There is still so much to play for this season — Georgia Tech, Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, maybe a Playoff spot or, at the very least, a great bowl game — that there’s no reason to start talking about the future.

But after re-watching Saturday’s 66-27 win over UMass, one thought continued to run through my head: These true freshmen at Georgia are really, really good.

The expected blowout of the Minutemen meant that everyone got to play a lot. And the headline acts in Georgia’s No. 1-ranked 2018 recruiting class were all over the field making an impact. As I watched and watched, one word kept popping out.

Wow.

We know all the names, of course. That’s what happens when you win the recruiting war with a class that including seven 5-star recruits, a first at Georgia. The class is headlined by quarterback Justin Fields, but there’s so much more to it than that.

It’s a good place to start, though. Fields hasn’t seen much playing time during Georgia’s gauntlet of four consecutive games against ranked opponents, so it was good to see him finally running around again Saturday. He’s really special, with both his feet and his arm. He ran for 100, and threw for 121 more. He got a good dose of action, which helps now and certainly will help even more down the road.

We know he’s a wonderful runner, but what we’ve been waiting to see is more of him throwing the ball. His 57-yard scoring strike to Mecole Hardman was a thing of beauty.

There’s much more to this class, and it’s been fun watching them grow into their college careers. Offensive lineman Cade Mays and defensive lineman Brenton Cox have filled in admirably along the lines, being versatile and contributing in big ways as the Bulldogs fight through injuries on both sides of the ball. Mays has been very good, getting snaps at tackle and guard. Cox has shown some things, though he’s been injured.

A few guys are learning under fire. Cornerback Tyson Campbell was the first of the true freshman to earn a starting spot, and even though the potential there is obvious, he’s struggled here and there all year, mostly with miscommunication and read mistakes. Still, he has made a lot of big plays already and is only going to get better. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be a first-round pick in the 2021 draft.

Center Trey Hill has been on a similar learning curve. He’s had to fill in for the injured Lamond Gaillard a few times, and there have been moments where he’s been overwhelmed. But, like Campbell, he’s also been great at times and has a bright future.

My favorite in this class just might be James Cook, the speedy running back. It seems like every time he touches the ball, he does something special. He ran the ball three times Saturday and had 76 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also caught a pass. All four plays  went for more than 20 yards, which is impactful to say the least.

These guys will all make a difference at some point this year still, but down the road, the Bulldogs are in good hands.