Young Players to Watch for Georgia Versus Samford

Georgia, a huge betting favorite against its opponent, Samford this weekend should be able to play a lot of youth this weekend.

Harrison Reno | Sep 9, 2022

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Georgia Bulldogs

After a dominant season-opening win versus a then-ranked top-25 Oregon, Georgia is moving onto its home opener against Samford.

Despite most sportsbooks refusing to put a line on Georgia's game this weekend, the Wynn Casino has Georgia listed as a 52-point favorite for Saturday's contest.

As Vegas is forecasting, No. 2 ranked Georgia should not have much of a problem putting away the Samford Bulldogs. If all goes according to plan, we should see a fair number of young players take the field.

Malaki Starks

Taking snaps away from a redshirt junior is never easy as a true freshman, especially as a defensive back at the University of Georgia. But that is exactly what Malaki Starks did in Georgia's week one win over Oregon.

The talented, former five-star athlete took snaps all over the field for Georgia's defense. The Jefferson, Ga., native played safety, slot corner, and even corner at times. Recording his first career interception at the collegiate level was just further acknowledgment Georgia potentially has its next transcendent prospect in the secondary.

Starks will gain further experience this weekend against Samford, whether it is playing snaps with either the one or two defense this weekend. His playmaking ability is exactly what Georgia needs on defense, making him a perfect addition to the returning contributors they already had in Athens.

Brock Vandagriff

With Stetson Bennett having a near-perfect game as the starting quarterback, as Georgia scored touchdowns on its first seven drives, six of which were with Bennett as the signal-caller, Carson Beck was the only other quarterback seen in week one.

If all goes to plan, Carson Beck should take some of the reps with the second-team offense before handing over the keys to redshirt freshman Brock Vandagriff. Vandagriff, another former five-star recruit, spent much of last season behind the scenes learning the offense while running the scout team.

With a full year in the system under his belt, maybe we'll see the talented Bogart, Ga., run the Georgia offense with the second and third team.

Dillon Bell

Dillion Bell was one of the most talked about freshmen on the offensive side of the ball this offseason.

A three-star out of Houston, Texas, didn't receive much attention even after his commitment to Georgia in August of last year. But since arriving in Athens, he's drawn praise from Georgia's all-time leading receiver Terrence Edwards.

.@DawgNation @GeorgiaFootball I predicted that @MoCityMitch would be a star last season and he did. Well, Kirby has found another one in @dillonbell6_. He’s built like a RB (6’1 214)with natural hands. I can’t wait to see how B Mac develops this kid. #GoDawgs
— Terrence Edwards (@TEwracademy) June 24, 2022

While Bell didn't see action until the second half last week, if Edwards' pick of Adonai Mitchell is anything to show for his eye for talent, Bell is a name to watch this week where he should get an increasing amount of snaps.

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Published Sep 9, 2022

HARRISON RENO