It’s hard to believe that a third of the regular season has passed for Georgia football.

With the team in the middle of an open week before returning to the field on Oct. 5 against Tennessee, there’s plenty to be excited about, especially with a win against No. 7 Notre Dame on Saturday. Hopefully, it culminates in early December — and early January — football.

But how did we get here? What key players have stood out over the first 4 games? Here’s a look at the Dawgs’ top 10 players:

10. Solomon Kindley, LG

Jake Fromm has yet to take a sack this season; you can thank players like Kindley for that. While he sustained an injury to his leg during the Notre Dame game Saturday, the junior at least will have the open week to work toward recovery, but the Bulldogs’ offensive line is much better with him shielding Fromm’s blindside.

9. Brian Herrien, TB

Key stats: 29 carries, 163 yards, 3 touchdowns

While D’Andre Swift has received the bulk of the carries at tailback, the Bulldogs certainly aren’t short on players who can fill that role. And Herrien has shown that he can be that second option, especially if the offense needs a bit of a change of pace. What Herrien provides that Swift hasn’t is some experience in the return game, where he should be afforded more opportunities this year than he was in 2018.

8. Richard LeCounte III, S

Key stats: 17 tackles, 1 pass deflection

The junior has been a key part of Georgia’s defensive backfield since becoming a full-time starter last year. He had 7 tackles and a pass breakup against Notre Dame, and even though it was a little bit of a rough night for the secondary, that shouldn’t dampen what’s been a good season for him this far.

7. Monty Rice, LB

Key stat: Team-leading 22 tackles

After starting 5 games at linebacker last year, Rice has taken the mantle of the first choice weakside LB this year and has enjoyed a pair of 7-tackle games at Vanderbilt and against Notre Dame. It would have been interesting to see how 2018 would have played out had he remained healthy, but so far, so good for the junior.

6. Tae Crowder, LB

Key stats: 17 tackles, 2.0 tackles for a loss

The rangy senior has picked up where he left off last year, when he finished with 6.0 tackles for a loss. He was dominant Saturday against Notre Dame, recording a career-best 9 tackles. It’s certainly not out of the question to think that he’ll end his final season in Athens with 10 or more TFL if he can build on a strong start.

5. Tyler Clark, DL

Key stats: 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks

A team that’s allowing so few yards on the ground needs a player like Clark to anchor the defensive line. And through 4 games, the preseason 3rd team All-SEC pick has held up his end of the bargain by being a key run-stopper and making things a little difficult for quarterbacks. That’s shown up on the stat sheet as Georgia has 12.0 sacks already after recording just 28 in 14 games last year.

4. J.R. Reed, S

Key stats: 18 tackles, 0.5 tackles for a loss, 1 interception, 3 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery

Reed is probably as good in coverage as anyone in the SEC at the safety spot. It’s no wonder why Kirby Smart called him “the human eraser” for his efforts in Saturday’s win against Notre Dame, which included a 4th-quarter interception: His adjustment on his receiver and his timing to get himself in position to make the pick shows why he earned that moniker. If you’re an SEC quarterback, throw the ball Reed’s way at your own risk.

3. Jake Fromm, QB

Key stats: 62-of-82, 788 yards, 6 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

The completion percentage (75.6) and the 0 interceptions might be the numbers that stand out the most for Fromm. You know what you’re going to get week in and week out from the junior: he’s not going to give you 4-touchdown, 400-plus passing games like others in the conference or country, but you’ll get a consistent, cool, steady effort. Not much shakes him, and that will serve him well as the Dawgs get into the meat of the conference schedule.

2. Andrew Thomas, LT

It’s tough to imagine the Georgia front 5 without the Atlanta-area junior, a preseason first-team All American and All-SEC pick who has started all but 1 game since stepping onto campus in 2017. The late stages of Sony Michel and Nick Chubb’s careers benefitted from having the big man at left tackle, and now the Dawgs’ current running corps, led by Swift, are seeing the same. Could we see an offensive lineman come off the board within the first two picks of the NFL Draft for the first time since Greg Robinson was taken second overall by the Rams in 2014 — or even first overall for the first time since Central Michigan’s Eric Fisher in 2013? Some draft boards are suggesting as much.

1. D’Andre Swift, TB

Key stats: 49 carries, 390 yards, 3 touchdowns; 6 receptions, 75 yards, 1 touchdown

Herrien is listed as co-starter at tailback alongside Swift, but the junior from Philadelphia gets the most results and headlines. He has 3 touchdowns, averages 8 yards a carry and can provide an option for Fromm in the passing game as needed.

That’s the best thing about him: There are several ways to use him, so if a team is able to take his running ability away, the staff can adapt on the fly. He probably won’t win the Heisman as several national media members predicted, but that won’t take away from what’s looking like another outstanding season to come.