The Top 25 Greatest Players in Georgia Bulldogs Football History

The Kirby Smart era at Georgia is producing the most success the program has ever seen, but the Bulldogs have been a force in the SEC for decades.

Recent years have seen Nick Chubb, Roquan Smith, Stetson Bennett and several more advance to see considerable success in the NFL. Years past paint a similar picture, years that produced Heisman winners, national champions and multiple Super Bowl victors.

Thousands upon thousands of football players have come through the Georgia football program since its first season all the way back in 1892. On this page, we’ll try to pick 25 of the greatest players to ever wear a Bulldogs uniform from Year 1 to entering Year 122.

For further clarity: This list will not exclusively highlight the most talented Georgia football players across the years. Instead, the criteria for these rankings include overall talent, accomplishments at Georgia and NFL success.

Top 25 Georgia Bulldogs Football Players

25. Rodrigo Blankenship, K

I’ll make a few people angry right off the bat. Rodrigo Blankenship is the most accurate kicker in Georgia history, though current Bulldogs kicker Peyton Woodring is making a claim on that title entering 2025.

Blankenship kicked for Georgia from 2016-2019 and is the only Bulldogs kicker in history to make 200 extra point attempts. Even better? He never, not once, missed an extra point for Georgia, finishing a perfect 200-for-200.

When he left Georgia in 2019, Blankenship had hit 82.5% of his 97 field goal attempts for the Bulldogs. Despite kicking 13 less field goals than Billy Bennett and 6 less than Blair Walsh, Blankenship is Georgia’s all-time points leader at 440. That total of 440 ranks 3rd across the entire SEC, too.

24. Aaron Murray, QB

Aaron Murray ranks 2nd behind only Will Rogers for the most completions by an SEC quarterback all-time. Murray and Rogers are the only 2 quarterbacks in SEC history to total 900 completions. (This page is not about Mississippi State or Rogers, but it’s worth noting he leads Murray by just under 400 completions at 1301.)

Obviously, that means Murray possesses the most completions in Georgia history. He was especially great in 2012, when he helped lead the Bulldogs to a 12-2 record with a Capital One Bowl victory. Murray tossed for 3,896 yards, 36 touchdowns and 10 interceptions that season at 10.1 yards per attempt.

Murray didn’t go on to see success in the NFL, but he’s well within the top 5 for the top Georgia quarterbacks ever.

23. Eric Zeier, QB

And just ahead of Murray on that QB list is Eric Zeier, who was slightly more consistent than Murray across his 4 years in Athens.

Before Stafford, Murray and Stetson Bennett, there was Zeier, who broke just about every Georgia record in the book. For starters, Zeier won SEC Freshman of the Year in 1991 and continued to shine as a 3-time All-American in 1992, 1993 and 1994. He set a grand total of 67 Georgia record and 18 SEC records and became just the third DI college football player ever to throw for career 11,000 passing yards.

In 1994 Zeier was named a First-Team All-American at the helm of a bad Georgia team, one that finished the year 6-4-1.

22. Terrence Edwards, WR

Terrence Edwards played 4 seasons at Georgia and was a force every single year. His consistency put him at the top of the all-time Georgia receiving list, the only Bulldog in school history to hit the 3,000 yards mark as a receiver (3,093).

Edwards’ best season was his final season in 2002. He totaled 1,004 yards with 11 touchdowns as the favorite receiver for QB David Greene. The Bulldogs finished that season 13-1, perhaps the best year of the Mark Richt era.

The reason Edwards isn’t higher on the list is his performance after Georgia. Edwards did not see legitimate time in the NFL, instead spending 9 seasons in the CFL after a brief stint with the Falcons.

21. Theron Sapp, HB

Theron Sapp has the honor of owning one of 4 numbers retired by the Georgia Bulldogs program, joining 3 other players on this list.

Also known as “Drought-Breaker”, Sapp is best known for his heroics during the 1957 matchup between the Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, which had won the previous 8 contests. Sapp, who played both sides of the field, recovered a fumble then willed his team down the field, scoring the game-winning touchdown.

Sapp is also the first member of this list (so far) to see some real success in the NFL as well. Drafted by the Eagles, Sapp won an NFL Championship with Philadelphia in 1960.

20. Matt Stinchcomb, OL

Matt Stinchcomb is the first member of the College Football Hall of Fame on this list, and is perhaps the best offensive lineman in Georgia football history.

Stinchcomb had 2 First-Team All-American seasons at Georgia and was named as a consensus All-American in 1998. He won the Draddy Trophy, Jim Parker Trophy and Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the 1998 season, too.

Stinchcomb was drafted in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft to Tampa Bay and went on to have a 7-year NFL career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018. Matt’s brother, Jon, was also an All-American offensive lineman for the Dawgs.

19. Bill Stanfill, DE

Bill Stanfill won the Outland Trophy in 1968, the same season he was named a consensus All-American and First-Team All-SEC member. The dynamic defensive end out of Albany, Georgia terrorized opposing offenses and helped lead the Bulldogs to 26-6-2 across his 3 seasons in Athens.

The mark of a truly great player, Stanfill got even better once he arrived in the NFL. Stanfill was selected in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins and went on to win a pair of Super Bowls and appear in 5 Pro Bowls. He was the NFL sacks leader in 1973 and, of course, was a member of the famous 1972 Dolphins squad that finished the season undefeated, the only team in NFL history to do so.

Stanfill was made a member of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

18. Roquan Smith, LB

Roquan Smith is one of the best active players out of Georgia. His 2017 season at Georgia is one of the best defensive seasons in school history and won him SEC Defensive Player of the Year as well as the Butkus Award. Smith was also named the MVP for the SEC Championship game, where Georgia beat Auburn.

That success continued into the NFL with the Chicago Bears, who took him at No. 8 overall in 2018.

17. Terry Hoage, S

Terry Hoage won a national championship in 1980, was named a consensus All-American in 1982 and 1983 and was named the SEC Male Athlete of the Year his senior season. He went on to see success in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Redskins in 1991, though he appeared in just 6 games.

Hoage’s best season – NCAA and NFL – came in 1983 with the Bulldogs. He finished 5th in Heisman voting and was named a consensus All-American. Later, Bulldogs head coach Vince Dooley said Hoage was “the best defensive player I’ve ever coached.”

Hoage was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

16. Garrison Hearst, RB

Georgia has a long, long list of elite running backs across its history. We’ll get to several more on this list. Hearst, the 1992 SEC Player of the Year, was definitely among the greatest.

Hearst starred for Georgia from 1990-1992 and went on to play 12 years in the NFL with the Cardinals, Bengals, 49ers and Broncos. His best year in college came in 1992, when he rushed for 1,547 yards and 19 touchdowns with 324 receiving yards alongside 2 receiving touchdowns. Garrison was a touchdown machine for the ’92 Bulldogs, a team that finished the season 10-2 with a Citrus Bowl win over Ohio State.

Hearst suffered a devastating ankle injury in 1999 that led to Avascular Necrosis following surgery, a condition no NFL player had ever seen the field with. Instead of giving up, Hearst fought to get back to the field, rushed for over 1,200 yards in 2001 and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year by a landslide.

15. AJ Green, WR

AJ Green posted 3 consistently great years at Georgie from 2008-2010 and is one of the most purely talented players on this list. That talent shone through in the NFL, where Green posted 7 Pro Bowl appearances and achieved First-Team All-Pro status in 2012 and 2013. He was consistently one of the best receivers in the league during the early-to-mid 2010s.

As you can imagine, and as many Georgia fans can attest to, Green was a monster at Georgia. He wasted no time his freshman year, totaling 963 yards and 8 touchdowns to secure 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year.

14. Thomas Davis, LB

Thomas Davis isn’t the best in Georgia history in any particular category. He was, however, consistently good for both Georgia and the Carolina Panthers in the NFL.

On top of that, Davis is a class act on and off the field. He won the 2014 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his work with the Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation, started by him and his wife.

Davis finished his NFL career as a 3-time Pro Bowler. Across his time in the NFL Davis had to overcome 3 ACL tears, keeping his career from being even more impressive.

13. Todd Gurley, RB

Todd Gurley’s career at Georgia was truly remarkable, perhaps 2nd best among Bulldogs running backs all-time. The stats don’t show that thanks to a knee injury he suffered during his junior season against Auburn.

Gurley’s numbers are truly off the charts. As a freshman he rushed for 1,385 yards and 17 touchdowns. And despite only appearing in 10 games, he rushed for 989 yards and 10 touchdowns his sophomore season. Finally, Gurley suffered the previously mentioned knee injury in 2014 – and he still managed to rush for 911 yards across just 6 appearances.

Gurley had a fantastic first 4 years in the NFL before fizzling out towards the latter part of his career. He rushed for 1,000+ yards in 3 of his first 4 NFL seasons and made 3 pro bowl appearances.

12. Richard Seymour, DE

Seymour played 4 seasons with Georgia, starting 25 games with 223 total tackles and 9.5 sacks, most of which came in 1999 as a junior.

Like some other players on this list, Seymour’s best years came in the NFL. Seymour won 3 Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and was named a first-team All-Pro from 2003-2005. He made 7 Pro Bowl appearances and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Seymour totaled 57.5 sacks across his 12 seasons in the NFL.

11. Terrell Davis, RB

Another one of those elite running backs we’ve mentioned. Davis played on that same 1992 team that Hearst did as the former’s backup before going on to post 2 solid years in 1993 and 1994.

Then Davis hit the NFL and became one of the greatest running backs in football history. Davis helped lead the Denver Broncos to a pair of Super Bowl titles in 1997 and 1998 as the great John Elway’s primary back. Davis won Super Bowl XXXII MVP as well as 1998 NFL MVP. He’s one of 9 members of the 2,000 yards club thanks to his 1998 season when he rushed for 2,008 yards.

Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

10. Jake Scott, S

Jake Scott’s accolades list is lengthy. He’s a 2-time Super Bowl winner, Super Bowl VII MVP, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Georgia’s all-time interceptions leader, a 5-time Pro Bowler and the 1968 SEC Player of the Year. Exhale.

Scott is still one of the greatest playmakers the safety position has ever seen. He made at least 3 interceptions every single year during his career, averaging about 5 interceptions per season from 1970-1978. Had he stayed in the NFL longer, he’d be among the top of the list for NFL career interceptions leaders.

9. Hines Ward, WR

Hines Ward was a threat out of the backfield and as a receiver during his 4 years at Georgia from 1994-1997. He ranks within the top 10 in total receptions among Georgia receivers with 144.

Ward’s willingness to block, paired with his gifts as a receiver, made him a fantastic player in the NFL. He was widely considered to be the best blocking receiver in the league for several years and won 2 Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also named Super Bowl XL MVP.

Ward spent his entire NFL career with Pittsburgh and made 4 Pro Bowl appearances.

8. David Pollack, LB

David Pollack was the 2002 and 2004 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, the winner of the Lott trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Recently known for his contributions to ESPN and College GameDay, Pollack has stayed around the game of football even after struggling to make a career in the NFL due to injury. He was a first-round draft pick by Cincinnati and spent 3 seasons with the Bengals. In his second season Pollack suffered what would become a career-ending neck injury.

7. Fran Tarkenton, QB

Fran Tarkenton was way ahead of his time. His nickname – The Scrambler – was quite appropriate, as he was best known for his pocket presence and ability to make something out of nothing with his legs. Not to mention, he was a great passer with a cannon for an arm.

Before he starred in the NFL, Tarkenton cemented himself as one of the best QBs in Bulldogs history. He was a 2-time First-Team All-SEC selection and won Orange Bowl MVP in 1960. He’s a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames.

And while he didn’t run too much in college, he wasn’t afraid to scramble in the NFL. Across his career Tarkenton rushed for 3674 yards and 32 touchdowns while passing for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns. And remember, he did all this in the 60s and 70s – when a QB running the football was just a few steps removed from witchcraft.

Tarkenton led the Vikings to the Super Bowl 3 times but couldn’t quite come away with a ring.

6. Matthew Stafford, QB

Another great Bulldogs QB. Stafford starred at Georgia from 2006-2008 and was a First-Team All-American selection in 2008.

Unfortunately for Stafford he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2009, shortly after the worst season in NFL history when Detroit finished 0-16. And despite throwing for 40,000+ yards for 7 straight seasons from 2011-2017, Stafford never once won a playoff matchup in Detroit.

Stafford finally got out of Detroit in 2020 and, immediately won the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021. He’s thrown for just shy of 60,000 yards across his 16 years in the NFL, which sits at 10th in NFL history.

5. Stetson Bennett IV, QB

Most talented Georgia football player in history? Well, probably not. But don’t underestimate him like everyone else did in the early 2020s: Stetson Bennett IV is absolutely one of the 10 greatest Georgia Bulldogs ever.

Bennett was the catalyst for Georgia’s back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022, and he did it after starting out as a walk-on. He finished 4th in Heisman voting in 2022 just before winning the national title, a year where he threw for 4,128 yards, 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

Bennett currently serves as backup to fellow Bulldogs great Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles.

4. Frank Sinkwich, HB

Frank Sinkwich is one of just 2 Georgia Bulldogs to win the Heisman Trophy. He was also the first Heisman trophy winner in school history, leading Georgia to their 1942 national championship under Wally Butts.

A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Sinkwich was named to the First-Team All-SEC squad 3 times, and also considered a unanimous All-American in 1942. Sinkwich’s No. 21 is one of 4 retired numbers at Georgia.

3. Nick Chubb, RB

Nick Chubb’s story is still being written, but it’s been nothing but success so far for the former Georgia running back.

Chubb rushed for 4,769 yards at Georgia, which ranks 2nd behind only Herschel Walker across Bulldogs history. He was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014.

What’s even more impressive? He had a legitimate shot at beating Walker’s record had he not suffered a brutal knee injury against Tennessee his sophomore year. Chubb was averaging an incredible 8.1 yards per rush before suffering that injury just 6 games into the 2015 season. Had he totaled just 500 more yards in 2015 – which he was well on track for – he would be Georgia’s all-time leading rusher.

Of course, Chubb has continued that success into the professional game. Currently starring for the Cleveland Browns, Chubb has rushed for 6,843 yards across 85 total appearances. He suffered another knee injury in 2023, forcing him to miss most of the season.

2. Champ Bailey, CB

Champ Bailey is the best defensive player to ever come out of Georgia and may be the best cornerback the game has ever seen.

A member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame, Bailey starred for the Redskins and Broncos. He finished his NFL career as a 12-time pro bowler, the 2006 NFL interceptions leader and a 3-time First-Team All-Pro. Most notably, Bailey’s 203 pass deflections are the most in NFL history.

Before he starred in the NFL, Bailey was a force at Georgia. He played both ways, totaling 744 receiving yards and 3 interceptions to go with the Bronco Nagurski Trophy in 1998.

1. Herschel Walker, RB

Come on, could it be anyone else?

Herschel Walker led the Bulldogs to a national championship as a freshman in 1980, won the Heisman trophy in 1982 and was later inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Walker was dominance personified with Georgia. He ran track while starring at running back for the Bulldogs and was named a unanimous All-American in both sports all 3 years. By the time Walker left Athens he had totaled 994 rushing attempts for 5,269 yards and 49 touchdowns – both Georgia records for RBs. He is widely considered to be the greatest college running back of all time.

Walker went on to have a good, not great NFL career. Through no fault of his own, Walker was made the center of perhaps the most lopsided trade in NFL history when the Minnesota Vikings sent 5 players and 6 future drafts picks to the Dallas Cowboys for his services. Of course, Dallas went on to draft Emmitt Smith, one of the greatest running backs in human history, with one of these 6 picks. Then the Cowboys won the Super Bowl 3 times. Later, just to twist the knife, Dallas re-signed Walker and waxed the Vikings in the first round of the 1996 NFL Playoffs.