Georgia football special teams surge continues, Beau Gardner wins national award

12/30/23 - Georgia vs. Florida State (90th Capital One Orange Bowl) Hairy Dawg before Georgias game against Florida State in the 90th Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. (Tony Walsh/UGAAA) (Tony Walsh/Tony Walsh/UGAAA)

December 15, 2025 at 10:41 a.m. UTC

By Mike Griffith

Georgia's special teams were truly special in 2025 — Georgia’s Beau Gardner is doing his best work when no one takes notice of his long-snapping performances, but on Saturday he received the right kind of attention.

Gardner won the Patrick Mannelly Award, which goes to the best long-snapper in the FBS collegiate football ranks.

The SEC coaches voted Gardner as one of only two first-team selections from the Bulldogs, who won their second-consecutive SEC championship last weekend, beating Alabama 28-7.