New Faces Flash on Saturday

Week one brought two new names see action on Saturday.

A young secondary and an injured receiving core gave way to many new, and maybe unfamiliar, faces on Saturday night in Charlotte. Georgia is coming off an offseason where seven defensive backs left Athens, either for the NFL or the transfer portal. 

That large number of departures at one position is something that Smart said he could not think of ever having to deal with in his coaching career when asked about the secondary in his press conference last Monday with the media. The youth and experience made many question how Georgia's secondary would match up with Clemson's offense. 

The Dawgs started Derion Kendrick and Ameer Speed at cornerback with Latavious Brini playing the STAR with Christopher Smith and Lewis Cine at the two safety positions. Speed was one of those familiar faces that hadn't taken the field, even though he's spent the last 3 seasons in Athens. 

Speed and fellow defensive back Dan Jackson, a walk-on, know the feeling of being buried on the depth chart behind some top talent. Dan Jackson was a relatively unknown name until the spring when he got his chance to feature with the second-team defense. 

Jackson's performance in the spring would earn help earn him the nickname of "Dirty Dan" and even go a long way in getting him an opportunity to play considerable snaps in Saturday's victory over Clemson. 

Major Burns' decision to transfer to LSU over the offseason left Georgia slim for depth at safety; that void left behind by Burns now seems to be filled by redshirt sophomore Dan Jackson, who played well in coverage and kept up with his assignments. 

Photo by Tony Walsh

Offensively the banged-up receiving core benefitted former walk-on now turned scholarship receiver, Jaylen Johnson. Johnson saw significant snaps in week one, rotating in and out of the slot with Ladd McConkey. Johnson would record his first career catch for 21 yards, the longest passing play of the day for Georgia, and it came in a big spot to get the Dawgs a first down. 

Johnson is a junior out of Duluth, Georgia, who walked onto the team in the 2018 season and contributed as a scout team member. After a full 2020 season of serving as a reserve receiver and member of the special teams unit, Johnson earned himself a scholarship. 

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