Georgia Lands Seven Players on Phil Steele's All-American Teams

Sportswriter Phil Steele selected seven Georgia football players to his 2023 preseason All-America teams.

On the heels of consecutive national championships and a roster loaded for a run at a three-peat, it is perhaps no surprise that Georgia enters the 2023 season with an abundance of All-American candidates. In his annual college football preview magazine, sportswriter Phil Steele included seven Bulldogs among his four preseason All-American teams.

A trio of Georgia players were named to Steele's first team All-American squad including tight end Brock Bowers, center Sedrick Van Pran, and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson. 

Bowers' first two seasons in Athens have been spectacular as he was awarded the Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end in 2022 and has led the Bulldogs in both receptions and receiving yards each of his first two seasons in the Georgia program. With Georgia having to replace two of its top four receivers from 2022, Bowers will once again be leaned on to spearhead the Bulldog passing. 

Van Pran enters his third season as Georgia's starting center, having started 30 consecutive games for the Bulldogs at that position. His decision to return to Georgia for his junior season provides a significant boost to an offensive line that will have to replace both starting tackles from 2022 following the departures of Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon. 

Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran (63) makes a call during the 2023 College Football National Championship Game against TCU, a game in which Georgia dominated 65-7

After spending his freshman season behind three future NFL draft picks, Dumas-Johnson transitioned successfully into a starting role at inside linebacker for Georgia in 2022. He finished second on the team with 70 tackles, behind fellow linebacker Smael Mondon who tallied 76 tackles in his first campaign as a starting linebacker for the Bulldogs.

While they were left off of the first team, Georgia defensive backs Malaki Starks and Javon Bullard were among Steele's second team All-American selections.

After an impressive showing in Georgia's season-opener against Oregon in the Chik-Fil-A Kickoff Classic that was highlighted by a sensational interception, Starks was inserted into Georgia's starting lineup week two against Samford and never relinquished the role. The freshman's 68 total stops were the most among Georgia defensive backs and he finished second on the team with 2 interceptions.

Bullard, who started 10 games for Georgia a year ago, finished the 2022 season with a flurry that raised his national profile. The Milledgeville, GA native was named the defensive MVP of both the Peach Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship game. His vicious hit on Marvin Harrison Jr. that knocked the Ohio State receiver out of the Peach Bowl going into the fourth quarter was one of the major turning points of Georgia's comeback victory over the Buckeyes. Bullard followed that Peach Bowl performance up with an even more dominant performance in the National Championship Game where he logged two interceptions in Georgia's 65-7 route of TCU.

Javon Bullard (22) delivers a crushing blow to Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. during the 2022 Peach Bowl

Rounding out Georgia's selection on Steele's All-American teams were guard Tate Ratledge and defensive end Mykell Williams who were both selected as third team All-Americans by Steele. 

Ratledge entered the 2021 season with high expectations, but a Lisfranc injury suffered on the first series of Georgia's season opener against Clemson ended his season and put the young lineman on an arduous road to recovery. However, the Rome, GA native put in the work and rebounded with a strong 2022 campaign in which he started all 15 games at right guard for a Georgia offensive line that finished as the runner-up for the Joe Moore Award, annually awarded to the nation's top offensive line. The redshirt junior returns in 2023 as one of the anchors in the middle of the Georgia offensive line.

As a freshman early enrollee in 2022, Williams drew rave reviews from coaches and teammates alike for his work ethic and maturity during the leadup to the 2022 season and he delivered right away during his freshman season in Athens. While he only started two games for Georgia his 349 snaps were the second-most snaps seen by a Georgia defensive lineman in 2022, behind only nose guard Nazir Stackhouse. The Columbus, GA native also led the Bulldogs with 4.5 sacks and notched a sack in both Georgia's College Football Playoff Semifinal victory over Ohio State in the Peach Bowl and the victory over TCU in the National Championship Game. 

Georgia's seven selections to Steele's All-American teams are the most selections from any team. Alabama and Ohio State each had six players featured on Steele's All-American teams, while Michigan and USC had five. The Bulldogs' three first team selections also tied Ohio State for the lead among all teams in the country.