Georgia will be missing injured players, but Orange Bowl opt-outs don’t appear a problem

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 2: Javon Bullard #22 of the Georgia Bulldogs lines up to tackle Roydell Williams #5 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during a game between University of Georgia and University of Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 2, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

MIAMI, Fla. — The hangar in the private section of Miami International Airport is where, two years ago, the Georgia football team arrived to begin what would become a 29-game win streak. The same area is where it arrived Tuesday for its first game since that streak ended, and even though it was less than a month ago, there were a lot of new faces, and some missing ones.

Brock Bowers was not spotted getting off the plane. It’s hardly a surprise given the tight end’s injury status and could mean the All-American has played his last game for Georgia.

Ditto for Amarius Mims, the right tackle who left the SEC championship with an injury. And ditto for about 20 players who have entered the transfer portal since the game began.

But London Humphreys, the transfer from Vanderbilt, was on the plane. So were a number of freshman early enrollees, none of whom can play in the Orange Bowl but can keep practices from seeming bare-bones.

And a number of other veterans also deplaned in Miami, even ones publicly uncertain to return next year like cornerback Kamari Lassiter, receiver Ladd McConkey and safety Javon Bullard, who offered an emphatic word on his status this week.

“Yeah I’m playing, I’m going to finish what I started,” Bullard said, not saying whether that meant the season or his college career. “I feel like it’ll hit me when it hits me.”

It’s quite the contrast between the two teams that will play on Saturday. When Florida State arrived a night earlier, coach Mike Norvell had to try to put a good spin on all the opt-outs — the top three receivers (Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson and Jaheim Bell) and leading rusher (Trey Benson), the star pass rusher (Jared Verse) and three other defensive starters. And the Seminoles will be on their third quarterback, Brock Glenn, after Tate Rodemaker announced his opt-out on Monday with the intention to transfer.

“Life is full of choices and the opportunity that we have now,” Norvell said, adding: “It’s part of the new age of college athletics.”