Three Georgia players make FWAA All-American team
The Football Writers Association of America announced its 2022 All-American team on Friday, a group that included three Georgia players on the first team. Sophomore tight end Brock Bowers is the lone offensive representative and he’s joined by junior defensive tackle Jalen Carter and super-senior safety Christopher Smith on the other side of the ball.
Bowers, who won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end on Thursday, is Georgia’s leading receiver in 2022 with 52 receptions for 726 yards and six touchdowns. He also had six rushes for 93 yards and three scores.
The Napa, Calif. native is also a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection and, like Carter and Smith, he is a first-team All-American according to the Walter Camp Foundation. Bowers didn’t win any more individual honors this postseason but he was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award (top receiver) and Rotary Lombardi Award (best line-of-scrimmage player).
Carter missed or was limited for a significant portion of the 2022 season. He suffered a sprained ankle on the first play of the Oregon game and went on to play approximately 30 snaps over the next four weeks. He then suffered a knee injury against Missouri that kept him out for two weeks.
Since returning to action he has racked up seven tackles for loss and three sacks in just six games. He has been a force for the Bulldogs, playing both inside and as a defensive end. Carter also has 29 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and several other hits on the quarterback.
Smith made a major impact in Georgia’s season opener and hasn’t slowed down since. The Hapeville Charter product ranks No. 4 on the team in tackles with 50 total. He also has five tackles for loss, his first career sack, three interceptions, and a blocked field goal recovery that he took 96 yards for a touchdown in the SEC Championship game vs. LSU.
These three Bulldogs, along with the help of Heisman Trophy candidate Stetson Bennett and a number of other leaders, have helped Georgia to a 13-0 record for the first time in school history. UGA has won 27 of 28 games over the past two seasons and 31 of 32 if you go back to the four-game win streak that ended the 2020 season.
Kirby Smart’s crew is the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. It will take on No. 4 Ohio State in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on December 31. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
