The Drake curse continues. Last weekend, a picture of the rapper circulated on social media of the wrapper wearing a Georiga coat. Former Georiga quarterback and SEC analyst Aaron Murray jokingly declared on Twitter it was the end of Georgia’s chance at a three-peat. While fans can’t blame Drake for Georgia’s sloppy win Saturday over Vanderbilt, they can point their finger at Brock Bowers’ injury. Georgia announced Monday that Bowers was having tightrope surgery to repair a sprained ankle. Bowers is a human highlight reel and was Georgia’s leading receiver through its first seven games. He was also a leading candidate for the Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end, after winning the award in 2022. He seemed to single-handedly will Georgia to victory two weeks ago against Auburn and has been Carson Beck’s favorite target. While the injury is devastating for Georgia fans, it is far from fatal. Georgia’s deep roster should be able to navigate its remaining schedule with Bowers joining them for a possible third-straight playoff run.
The Remaining Schedule
10/28: Florida
11/4: Missouri (H)
11/11: Ole Miss (H)
11/18: Tennessee (A)
11/25: Georiga Tech (A)
12/2: SEC Championship*
Georgia’s schedule difficulty will increase after a light start to the season. Flordia and Missouri continue to find ways to win and will present challenges if Georgia gets off to slow starts in either game. Georgia’s defense is not quite as stout as it has been in the past two years; the offense may be needed to match Ole Miss and Tennessee’s dynamic offenses if the team wants to make it back to Atlanta for the SEC Championship.
Alabama or LSU likely await Georgia in Atlanta and pose two different challenges. Alabama’s stout defense will make Georgia earn every yard and point. Like last year’s SEC Championship game, LSU would call on the offense to match Jayden Daniels and the dynamic Tiger offense. While challenging, Georiga has plenty of talent to help fill the void of Bower’s injury.
Brock Bowers Injury: Next Dawg Up
Tight End Room
Georgia’s tight end coach, Todd Hartley, is known for his exceptional recruiting skills, transforming Georgia into Tight End U. Despite the challenge of replacing Bowers, the team has sufficient depth. Two top contenders for the role are:
Oscar Delp: The 6-foot-5, 245-pound sophomore is currently the fifth-leading receiver on the team, boasting 13 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Delp role will take over Bower’s spot as the team’s primary tight end.
Lawson Luckie: Luckie came in Saturday after Bowers’ injury. Luckie underwent tightrope surgery for a sprained ankle in August. He was a four-star prospect, the second-ranked tight end, and the No. 68 overall player in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Wide Receivers
Beck will have plenty of options to replace Bowers as his new favorite target. Here are the top three receivers that could take over for Bowers.
Dominic Lovett: Lovett is Georgia’s second-leading receiver. The Missouri transfer has 31 catches on the season, averaging 9.1 yards a catch. Look for offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to move Lovett all over the field and provide Beck with an option to hit Lovett with short throws and make big plays like fans have come to expect from Bowers.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint:Rosemy-Jacksaint has shown his big play ability in 2023. He is averaging 18.1 yards a catch, but it’s just about something other than the stats regarding the fourth-year receiver. Kirby Smart shared earlier this year about the impact Rosemy-Jacksaint can have on Beck’s confidence. “Marcus knows every fastball play. He knows exactly what to do when he checks. Marcus knows the route tree.” With Bowers out, Rosemy-Jacksaint’s presence on the offense will continue to grow.
Rara Thomas: Bowers had a unique ability to go one-on-one with a defender and go up and get the ball. Thomas gave Georgia fans a preview of his ability on his toe-tap against Kentucky two weeks ago in Athens. Look for Thomas to become a bigger part of the offense on back-shoulder throws and inside the red zone.
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