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Photo by Tony Walsh // University of Georgia Sports Information Department
Top-ranked Georgia on Saturday played Charleston Southern, an obscure FCS school with fewer than 3,000 students on its campus.
The game let some young pups showcase their skills for the Dawgs. One of those players was Javon Bullard, Baldwin High Class of 2021 and a freshman defensive back in Athens. Bullard entered the game after Georgia built a nice lead and proceeded to record four solo tackles and two assisted tackles, which led all Dawg defenders.
Dawgsports.com, which is SBNation's Georgia Bulldogs site, took notice, writing:
Bullard however continued showing promise in his extended audition for a starting spot in the 2022 secondary. The freshman from Milledgeville tallied 4 solo tackles, 6 in total, and played solid pass defense as well. The Bulldog defense is going to have to replace a lot of players next season. And there’s every reason to think next year’s unit may be merely very good rather than undeniably historic. But seeing guys like Bullard, Dumas-Johnson, Lassiter, Mondon, Sorey and Chambliss leads me to believe that we may be alright.
When Bullard inked his scholarship last December, he became the first Milledgeville guy to sign with UGA out of high school in roughly 35 years. When Bullard got on the field against Clemson earlier this season, he became the first Milledgeville guy to get in a game for Georgia since J.T. Wall in 2002.
Photo by Tony Walsh // University of Georgia Sports Information Department
Bullard has appeared in every game this season with the exception of the Tennessee game, playing primarily on special teams. According to NCAA rules, a true freshman is allowed to play in four games without losing their redshirt. Bullard, however, has appeared in 10 games, which means that he'll be a sophomore next season.
Head Coach Kirby Smart answered a reporter's question last week about some of his squad's freshman players in the secondary, namely Bullard and fellow freshman Kamari Lassiter.
“(Bullard and Lassiter) have each gotten better at that, and you know, I tell them all the time I need more out of them on special teams, because that's where you kind of cut your teeth when you first get here,” the coach said. “What can I do on special teams? How can I help? And Kamari and Bullard have been really big assets on that, and we continue to work with those other guys."
