UGA Football News
Jack Podlesny, Kirby Smart earn SEC individual honors
UGA football senior place-kicker Jack Podlesny and head coach Kirby Smart have earned SEC individual honors for the 2022 season, the league announced on Wednesday.
Podlesny has been named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, while head coach Kirby Smart has been named the SEC Coach of the Year.
Jack Podlesny leads the SEC this season in field goal percentage at 88.5 after connecting on 23 of 26 attempts. He has also converted on all 61 of his point after attempts. On kickoffs, 73 of Podlesny’s 91 attempts have resulted in either a touchback or fair catch.
Head coach Kirby Smart was named SEC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading the Bulldogs to a 12-0 regular-season record followed by a win over LSU in the 2022 SEC Championship Game and the top seed in the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Below is the complete list of SEC individual football awards for the 2022 season:
2022 SEC Football Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Year
Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
Special Teams Player of the Year
Jack Podlesny, Georgia
Freshman of the Year
Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Austin Williams, Mississippi State
Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas
Coach of the Year
Kirby Smart, Georgia
The Georgia Bulldogs are scheduled to face the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The game will be televised by ESPN at 8:00pm ET.