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Georgia Bulldogs: Don’t Sleep On These 3 Players!

By John Buhler

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The Georgia Bulldogs look to have another promising season of football Between the Hedges in 2015.  Mark Richt’s team has SEC Championship and College Football Playoff aspirations heading into the fall.

While a few marquee players for the Dawgs will certainly steal the headlines for UGA this season, there are always great players on the team that don’t get the recognition they rightfully deserve.  Here are three Georgia Bulldogs that could make a big impact for UGA this fall that we’re just not talking about enough.

-= Related: UGA’s Top 5 Players Heading Into 2015 =-

Nov 29, 2014; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; UAB Blazers linebacker Jake Ganus (4) celebrates after sacking Southern Miss Golden Eagles quarterback Nick Mullens (9) in the second half at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

ILB Jake Ganus

Jake comes to Georgia after a three-year stint at UAB.  Though the Blazers’ football program will return in the not so distant future, Ganus will play his senior season in the SEC for the Dawgs.  Jake was a tackling machine for UAB the last three seasons (226 total tackles and 28 for a loss of yardage in 3 seasons with the Blazers).

Ganus looks to start at one of the inside linebacker positions vacated by Ramik Wilson of the Kansas City Chiefs or Amarlo Herrera of the Indianapolis Colts.  Jake led the Blazers’ defense in 2014 and had UAB’s program not temporarily ceased operations, the UAB Blazers would have played in their second bowl game as a program.

So the Georgia Bulldogs are getting a starter-level replacement at inside linebacker out of Ganus this fall. He could really bring a great deal of leadership to a position that is in a bit of transition in 2015.  I expect big things from Jake this fall as he is not only playing for the Dawgs this fall, he’s also playing in spirit for the UAB Blazers.

LB Tim Kimbrough

I’ve loved watching Tim Kimbrough ring return men’s bells on special teams.  He strikes ball carriers with authority and gets me out of me seat when he makes a big hit.  Though Tim was primarily a special teams player his first two years in Athens, I believe that he can make an impact in the linebacker rotation this fall.

Like with Jake Ganus, Tim can compete for either inside linebacker job vacated by Herrera and Wilson.  He progressed nicely from Year One to Year Two with the Georgia Bulldogs increasing his total tackles from 5 to 32.  With more playing time likely coming in 2015, expect Tim Kimbrough to make plays both on defense and special teams this season.

RB Keith Marshall

What if this guy lives up to the promise of a Top 5 recruit this season?  Georgia has three five-star tailbacks on its roster and Keith Marshall is one of the them.  Suppose he stays healthy in 2015 and rushes for 750 yards and 5 scores this fall.  What other programs could say that they could get that kind of production out of their 3rd string TB?

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The ever-fragile Keith Marshall is likely behind Sony Michel and obviously behind Nick Chubb on the Georgia Bulldogs RB depth chart. But UGA plans to run the ball a ton for new OC Brian Schottenheimer.  Just because Keith Marshall hasn’t factored into UGA’s offense the last two seasons doesn’t mean that he can’t return to freshman year form in 2015.  Or at least, let’s hope he does.

Next: Brian Schottenheimer: Which Dawgs Star in his Offense?

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