As the semester comes to a close, students are ready to take their report cards and either post them proudly on the fridge or shred them into a million pieces. 

After Georgia’s 11-2 season led to a second consecutive Sugar Bowl berth, The Red & Black compiled a final report card for each position group by averaging the grades we gave after each game:

Quarterback

Junior Jake Fromm threw for 2,610 yards and 22 touchdowns in Georgia’s 13 games, but he also threw five interceptions. Fromm was atop the conference leaderboards in completion percentage throughout the early stages of the season. He finished with a completion percentage of 60.3%, sixth in the SEC. On the brightest stages, Fromm’s performance was lousy. Three of his interceptions came in the loss to South Carolina, and the other two were against LSU in the SEC championship game. Now Fromm has a decision to make: forgo his senior year and enter the NFL Draft or return to Athens for another chance at a title? 

Grade: B-

Running backs

D’Andre Swift was the one bright spot for the Bulldogs’ offense this year. He ran for 1,216 yards, marking his second consecutive year with more than 1,000 rushing yards. Swift’s shoulder injury in the SEC championship game limited him to two carries, which was a factor in Georgia’s 37-10 loss. Outside of Swift, Georgia had five running backs — Brian Herrien, Zamir White, James Cook and Kenny McIntosh  — who gained more than 100 rushing yards. But none of Swift’s backups reached the 500-yard threshold. 

Grade: B

Receivers

Georgia’s receivers had the most to prove entering the 2019 season. After a tough year, there may be more questions circling the group than answers. Graduate transfer Lawrence Cager shined as the lifeline of Georgia’s offense. Before a season-ending injury, he led the Bulldogs in receiving yards. Freshman George Pickens gave some glimmers of hope, but his youth was on display against Georgia Tech when he was ejected for a fight. Dominick Blaylock and Demetris Robertson were used sparingly, and senior Tyler Simmons quietly wrapped his career as a Bulldog. None of the tight ends were unable to make a significant difference in the passing game. Outside Cager and perhaps Pickens, the pass catchers had a pedestrian year. And it showed when Georgia couldn’t rely on the group when it needed it most. 

Grade: B 

Offensive line

The offensive line entered the year heralded as one of college football’s best units but took some flak at the beginning of the season, particularly after a weak performance against South Carolina on Oct. 12. The narrative turned around when it kept Auburn’s stout defensive line in check on Nov. 16. Left tackle Andrew Thomas and right tackle Isaiah Wilson were the mainstays while the interior linemen were shuffled due to injuries and coaching decisions. Against LSU in the SEC championship game, none of them could get the job done, giving up three sacks. And now the group’s most important figure is gone. Offensive line coach Sam Pittman accepted the head coaching job at Arkansas on Dec. 8.

Grade: B

Front seven

Entering the year, Kirby Smart’s top defensive goal was to create more havoc. Georgia answered the call, and its front seven was ruthless. Led by linebacker and leading tackler Monty Rice, the run defense was the best in the SEC and No. 3 in the nation. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari made his presence known as a pass rusher, compiling 4 1/2 sacks during the year. It took 39 quarters and two overtime periods for the Bulldogs to finally allow a rushing touchdown. The season ended on a sour note when the front seven couldn’t effectively pressure LSU quarterback Joe Burrow in the SEC championship game.

Grade: A-

Secondary

Georgia’s pass defense wasn’t nearly as impressive as its run defense. Georgia was tied for last in the SEC with six interceptions. J.R. Reed, Richard LeCounte and Eric Stokes generally did a good job of covering their opponents, but the Bulldogs had a weak spot on one side of the field where they used D.J. Daniel and Tyson Campbell. Georgia was exposed in games against Murray State, who had a 60-yard touchdown, and LSU, who had a 71-yard pass and 349 total passing yards. 

Grade: B

Special teams

Rodrigo Blankenship had an up-and-down season, finishing 25-for-31 on field goals. While Blankenship was not automatic in losses to South Carolina and LSU, it was an accolade-filled year for the kicker. He won the Lou Groza Award after accounting for 119 points, the second most of any kicker in the SEC. Punter Jake Camarda had some games where he lived up to his highly-touted arrival and others where he shanked punts. He followed an upward trend in 2019 after a rough game against Notre Dame. 

Grade: B+

Printed with permission from The Red & Black independent student media organization based in Athens, Georgia; redandblack.com/sports