MOBILE, Ala. – Georgia has five players and Georgia Tech has one on the rosters for the American and National teams in Saturday’s Senior Bowl, which will be played at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama.
The final rosters were released Monday in advance of three days of practice (Tuesday-Thursday) for the college all-star football game, a long-time showcase for NFL draft-eligible players.
“This year’s roster, we’re really excited about it,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said on Monday. “I do feel like it’s our best roster. It should be. We can bring juniors now. It should be our best roster. We had very little buy-in from the juniors last year. All 10 first-rounders were seniors. I don’t think that’s going to be the case this year. If you look at the (defensive) linemen alone, I guess in the (offensive) line group as well, there is a lot of potential first-round guys in both of those groups.”
Running back Trevor Etienne, wide receiver Arian Smith, safety Dan Jackson, linebacker Smael Mondon and defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins are the former Bulldogs on the roster along with former Georgia Tech player Jackson Hawes.
Two other players from Georgia – linemen Tate Ratledge and Jared Willson -- previously accepted invitations, but were not on the final rosters.
“If they are not on the roster, for whatever reason, they are not here,” Nagy said. “I won’t get into specifics about any of that stuff.”
The defensive line group, an area of particular interest for the Falcons, will be heavily scouted.
“The two positions of strength in the draft and I think on these rosters are running back and defensive line,” Nagy said. “I think those are unusually strong groups.”
The Falcons drafted three defensive lineman last season.
The Senior Bowl created a spot for Etienne.
“We were going back and forth with Georgia’s staff,” Nagy said. “They were telling us he wasn’t coming out. So, we went to our limit. We had 12 running backs (and then) Etienne comes out. We were not going to bring Trevor Etienne if wanted to come. We added a 13th running back. It’s a great group. It’s dynamic.”
There’s usually a defensive standout flying under the radar, too.
“I love (cornerback) Upton Stout from Western Kentucky,” Nagy said. “He’s just an easy guy to like. You put on the tape and he’s just super urgent. He’s flying around.”
Here’s a look at the Georgia players and the Georgia Tech representative (height, weight, other measurements recorded at Senior Bowl):
Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia, 5-foot-8, 202 pounds: He spent his first two seasons at Florida before transferring to Georgia for the 2024 season. He rushed 122 times for 609 yards and nine touchdowns for the Bulldogs. He rushed 371 times for 2,081 yards and 23 touchdowns over his career. He’s a dependable pass-catcher. He caught 62 of 63 targets over his career for 432 yards and a touchdown. He missed some time last season with a rib injury.
Arian Smith, WR, Georgia, 6-0, 185: He played in 47 games for the Bulldogs. He caught 68 passes for 1,356 yards (19.9 yard per catch) and 10 touchdowns. His injury history will scare off some teams. He was credited with 10 dropped passes heading into the Sugar Bowl by pro football focus.
Dan Jackson, DB, Georgia, 5-11, 194: He was a walk-on at Georgia after playing at North Hall High. He made two big plays in Georgia’s 44-42 eight-overtime win over Georgia Tech last season. Against the Yellow Jackets, Jackson made the late-fourth-quarter hit on quarterback Haynes King that caused a fumble. In overtime, Jackson’s sack of King led to one of the seven scoreless periods for Tech in extra time. He was a Coaches’ All-SEC third-team pick last season. He made 12 starts and played in 13 games.
Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia, 6-2 3/8, 229: The former Paulding County High standout was a five star recruit. Played early in his career. He played in 51 games and had 212 tackles and 18 tackles for losses. He also showed some pass-rush ability with eight sacks.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DL, Georgia, 6-4, 276: Played in 37 games for the Bulldogs over four seasons. He played mostly in reserve and rotational roles. He made three tackles, including two for a combined loss of eight yards in the SEC opener win over Kentucky to earn SEC defensive lineman of the week award last season.
Jackson Hawes, TE, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 252, 79-inch wing span: The Yale (2019-2023) transfer was used primarily as a blocking tight end. He’s a ferocious blocker and was used as a puller at times. He’s a power player with limited pass catching skills. He did catch 35 passes for 371 yards and six touchdowns at Yale.
Accepted invitations, but are not on the rosters released on Monday:
Tate Ratledge, OG, Georgia, 6-6, 320: Played in 38 games over his career, including 10 last season. He was named Associated Press All-America third-team and Associated Press and Coaches first-team All-SEC. He was suffered knee and ankle injuries in conference opener against Kentucky and missed the next four games before returning to action against Florida.
Jared Wilson, C, Georgia, 6-3, 310: He played in 34 career games for the Bulldogs over the past four seasons. He was a two-year starter. He was named to the Coaches’ second-team All-SEC team. In 2023, he played in 13 of 14 games and was part of the unit that ranked first in the SEC and seventh nationally in sacks allowed (0.93). He helped Georgia’s offense finish second in the SEC and fifth in the nation in total offense (496.5), offensive passing efficiency (168.21) and scoring offense (40.1).
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