Georgia coach Kirby Smart revealed Thursday when the Bulldogs arrived in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl that star cornerback Deandre Baker will skip the matchup between the fifth-ranked Bulldogs and No. 15 Texas. Baker, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior from Miami, won the 2018 Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation's best defensive back. He had two interceptions, 40 tackles and broke up 10 passes during his final season with the red and black.
Baker had initially said that he would play in the Sugar Bowl when asked about his plans the week after the SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama, though obviously, those plans have changed as the Sugar Bowl matchup nears.
"I'm playing in the Sugar Bowl," Baker said (via: 247Sports). "I just wanted to finish it right with my teammates, that's all."
Baker is ranked No. 12 among all prospects in the CBS Sports ranking of top NFL draft players eligible for the 2019 draft, and is the No. 2 cornerback behind LSU's Greedy Williams.
Georgia and Texas will kickoff at 8:45 p.m. ET on Jan. 1.
