Tim Kimbrough and Devin Bowman are a couple of new names to behold on the new depth chart Georgia has just released in advance of Saturday’s game against Clemson.
Kimbrough, a 6-foot, 230-pound sophomore from Indianapolis, is listed as the starter at “Mike” inside linebacker. That’s notably ahead of Ramik Wilson, a senior and preseason All-SEC selection who led the league in tackles a year ago with 133. Wilson missed two full weeks of preseason camp with a concussion and has been slow getting back up to speed.
“Any time you miss practice it sets you back, and he missed a bunch,” Mike Ekeler, Georgia’s inside linebackers coach, said this past Friday. “It kind of is what it is. We’ve made some moves and so he’s trying to battle his way back now.”
Kimbrough was a 4-star prospect when he signed with Georgia out of Warren Central High. He appeared in 11 games as a freshman last season and finished with five tackles.
Bowman is a 6-foot, 179-pound junior out of Rossville whose contributions to date (nine career tackles) have been almost entirely on special teams. But coach Mark Richt mentioned just last week that Bowman has had a great camp for the Bulldogs. Bowman missed Georgia’s last competitive scrimmage of the preseason last Tuesday due to a hamstring injury but was able to return to the field late last week.
As the Bulldogs — and defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt in particular — have been adamant about saying all year, everything about a depth chart for them has to be written in pencil. As ever, they insist what players are listed in the starting lineup will remain a fluid situation up until kickoff and will change weekly and daily if necessary. The depth charts themselves are produced by UGA’s Sports Communications office using their best insights with consultation with the coaching staff.
The depth chart can be viewed on Page 2 of Georgia's weekly football release. Here are some other points of interest about it:
- Starting tight end is listed as junior Jay Rome or junior Quayvon Hicks. Rome is the heir apparent to Arthur Lynch but Hicks has gotten the majority of reps with the No. 1 offense throughout camp.
- Sophomore Reggie Davis is listed as at the "Z receiver," or flanker position, ahead of sophomore Blake Tibbs. That's the position that will eventually be manned by injured star Malcolm Mitchell, who is still recovering from minor knee surgery.
- The starting defensive line is listed as James DeLoach at tackle, Mike Thornton at nose guard and Sterling Bailey at end. Ray Drew, who spent much of camp with the third-string defense, is listed as the No. 2 tackle.
- As expected, Brandon Kublanow is listed as the starter at left guard. That was about the only position on the offensive line with any level of uncertainty. The Bulldogs also can move Kolton Houston there and elevate Watts Dantzler to first-team right tackle.
- Starting punter remains an either/or proposition between Collin Barber and Adam Erickson, as does the kickoff return job between former American Heritage High teammates Isaiah McKenzie and Sony Michel. Davis is listed as having edged out McKenzie for punt return duties.
