Sheldon Dawson - switching gears

The sophomore from Memphis is poised to be the field corner opposite Damian Swann this fall. Before injuring his hamstring he had Georgia quarterbacks scratching their head this spring.

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Although he didn’t play much as a freshman last fall, Dawson certainly has the ability to do it. The multi-position athlete received mixed reviews from the various recruiting services, but was actually listed as the top overall prospect in Tennessee by two of them. That athleticism showed up some last season with Dawson contributing mostly on special teams, but now that he has had time to learn his role in Georgia’s defensive scheme, his playing time should expand significantly on scrimmage downs. 

As Dawson reminds us, he hasn’t locked down a starting job by any means, but a strong spring and impressive speed and coverage skills make him a player worth watching in Georgia’s secondary. 

I see a lot of similarities in Swann, who stepped in last season to fill some big shoes in the secondary, and Dawson who will try to do the same this season. Their similar in terms of size; both have the height that our defensive backs lacked for so many years under Martinez. And they both can make big plays. Of course, a lot of big plays in the secondary start with pressure up front. Hopefully our new front seven can create some opportunities for Dawson that Swann saw last season.