Here are 10 players who stood out in Georgia’s big win over Tennessee State

ATHENS — When you score nine touchdowns and win 63-3, you’re going to have a lot of standout players and moments.

That was the case for Georgia, which dominated Tennessee State on Saturday. Despite record heat, the Bulldogs got off to the fastest start possible.

“The message was, you know, first impression,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “And first impression of this team would be judged by how they handled the opponent and how well they played to our standard or not. And I thought, you know, for three quarters there — first, third, and fourth — we did that. Second, we had some sloppiness, didn’t do some things well.

“But I thought the guys played really hard. I thought they beat the heat.”

Smart generally prefers to wait and review the film before making evaluations of how his team truly played. With that in mind, here are 10 players who stood out in the victory.

Quarterback Ryan Montgomery

The second-year quarterback didn’t get as many snaps as Ryan Puglisi as Georgia’s backup, but it might not have mattered. Montgomery’s second throw — and his last of the game — was the best by any quarterback. He hit Jeremy Bell for a 54-yard touchdown, the longest play of the game.

Montgomery closed the gap this offseason between himself and Puglisi for the backup quarterback job. His play against Tennessee State showed why he’s a viable option to be Georgia’s next starting quarterback.

Running back Nate Frazier

Four carries, three touchdowns for the Georgia junior. His first carry of the season was a 48-yard run, dashing through the opposing defense for his first touchdown of the season.

Georgia talked this offseason about being more explosive in the running game. Frazier showed that on Saturday.

Wide receiver Craig Dandridge

The freshman receiver got some run with the first-team offense Saturday and made it count. He had two receptions for 36 yards, including a diving grab on a nice anticipatory throw from Gunner Stockton.

Dandridge later showed his explosiveness with a lengthy punt return, only to have the play negated by a holding penalty.

Still, the former AJC Super 11 pick showed why he can help Georgia right away.

“He has a little bit of something that we don’t have in that room with his acceleration and his ability to get open quickly,” Smart said. “He’s very intelligent, and he’s very conscientious, and he’s tough. I mean, he’s what you want in a wideout. So he’s been a pleasant surprise that has to continue to get better as the competition goes up.”

Wide receiver Jeremy Bell

Bell’s 54-yard touchdown catch meant he ended the day as Georgia’s leading receiver in terms of yardage.

It was an emotional moment for Bell, as Smart recently shared a personal tragedy Bell has been dealing with.

“He just lost his brother in the last week, had to go home, bury his brother and take care of his family,” Smart said. “He’s been dealing with extreme emotions, extreme emotions at that point. I didn’t even want him to practice, but yet he wanted to practice. And to go out and do what Jeremy Bell did, he’s been developing for a couple of years now and he’s starting to come into his own.”

The touchdown was the first of Bell’s career. It is undoubtedly a moment his family won’t forget.

Tight end Jaden Reddell

The third-year tight end gave a really impressive Brock Bowers impression. His three touches yielded 67 yards and a touchdown.

Perhaps his best play didn’t even count because of a face mask penalty. While it won’t show up in the box score, our eyes all saw what Reddell can do with the ball in his hands.

Offensive lineman Zykie Helton

Georgia’s first touchdown of the season came from running right behind its freshman guard, as Frazier followed Helton into the second level of the Tennessee State defense.

Helton becomes the third true freshman offensive lineman to start in his debut under Smart. Andrew Thomas and Juan Gaston are the other two.

Helton was a 3-star recruit in the 2026 recruiting class. It seems the Bulldogs have clearly gotten a gem in the Carrollton offensive lineman.

Defensive tackle Jordan Hall

While Xzavier McLeod’s departure dominated the talk around the defensive line this week, Georgia got back a key veteran in Hall.

The fourth-year defensive lineman missed the final six games of the 2025 season with a knee injury. It’s not the first time he’s dealt with injuries either.

Yet he certainly looked healthy in the middle of Georgia’s run defense. He picked up a tackle for loss while Tennessee State ran for just 47 nonsack yards.

Outside linebacker PJ Dean

The Bulldogs finished with three sacks Saturday and Dean was involved in two of them.

He teamed up with Chris Cole for Georgia’s first sack. In the second half, it was all Dean with another sack.

The light came on for the freshman during August. With Georgia missing Chase Linton and Amaris Williams, the Bulldogs are going to need Dean to continue to contribute.

Inside linebacker Chris Cole

Cole was all over the field for Georgia on Saturday. In addition to his half-sack, he added a tackle for loss and had a pass breakup as well.

The third-year linebacker told reporters he wants to be more disruptive near the line of scrimmage this season. In his first game, Cole was certainly that as he got the start alongside Raylen Wilson.

Safety KJ Bolden

Georgia gave up just two completions longer than 10 yards. The defensive front did a good job of making sure the secondary didn’t have to cover for long, but they did well when they needed to make a play.