As the 2024 season kicks in, Georgia Bulldogs HC Kirby Smart is feeling the heat! His primary goal is to shield QB Carson Beck. Till now the HC had been counting on his two weapons linebacker Smael Modon and running back Branson Robinson as discussed on the Locked on Bulldogs podcast. But wait! It’s time for Smart to get some reality check! He is now left with only one weapon. Wondering why? Because Mondon had been put behind bars in July. However, Robinson is all ready to be the ultimate safety shield for the star QB. Now that Beck is slipping from his spot as the top contender in the Heisman race, the urgency is even more! 

Now that Beck is hauling the weight of a national title, Smart’s stress is valid at this point. In case, the QB undergoes any injury, Georgia’s dreams will fall down like a house of cards. That being said, the podcast hosts tried to focus on the weapons who would not let any injury sneak past them and give Beck a tap. According to Clint Shamblin,  “This defense ascends back up to a top three defense and this offense has zero and I mean zero holes in its game if these two players hit one Smael Mondon on defense and one Branson Robinson on offense- a linebacker and a running back.” But hold on! Robinson is all alone now. 

The linebacker Mondon was a key figure in 2023 having featured in Smart’s defense. So much so that he was projected as the starter for this year. The player with second-team All-SEC honors and logged a score of 68 tackles had been cuffed on July 11 on charges of reckless driving  for going 75 miles per hour in a 40-mile-per-hour zone. There are two other players who faced a similar fate, WR Rodarius “Rara” Thomas and OL Bo Hughley. Is Robinson up to the task of being Carson Beck’s human fortress?

Branson now makes a comeback to be Beck’s solo protector

The entire 2023 season, Robinson lost the opportunity to hit the gridiron. All thanks to his torn patellar tendon that had put him under house arrest before the 2023 season began in August. Back in 2022, the player turned heads being the 4-star RB and he did bring forward some decent action in Smart’s backfield. 

The Georgia fans’ memory is still fresh with Robinson carrying the ball 68 times for 330 yards along with it came three touchdowns. During the Bulldogs College Football Playoff national title game win against the TCU Horned Dogs, the RB soared high by scoring a pair of touchdowns. That being said Smart and the squad are all ready for Branson’s second season. At the SEC Media Days, the HC came up with a stamp of approval, “His weight is down, which I think is going to put less pressure on that injury and those knees. Looks good running around out there. I’ve been really pleased with the way he’s looked.” 

It took Branson 12 months after his leg injury to receive a clean chit to practice without limitations. On the other hand, it would not be possible for Beck himself to secure glory in the Heisman race as Smart highlighted “load management is critical.” Will Branson be up to the challenge of being Beck’s solo shield while Mondon’s off duty? Let your opinion pour in!