Georgia freshman Brock Bowers goes small town to big time in Orange Bowl

MIAMI - This season, the Georgia Bulldogs run 48% of their offense from two or three tight end sets, and in a season where injuries took a toll on their wide receivers, freshman tight end Brock Bowers emerged as their leading receiver and a second-team All-American.

"Typically, nowadays, the tight ends that you recruit, four- and five-star type tight ends, are big receivers with great ball skills," ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Todd Blackledge said.

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The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Bowers fits that mold. He has 47 catches for 791 yards (third in the nation among tight ends) and 11 touchdowns (second among tight ends).

The Northern California native caught the Georgia coaching staff’s attention even before he officially signed by sending them videos of himself running hills in the Napa Valley during the pandemic shutdowns in 2020.

"We knew he had the run-after-catch ability," Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. "They used him in the backfield out of high school, but he’s got a little more range than we thought and he’s continued to develop as a route runner."

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 04: Brock Bowers #19 of the Georgia Bulldogs is tackled by Josh Jobe #28 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the third quarter of the SEC Championship game against the at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 04, 2021 in Atlant

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"First time in his office, [Kirby Smart] was like, 'you're from California, how serious are you about Georgia?' I was like, 'uhh, my goodness.' Brock said, 'I'm real serious," Brock's mother told FOX 5.

One of the things that drew Bowers to Georgia was the small-town feel. 

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The Associated Press contributed to this report