UGA Football's Javon Bullard is More than His Bone-Jarring Hit on Marvin Harrison
ATHENS - In what is becoming an annual tradition, UGA football must replace key defensive players because of the NFL Draft.
Five positions, including two in the secondary, are up for grabs going into fall practice. One position that appears to be locked down, however, is the safety spot opposite Malaki Starks. And the guy that will fill that position is Javon Bullard.
Bullard is a 5’10, 180-pound junior from Milledgeville who started ten games last season at star. He tallied 46 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks during the 2022 championship season, and was the College Football Playoff Championship Game Defensive Most Valuable Player where he collected two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Those are impressive numbers from a player who didn’t begin the season as a starter and who also had to miss the Missouri game due to discipline issues stemming from a DUI arrest.
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Going into the 2023 season, Bullard’s ascension to the starting lineup alongside Starks could give the Dawgs the most fearsome safety combination in all of college football. Replacing the departed Chris Smith, Bullard brings physicality, instinct, and range to the third level of the defense. What’s truly interesting about Bullard is he came out of high school as a 3-star recruit and the 634th ranked player nationally. On a defense that is stacked with 4 and 5-star players, Bullard embodies the relentless recruiting approach that is consistently on display in Athens. Kirby Smart and crew saw something in Bullard they felt would be value added to this program and they have been proven right yet again.
Bullard found his way onto the field despite having a former All-American in Tykee Smith in the same defensive back room. He wasn’t a player anyone saw as a key contributor coming into the 2022 season. However, he has shown he has great playmaking skills as evidenced in his three-turnover game against TCU despite only playing 23 snaps, leaving the championship contest with a minor shoulder injury.
Bullard is perhaps best known for his bone-jarring hit on Marvin Harrison, Jr. in the Peach Bowl. That play saved a touchdown but also showed his toughness and willingness to do what was necessary to make a play despite his smaller stature at the safety position. He played well in coverage all season long as the star and his presence as a strong safety starter this season could prove to be a key in Georgia’s pursuit for an unprecedented third consecutive CFP title.
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