Jackson’s hit on Georgia Tech’s quarterback Haynes King initiated a fumble that set the Bulldogs up for scoring and forced the game into overtime. He then turned around and brought down King in the sixth overtime. It’s a remarkable feat for this walk-on, who marks his sixth season with the Bulldogs.

“We’re lucky to have Dan Jackson because we fell into him,” Coach Kirby Smart said in an interview with the Athens Banner-Herald. “We didn’t do one thing to earn Dan being here. He came to us, and he has made himself into a really good football player, but he did that through hard work.”

Jones also arrived at Georgia as a walk-on but has likewise proved his capabilities in last Saturday’s competition. Jones led Georgia in receiving yards with 53 on four catches, including a 25-yard touchdown in the second overtime.

Although he was a New Mexico State commitment, the athlete from Brock, Texas, has scored more touchdown catches in a single season, three, than any Bulldogs running back since James Cook notched four in 2021.

Jones has extended his role with Georgia even more, as Trevor Etienne has been out battling rib injuries since the Bulldogs’ game against Florida.

Jackson and Jones have no time to bask in the limelight. They’re focused now on winning: Their No. 5 Georgia team will take on No. 2 Texas on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.