Orson Charles, TE

With just 49 catches in his career and 26 last season, one could argue that Charles has been under-utilized, but with All-American wide receiver A.J. Green and sure-handed Kris Durham gone, Georgia will turn to the fleet-footed junior as its go-to guy.

John Jenkins, NG

Jenkins (6-foot-4, 350 pounds) could have a similar impact on Georgia’s 3-4 defense as Nick Fairley did at Auburn and Terrance Cody at Alabama. He could command double teams and open lanes for linebackers to make tackles and apply pressure on quarterbacks.

Jarvis Jones, OLB

The 6-3, 240-pound Jones left USC after his freshman season. After gaining medical clearance for a neck injury that cost him the last one-third of his one season in Los Angeles, Jones had to sit out last season. He has emerged as one of the better athletes on a drastically improved defense.

Aaron Murray, QB

A year ago Murray was taking over the offense as a redshirt freshman, and nobody was sure how he would play. Now Murray seems like the only sure thing on offense. He must prove he can win big games against top-notch opponents.

Alec Ogletree, ILB

The additions of Jones and Jenkins were a shot in the arm for the defense, but no move figures to make a bigger impact than sliding Ogletree from safety to inside linebacker. Not only is Ogletree able to get involved in almost every running play, but his safety experience makes him an excellent defender in coverage.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Kirby Smart (left) and Georgia beat Brent Key and Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last November in Athens. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets bring Clean Old-Fashioned Hate off campus for 2025, playing at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2024)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff