Bishop Media Sports Network
Draft Dogs
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2021 Georgia Bulldogs already had a special spot in history, bringing home the program’s first National Championship in over four decades. Well, if there were any doubts about their all-time standing, the 2022 NFL Draft made their spot in the record books.
With 15 Bulldogs being selected, Georgia breaks the seven-round NFL Draft record for players picked in a single draft from the same school. The 2003 Ohio State Buckeyes and 2019 LSU Tigers previously held the record with 14 in the 2004 and 2020 NFL Drafts.
Things got started in a big way during the first round for the Dawgs with defensive lineman Travon Walker coming off the board to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the first overall pick.
Walker becomes the fifth Georgia player to be picked No. 1 overall, tying the NFL Draft record with Notre Dame, Oklahoma and USC. Previous No. 1 picks for the Bulldogs are Matthew Stafford (2009), Harry Babcock (1953), Charley Trippi (1945) and Frank Sinkwich (1943).
Jordan Davis (Eagles), Quay Walker (Packers), Devonte Wyatt (Packers) and Lewis Cine (Vikings) continued the run on Bulldogs in the first round, giving Georgia five players picked, all on the defensive side of the football.
In doing so, they set a new program record for first round picks in a single draft as well as a record for the most defensive players picked from the same team in the first round.
On day two of the draft (second and third rounds), Georgia added four more selections. Wide receiver George Pickens was the first offensive player from UGA off the board, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round followed soon after by running James Cook to the Buffalo Bills.
Then, in the third, it was a pair of inside linebackers getting picked with Nakobe Dean going to Philadelphia, and Channing Tindall being picked by the Miami Dolphins. That also gave Georgia the record for most defenders taken in the first three rounds in addition to their first-round record.
Zamir White was selected in the fourth round to the Las Vegas Raiders, followed by Jake Camarda to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a quiet fifth round, the sixth round welcomed two big Bulldog offensive linemen– Justin Shaffer to the Atlanta Falcons and Jamaree Salyer to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Finally, with back-to-back picks at No. 212 and No. 213 overall, Derion Kendrick (Los Angeles Chargers) and John FitzPatrick (Atlanta Falcons) got the Dawgs to break the record.
In The 2022 NFL Draft, Georgia broke all the records, or at least it felt that way.
The Bulldogs had 15 players picked – the most in a seven-round draft in history – with eight on the defensive side of the ball, including a first-round record five and a top-three-round record seven.
UGA also became the only team to ever have tight ends taken in four straight drafts with the selection of John FitzPatrick, Georgia’s 15th and final player. Needless to say, it was an eventful draft for Georgia.
Making The Grade?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NFL Draft is over and now we have an idea of what each team will look like next year.
Several players will surprise or disappoint fans as time goes on. Let’s take a look around the NFC South and see how each team did.
Atlanta: The Falcons did a good job on not reaching for a quarterback in the first round.
They selected USC wide receiver Drake London with the 8th pick. He’s a big target at 6’3 7/8 and 219 pounds. In 8 games last season he had 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Calvin Ridley is suspended the entire season so he will be the #1 receiver. He should do well paired with tight end Kyle Pitts.
In the second round they drafted Edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie (Penn State) and linebacker Troy Anderson (Montana State). In Anderson’s case I think they fell in love with measurables. He’s 6’3 ½, 243 lbs. and he ran a 4.42 40-yard dash.
Ebiketie played his first three seasons at Temple. In 2021 he had 62 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
They also drafted quarterback Desmond Ridder (Cincinnati), edge rusher DeAngelo Malone (Western Kentucky), running back Tyler Allgeier (BYU), guard Justin Shaffer (UGA) and tight end John FitzPatrick (UGA).
Grade: B
Carolina: The Panthers selected tackle Ikem Ekwonu (NC State) with the 6th pick.
Ekwonu is a great combination of size (6’4, 310 lbs.), power and athletic ability.
Carolina had the 31st ranked offensive line last season so this helps address a serious need.
Trades for Sam Darnold and C.J. Henderson left them light on picks.
Carolina also drafted QB Matt Corral (Ole Miss), linebacker Brandon Smith (Penn State), edge rusher Amare Barno (Va Tech), guard Cade Mays (Tennessee) and corner back Kalon Barnes (Baylor).
Getting Corral in the third round may be great value for a potential starting quarterback.
Smith should compete in the linebacker rotation.
Grade: A-
New Orleans: The Saints had two first round picks and they got WR Chris Olave (Ohio State) and tackle Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa). They should both be immediate contributors.
Trevor Penning is reminiscent of Terron Armstead as a prospect. He’s an uber-athletic tackle coming from a small school. He’ll now replace Armstead, who started 93 games for the Saints over the past nine seasons before signing with the Dolphins this offseason.
Olave was extremely productive in college and he might be the best route runner in this draft class.
The other picks were CB Alontae Taylor (Tennessee), LB D’Marco Jackson (Appalachian State) and defensive lineman Jordan Jackson (Air Force).
Grade: B+
Tampa Bay: The Bucs didn’t have a first-round pick. They had two second round picks and they got defensive lineman Logan Hall (Houston) and guard Luke Goedeke (Central Michigan).
Hall will probably begin his career as a defensive tackle but could develop into a pass-rusher. Goedeke might be the biggest sleeper among interior linemen.
They also selected RB Rachaad White (Arizona State), TE Cade Otton (Washington), kicker Jake Camarda (UGA), CB Zyon McCollum (Sam Houston State), TE Ko Kieft (Minnesota) and edge rusher Andre Anthony (LSU).
I don’t think there are any All-Pro players in this draft class. This draft is more about getting role players that can help them get back to the Super Bowl.
Grade: B
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch April 30
On The Clock
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For a second straight year, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. After going 1-15 in 2020 and selecting Trevor Lawrence first overall last year, the Jags went 3-14 in 2021 to finish with the worst record in the league for a second straight year.
The Jaguars have 12 total draft picks this year.
After a tumultuous few months as head coach, Urban Meyer was fired after 13 games last season. This year, Doug Pederson will lead the way in Jacksonville.
The team has been extremely active in free agency, signing WR Christian Kirk, OG Brandon Scherff, and LB Foye Oluokun to deals. The team has committed more than $175 million of guaranteed money to free agent signings.
Unlike the last four drafts, a quarterback is not likely to be the first prospect off the board in 2022. With the draft just three days away, Las Vegas has updated the odds for the No. 1 overall selection, choosing a new favorite to walk across the stage first.
“Around the NFL, there’s talk about GM Trent Baalke, and his draft history with SF,” NFL Network’s Peter Schrager said. “Year after year, the 49ers took players with incredible physical traits over the top collegiate performers. That’s Travon Walker.”
Walker has pushed out Michigan star Aidan Hutchinson from the top spot in the odds with less than a week to go before the draft in Indianapolis. Either defensive lineman would be the first non-quarterback to be selected first overall since Myles Garrett went first in the 2017.
The buzz around Walker had been growing for some time. Top minds across the NFL landscape have pointed to the possibility of hearing his name called first for a number of reasons. NFL analyst Todd McShay broke down what he likes about the Bulldogs veteran.
“I think his best football is still ahead of him,” McShay said. “He’s got to learn how to use his hands a little bit more efficiently as a pass rusher and how to finish better, kind of gather himself because he left a lot of sacks on the field – only finished with 9.5 sacks in his career. He was the dynamite out on the defensive line just taking up blocks. I always say fishing with dynamite. He’s the dynamite that goes in and blows everything up. He’s an exceptional defensive end when it comes to stopping the run. I think he’s gonna be at his best rushing the passer right away on the inside,” he continued. “The more time goes on and the more he works on his hands as a pass rusher, he’s gonna become a really good edge rusher too. I think the ceiling for him is extraordinarily high. He’s 6-(foot)-5, 272 pounds running 4.51 (40-yard dash) with 35.5-inch arms.”
Walker started all 15 games for Georgia last season, finishing with 37 tackles, six sacks with 7.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 36 quarterback hurries.
One thing is for certain, Jacksonville should draft with the philosophy of “What Helps Trevor?”
This is where we could see a surprise. So much of the spotlight right now is on edge rushers, it’s among the biggest Jacksonville Jaguars draft needs. However, the offensive line is also an area of weakness, Doug Pederson emphasized the importance of offensive line depth and versatility.
It makes Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal and North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu legitimate possibilities.
Ekwonu is the best run blocker in this class and could start his rookie season at guard before kicking outside to left tackle when Cam Robinson departs in 2023.
As for Neal, he’s better in pass protection and started at multiple spots during his collegiate career in Alabama.
Jacksonville you’re on the clock!
Needy Falcons
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons may not want to admit it but they are in full rebuild mode. They finished the 2021 season 7 – 10 and have the #8 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Atlanta traded quarterback Matt Ryan to Indianapolis in the offseason.
The Falcons signed Marcus Mariota but he is not a long-term solution. We are going to take a look at their biggest needs and the player they could select for that.
Wide receiver has to be the top need. Calvin Ridley is suspended the 2022 season for gambling. Before his suspension Ridley missed the majority of last season with mental health issues.
The #2 target, Russell Gage signed with division rival Tampa Bay in the offseason.
Atlanta should draft multiple pass catchers throughout the draft but if they get one in the first round, they can choose the best option.
That means Drake London (USC) or Garrett Wilson (Ohio State) will be selected, depending on which one is available.
Edge rusher is a big need. Atlanta only had 18 sacks last season which ranked last in the league. They released their best pass rusher, Dante Fowler Jr. and did little to upgrade the position in free agency.
Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux’s stock seems to be sliding as we get closer to the draft. Thibodeaux was the top player in the nation as a high school senior and he’s very talented. They may draft a great player that will have a chip on his shoulder.
Quarterback is also a big need. I thought they would have addressed that last year when they had the 4th pick and the 2021 quarterback class was deeper. They selected tight end Kyle Pitts with that pick.
This year’s QB class is not as good and none of them are actually good enough to be a top-10 pick. The top two options at the position are Kenny Pickett (Pitt) and Malik Willis. Pickett is more equipped to play immediately.
Nose tackle might also be a need. Grady Jarrett could be released or traded before Fall camp. Jarrett has been a force for Atlanta since being drafted in 2014. He does not fit well in defensive coordinator Dean Pee’s scheme. They want someone that can play in a two-gap system and bull rush up the middle.
Georgia’s Jordan Davis would be a good fit. If they wait until Day 2, UConn’s Travis Jones would be a good fit.
The last need is between tight end or running back. Head coach Arthur Smith came from Tennessee where they had star running back Derrick Henry.
The Falcons resigned Cordarrelle Patterson and retained Mike Smith. They also will not select a running back that high so they will still probably address the position later.
Smith loves to use two tight end sets. Pitts is the flex, but the Smith is going to want a more traditional player, who can be an efficient blocker while helping in the passing game.
This is likely a Day 3 selection, so keep an eye on Wisconsin’s Jake Ferguson, Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar and Texas A&M’s Jalen Wydermyer as the best options.
A Red Terror
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Glynn Academy Red Terrors roll into the 2022 football season with some lofty expectations for senior QB, Tyler Devlin.
Devlin will be under center for his second season as the Red Terrors signal caller.
Tyler Devlin was born on November 5th 2004. He began playing football at 7 years old. However, the Glynn QB did not start as a quarterback. Devlin started out playing running back and linebacker.
By the 8th grade, he was developing into a very good QB. So much so that he transferred to Frederica Academy and started for the Knights as freshman at QB.
Devlin transferred to Glynn Academy after his freshman year. “I knew I would graduate as a Terror. I wanted to play against the best competition I could and Glynn was the best choice for me.”
Devlin was the backup QB his sophomore year to TJ Lewis, who went on to Louisville. “I looked up to TJ and learned how to be a leader from him. I just tried to replicate everything he did.”
Despite being the backup his sophomore, Devlin still found his way on the field for the Terrors as a 10th grader by playing safety.
The 2021 season saw Glynn go 4-6-1 and lose in the first round of the playoffs. I asked Devlin what the 2021 season was like….”Honestly, everyone was upbeat the whole season. The culture was the same as if we were 10-0. We expected to win. We knew we didn’t have the fastest guys, or the biggest but our team was full of heart and we fought every week.”
Devlin went on to talk about the 2021 season. “We didn’t get off to the best of starts. At the beginning of the season, we were young and didn’t let the game come to us. We played way better toward the end of the year once we got used to our offense and guys got into a rhythm. We had a whole new offense to learn.”
The Red Terrors signal caller tossed 12 touchdowns and threw for over 1,200 yards. Devlin took care of the ball as well, only throwing 3 interceptions during the regular season
Going into 2022 the Red Terrors are expected to be in the mix for a region title. “My goals for the 2022 season are to beat Brunswick High, win the region and then we can go from there.”
A few schools are showing interest Devlin as he is a great athlete. He is also the starting centerfielder for the Red Terror baseball team. “I would like to play both at the next level.”
The Red Terrors will be in good hands putting the offense in Tyler Devlin’s hands and with him going into his second year of Rocky Hidalgo’s offense, I am predicting Devlin to have a monster season.
G-Day
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Another G-Day game has come and gone. The annual spring game, which for decades stood as a reasonable excuse for alumni & recent graduates to make an offseason return to the classic city, has grown into something larger.
For the first time, the intrasquad matchup of the red & black was broadcast live on ESPN2, making it the highest billed CFB non-game event in cable broadcast history.
The event has had its share of celebrities in the past; either in the stands or as guest coaches for one of the squads. This year there was no need for such chicanery & tomfoolery.
No sir, the citizens of Dawgnation have rewatched the national championship game dozens of times since January (and probably will watch it a dozen more between now & September), but they are ready for some new information as to what they can realistically expect out of the Dawgs this fall.
What they saw on the field invited an old friend back into their red & black hearts – Hope.
For the first time in his career, Stetson Bennett IV will start the season as the undisputed starting quarterback. His performance at G-Day showed that his enshrinement as QB1 is justified, but he still has room to grow in his final season between the hedges.
The Mailman went 15-35 for 273 yards and 3 TDs. The 2 INTs were mildly troublesome, but not blatantly bad decisions like we saw in the SEC Championship Game.
On the other hand, Carson Beck showed that he will be more than capable to step into the starting role should situations require. The redshirt sophomore from Jacksonville went 14 of 26 for 274 yards with no scores or picks.
While the RBs at RBU were understandably quiet on the day, the tight ends were the real showcase even without freshman phenom Brock Bowers.
LSU transfer Arik Gilbert and early enrollee Oscar Delp showed that the receiving corps is just fine without a 1000-yard WR, thank you very much.
Delp led all receivers on the day with 7 catches for 91 yards, while Gilbert hauled in 3 catches for 49 yards and 2 TDs, including a beaut of a 16-yarder in double coverage.
When you take an arguably all-time great defense like UGA had last year, a drop in performance has to be expected. Of last year’s contributors, eight are expected to be drafted in the NFL draft this year, with an outside chance of a record-tying six Dawgs going in the first round.
When you have that severe of a talent bleed, you would be hard pressed to expect anything but a letdown. G-Day showed us that although the lofty heights of 2021 are more than likely out of reach, the drop off in defensive production might not be as severe as feared.
While Kelee Ringo will pick up right where he left off and Jalen Carter will undoubtedly take over from Jordan Davis as the heart & soul leader of the 2022 Bulldogs, there were several names on display at G-Day that Dawg Nation would do well to remember.
For example, take Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Get used to the initials TID. The redshirt freshman was in the backfield almost as much as the running backs all day long.
Warren Brinson was pushing the line as well, forcing pressure on the QB and making his presence felt.
All things considered, the first-string defense did better against the first-string offense than you would expect, considering 10 out of the 11 starters from last year’s opener against Clemson have changed.
In short, the 2022 G-Day Game was more than just a spring warm up as usual. The National Championship team received their rings, and those that bleed red & black got a chance to see what to expect in the fall.
And expectations, while understandably high, may not be unrealistic after all.
Jason Bishop Show w Kipp Branch April 23
Out Front
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When the UCF Knights took the field for their spring game on Saturday, they had a unique look.
UCF announced that in the spring game, players will be donning custom QR codes on the back of their jerseys in place of the traditional number. The QR code will link back to the player’s profile on the UCF athletics website.
On the UCF website, each player has links to their social media profiles. This innovative approach to the spring game further emphasizes the changing times across college athletics in the NIL era.
This approach is not the first of its kind for UCF in the NIL era. Last spring, UCF geared up for its spring game with different looking uniforms, just like this year. Last spring game, though, Knights players had their Twitter handles on their nameplates.
Things obviously look drastically different right now across college sports than they did a couple years ago. With players now able to profit off of their Name, Image, and Likeness, the game has completely changed. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn has seen those changes come by firsthand.
UCF has tried to embrace the evolving times under Malzahn, and now these types of things are par for the course in college sports.
“Last year, we put Twitter handles on our jerseys. I was like, ‘What the heck am I doing?’” Malzahn said. “We wanted to be the school that embraced it. At the old traditional schools, there’s a lot of dynamics. Yeah, they’re for it but really, they’re not for it. We are a school that can fully embrace it—the young school, social media. It fits with us. It was a little weird early on. Now it’s not. Now it’s part of the job description.”
UCF’s offense hit its stride in the Spring Game after quarterbacks Mikey Keene and John Rhys Plumlee combined to produce nearly 500 passing yards.
Malzahn’s optimism for the quarterbacks showed on the stat sheet with Keene going 21 of 28 for 282 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Plumlee went 11 of 15 for 189 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Opponents totaled 25 sacks for 158 yards against UCF last year. That’s 4 more sacks and 23 extra yards than the year prior.
With starters Cole Schneider and Marcus Tatum off to the pros, Malzahn turned to the NCAA transfer portal for more size. He found that with a 6-foot-10 offensive tackle Ryan Swoboda (Virginia) and a 6-foot-7 tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State).
With the combination of adding two transfers with a full year of development under coach Herb Hand, Malzahn likes where things stand with his offensive line.
That success by the offensive line will lead to running the ball well. During the spring game, sophomore Johnny Richardson gained 108 yards on just 9 carries while Mark-Antony Richards, Anthony Williams and true freshman Jordan McDonald rushed for more than 30 yards each.
This all happened while starting running back Isaiah Bowser, who led the team with 9 rushing touchdowns last year, had the afternoon off.
Last season was the first for Malzahn at UCF. In his first year, he led the Knights to an overall record of 9-4, including a 5-3 mark against AAC opponents. UCF wrapped up the season with a victory over the Florida Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl.
“Ever since the bowl win, it’s been different,” Malzahn said. “I think the combination of the bowl win, the combination of going to the Big 12, you can feel when you’re here that we’re about to do something special. You can feel it, the recruits can feel it. Everybody wants to dream, everybody wants to be a part of something special, and we’re well on our way.”
UCF is definitely a bright future stock to BUY.
Clemson Spring
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Dabo Swinney has elevated Clemson into one of the most elite programs in the nation.
The Tigers seemed to make the College Football Playoff every season. After quarterback Trevor Lawrence was drafted #1 in the 2021 NFL Draft, we still thought they would be a top-5 team.
He was replaced by five-star QB D.J. Uiagalelei. The Tigers recruit so well they just reload rather than rebuild. Unfortunately, that was not the case last year. They were 10 – 3 but that’s not good enough for Clemson.
Uiagalelei is coming off a sophomore season that saw him rank at or near the bottom of most statistical categories in the ACC, throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9). It was a season that saw the quarterback have his share of struggles, most notably with accuracy, as Uiagalelei completed just 56% of his passes.
D.J. has lost weight since last season and hopefully that will help him move quicker. The Spring Game was April 9th so we did see some improvement on his footwork, decision making and releasing the ball quicker.
He still had issues with his accuracy, throwing several off-target passes. He completed 17-of-36 passes for 175 yards and an interception. To be fair, there were multiple dropped passes.
The five-star freshman from Texas, Cade Klubnik completed 15-of-23 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. Klubnik was ranked the number one quarterback in the country in the last recruiting cycle.
“DJ is definitely our starter,” Swinney said. “He has had a great spring. He has not done anything to not be the starter.”
It might be unfair to believe D.J. would drastically improve after 15 practices. He also played behind an offensive line that was missing several starters in the Spring Game. Clemson has a talented defensive line, so they had a tough time.
This does look like a possible quarterback controversy brewing once the season starts. Swinney does feel like he can win with both quarterbacks.
“It is not often you can say that, but I have seen enough from both of those guys to know that,” Swinney said. “So, it is a good situation.”
Running back Will Shipley was really the only bright spot on offense last season. He rushed for 739 yards, 11 touchdowns and averaged 5 yards per carry. He also had 16 catches for 116 yards. Shipley and the number 2 back Kobe Pace had offseason procedures, so they did not play in the Spring Game.
The only other scholarship running back on the roster was Phil Mafah from Grayson (GA).
“I thought it would allow me to just show that I could be the guy out there,” Mafah said. “I could do it just like they could, and they just allowed me to show off what I could do and help bring up the others.”
Position coach C.J. Spiller and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said Mafah has earned more carries for the 2022 season. Now it looks like the Tigers will have three reliable backs next season.
The final score of the Spring Game was White beat Orange 15 – 7.
