Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Football: Four players who need to step up versus Kentucky

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Georgia Football travels to Lexington to play the Kentucky Wildcats at 7:30 tonight.

After the loss Georgia Football suffered to Florida a week ago, the Bulldogs are 4-4 and in need of someone to take the reigns of the offense and defense. With no go-to receiver or dominating pass rusher the spot is open for anyone to step up and become a leader.

here are four players who should so just that tonight against Kentucky:

Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter

Both Bellamy and Carter are solid linebackers on the Bulldogs defense. They get a lot of tackles and play at a high level from start to finish. But they aren’t truly play makers. They can’t generate consistent pass rushes off the edge and neither have many sacks after eight games this season.

Georgia has always had the ability to pressure quarterbacks and get sacks in the 2000’s. From David Pollack and Will Thompson, to Quinton Moses and Charles Johnson, to Justin Houston, Jarvis Jones, to Leonard Floyd. Carter and Bellamy were thought to be that next great pass rushing duo in Athens. But so far in 2016 they haven’t been that.

Yes, running backs don’t get by them often, and they contain scrambling quarterbacks well. You hardly see either of them do anything wrong. Georgia just needs more from them right now.

Javon Wims

Clearly Georgia isn’t going to get much out of the senior Reggie Davis in his final year and with Riley Ridley becoming a bigger part of Georgia’s passing game, the other freshman needs to begin overtaking other receivers.

He has the talent to over take Davis, Jayson Stanley and Micheal Chigbu but his youth has held him back. But more and more as the season has progresses, he’s been getting more playing time. He is one of the teams larger wide receivers, which isn’t saying much but he definitely has the body frame that Georgia needs.

He’s displayed some toughness with some catches over the middle and he’s probably the only receiver on the team without one of those unbelievable drops. With a month left in the season, there’s no better time for a young receiver to begin to look like a future star.

Reggie Davis

Speaking of Davis, he’s still the senior leader at wide receiver. And he still has the speed and talent to demand playing time. But that’s been slipping as receivers like Wims and Ridley have matured.

The Bulldogs needs senior leadership though, they need it everywhere but they especially need it at receiver. Davis is the lone senior getting playing time at his position, he’s got to get open more to help out his freshman quarterback and help open up space for the younger receivers.

If those four can step up and do more with the playing time they get, Georgia will be a much better team. Bellamy and Carter’s pass rushing may not lead to sacks, but it can lead to bad throws by quarterbacks and possible interceptions.

Wims taking over the receiving corps can be the blossoming of a lethal combination that should run the SEC for years to come. And Davis can do his part to help pass the torch to Ridley and Wims.

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