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ATHENS - There’s no reason why the Georgia Bulldog offense can’t be explosive in 2026.
That’s the goal. Everyone knows it.
Without his most explosive player from last season, Bulldog offensive coordinator Mike Bobo knows he needs to find weapons elsewhere.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton needs to help the offense be more explosive in the passing attack, but the Dawgs still need create big plays on the ground.
For that to happen, they’ll need two specific backs to step up big this fall. Everyone knows what the Bulldogs are getting in Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, but there are two more backs who can help the Bulldog offense be more explosive.
The obviously answer is Dwight Phillips Jr. One of the fastest players in college football, Phillips has come a long way and proved this spring that he needs more opportunities to touch the ball in the fall.
“He had a good spring”, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said about Dwight Phillips Jr after G-Day. “He was very explosive. He and Jaden (Reddell) were the two guys that were probably most explosive. I don't know if he got any bigger or not based on his size, but he's 185 pounds and he runs really hard. Dwight's one of the most prideful kids I've ever been around. I think Coach Bobo and Coach Crawford every day pointed out how much effort he played with and how much toughness he played with.”
“We’ve got to do a good job keeping him healthy, because he's not as big as our other backs, but he was the most explosive back of the spring, and he was a really big surprise,” Smart added. “It's always cool to me to see the guy that is playing hungry versus a guy that's, you know, maybe not playing hungry and just kind of getting by. He was really hungry.”
You don’t mess around with a hungry Bulldog. You feed him. Especially when he’s one of the fastest dogs in the park.
This is year three for Phillips Jr. He’s not a young pup anymore. He’s a major weapon who is now up to 185-pounds. He’s already got the speed, but if he continues to run with toughness and can also break tackles, then he clearly needs the ball more often this fall.
However, there’s only one football. Nate Frazier needs the ball. So does Bowens. Now, you can make the case Dante Dowdell also needs his touches. The Kentucky transfer shined during G-Day with runs of 28 and 27 yards. He flashed big-play ability and earned some praise from Kirby Smart after their final spring scrimmage.
“He brings energy, size and speed. He flashes with some really good toughness and had some flashy runs. You can't have enough backs in the SEC, and I thought you did a good job of the opportunities you got. He's a great kid to be around, and he's blended in that room, and works really hard.”
