesterday,” he warned. It’s a wake-up call, pure and simple. We also saw some other talented guys like senior safety Khalil Barnes, sophomore quarterback Jake Bobo, sophomore wide receiver Brody Tolbert, and freshman defensive lineman AJ Lonon Jr. not even see the field, which just shows how much competition there is for playing time.
Georgia is 1-0 and looking ahead. They’ll host Western Kentucky in week 2, Saturday, September 12, with kickoff at 12:45 p.m. on the SEC Network. This next game is where we’ll really see if those young players took Coach Smart’s message to heart. Can they step up against a tougher opponent? You know we’ll be watching to find out!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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