Coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. A string of legal issues involving players has overshadowed the program. From DUIs to reckless driving, the team has faced its fair share of controversies.

Things took a more serious turn when star receiver Rara Thomas was hit with assault charges. Amidst all the negative publicity, a former Bulldog is helping restore some of the program’s reputation by not being a “repeat offender.”

We are talking about tight end Brock Bowers, who is killing it in the NFL. Unlike most rookies who need time to adjust, he’s hit the ground running. NFL insider Jonathan Jones raved about him, saying Bowers is “ahead of the curve.” As Jones praised his work ethic, the host of UGA Football on Dawg Post gave a thumbs up to his words in his August 3 video. “This guy is special. He played the game at a high level at college, he’s taken the playbook seriously, he’s taking things from the meeting room to the practice field. He’s not a repeat offender,” the host said, recalling Jones’ praise. 

The Raiders surprised everyone by drafting Brock Bowers in the first round, even though they already had tight end Michael Mayer. Some thought it was a wasted pick, but the Raiders might have just found their next big star.

The host even hypes Bowers as a “quiet assassin,” saying he’s way ahead of the curve for a rookie. With two championship titles and a couple of Mackey awards under his belt, Bowers has proven his talent, and Kirby Smart has been promoting this talent ever since. 

Kirby Smart raves about the tight end talent Bowers

Brock Bowers was the talk of the town during this year’s NFL Draft, and all for good reason. He had an incredible college career, with 21 touchdowns and 1961 receiving yards. Now, Coach Kirby Smart will surely be a huge Bowers fan. He called him a “generational” talent while talking to CFB expert Josh Pate ahead of the 2024 NFL drafts.

“I don’t know if I’ve coached another guy quite like that. I mean, he’s just different. He’s just big, physical, fast, smart (and) no moment is too big for him. He’s gonna make somebody a really good player,” Smart said. The 6-foot-4 tall Bowers is a potent blocker who helped the team’s offense. Now, it’s going to be tough for Georgia to replace him. A junior tight end, Oscar Delp, is next in line but has big shoes to fill.

Bowers and quarterback Carson Beck were a dynamic duo last year, leading the team to a 13-1 season. It’ll be interesting to see if Georgia can find a similar connection with Delp.