Georgia’s talent drain since last season was on full display at the NFL Scouting Combine and will get plenty of publicity in the upcoming NFL Draft. However, the G-Day game this Saturay will turn the page to the next wave of talent coming through Sanford Stadium.

This will be the first full display of the change in leadership, and other new wrinkles that show the next chapter for the Bulldogs as they move away from the household names who wrote the story of the 2021 national championship season.

While some players are out this spring because of injuries, most notably Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington, there are plenty of others to make this year’s spring game intriguing.

Here are 5 players I can’t wait to watch in Saturday’s spring game:

Arik Gilbert

The Marietta, Georgia native has had one of the more tumultuous college careers in recent memory. He flashed on the scene as an LSU freshman 2 years ago, and after a brief commitment to Florida, Gilbert has been seen during Georgia’s spring practice. Gilbert missed last season because of personal reasons but appears to be a full go at this point. Interestingly, one of the biggest talking points for Gilbert this spring is whether he’ll a wide receiver or a tight end come fall. Obviously, the Bulldogs have no shortage of talent at tight end and are relatively young and thin at wide receiver. A member of the Freshman All-SEC team, Gilbert 2 years ago started all 8 games in which he played, and caught 35 passes 368 yards and 2 TDs. Gilbert also used 24 of his 35 catches to convert a first down or a touchdown, and of those 24, 11 came on 3rd or 4th down.

Carson Beck

With all the chatter about Beck getting the first-team reps early in the spring, and Kirby Smart pushing Stetson Bennett before praising him as playing some of the best football of his career, Beck’s performance will be interesting. While Brock Vandagriff is in the mix as a backup, Beck is a year ahead of him in experience on campus and has the potential to be the starting QB eventually.

Will Beck move into the JT Daniels-type role where some of the fan base supports him if Bennett experiences a hiccup? Or will Beck, or Vandagriff, develop any sort of chemistry with the young receivers as Georgia searches for the next impact connection in the passing game?

Jalen Carter

The next in line to be a star defensive lineman at Georgia, Carter is looking to build on a strong 2021 season, and the coaching staff is looking for him to reach that next level in development. Smart has already referred to Carter following in the footsteps of Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt. The key will be to getting in shape to stay on the field for more snaps, and have more stamina to play with a high motor for longer. Carter was somewhat overshadowed last season by Jordan Davis, but this is his time to shine as a talented and experienced player on the defensive line.

Malaki Starks

One of the more celebrated members of the most recent recruiting class, Starks is expected to step into the kind of role Richard LeCounte once held in the secondary. Given the turnover in the secondary, Starks has a chance to make an early contribution as long as he digests the playbook and speed of the college game. A high-end 5-star is always intriguing, and he was the 2nd-highest rated recruit of the 2022 class, so waiting on his production will be closely watched.

Mykel Williams

The highest-rated recruit in this most recent class, Williams is poised to take advantage of the attrition on the defensive line, and Smart has already pumped the brakes on comparisons to Travon Walker. Williams is still raw enough to have to learn basic techniques at the college level. While he is pegged as a pass rusher, Williams has the frame to move inside — once he adds to the 260-pound frame and moves closer to Walker’s 275 pounds.