Kirby Smart and Todd Monken's master plan is finally coming together.

They, along with tight ends coach Todd Hartley, have built No. 1 Georgia's tight end room into one of the best in the nation. Hartley's recruiting has filled the group with athletic, dynamic players that excel in both the run and pass game.

Against No. 11 Kentucky on Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium, that group had its complete arsenal of weapons at full disposal for the first time. Georgia's tight ends lived up to the billing.

Of Georgia's 14 completions on Saturday, eight went to tight ends. The trio of freshman Brock Bowers, sophomore Darnell Washington, and junior John FitzPatrick racked up 158 yards on those catches. Bowers led the way with five receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

As Smart said after the game, the prowess of the group starts in recruiting. Hartley has brought in Washington (No. 2 tight end in the 2020 class) and Bowers (No. 8 in 2021) over the past two seasons.

"Get them to buy into the team and buy into blocking and buy into being selfless, and then, buy into making plays when you get an opportunity," Smart said. "I think Coach Hartley, Coach Monken, the whole offensive staff puts the plan together off our play action. Our tight ends are weapons. They’re size guys; they make plays down the field."

Washington showed flashes of his potential late in the 2020 season. He's battled a foot injury this year, but is just now starting to get back to full health.

It's been Bowers who has carried the load this season. Through seven games, the freshman from California has amassed 25 receptions for 416 yards and six touchdowns.

Bowers flashed all the facets of his game against Kentucky. He caught a screen and jetted down the sideline for a long touchdown that didn't count due to a penalty. Later that same drive, he skied over a Kentucky defender to haul in a 27-yard touchdown pass.

""My eyes just found him; I wasn’t looking for him," quarterback Stetson Bennett said of Bowers's first touchdown. "He’s a real good player. He made plays."

In the fourth quarter, Bowers got open down the sideline, caught a ball over his shoulder, and then barreled over a Wildcat defender at the goal line for his second touchdown.

What makes Georgia's tight end group special is its embrace of blocking. The combination of size and athleticism makes them a matchup nightmare for defenses who have to contend with both their route running and bruising run blocking.

As center Sedrick Van Pran said, those guys are really just "athletic offensive linemen."

"It’s almost a sense of, I don’t want to say entitlement, but a sense of appreciation when you see those guys catching passes and doing what they do because those guys are the ones that are blocking right next to you and helping you contribute to the run game," Van Pran said.

Washington is still getting back into game shape. Bowers, too, isn't perfect, despite his hot start. Smart mentioned after the game he missed a couple of blocks that could have led to big plays.

Still, for the first time, Georgia's tight end group showed its true destructive potential. That makes the Bulldog offense that much scarier as the season heads into its second half.