Looking ahead to 2022: Wide receiver
As we continue our position looking ahead to spring practice, let’s take a deep dive inside the wide receiver room.
There’s a lot to discuss here.
Although George Pickens missed most of the year while recovering from his torn ACL, it certainly did not qualify as a surprise when he decided to head to the NFL Draft.
That was always going to be Pickens’ plan, and with the recovery he made last year, there was no reason for him to alter his plans.
Justin Robinson is headed to Mississippi State after putting his name in the transfer portal, while East Carolina landed walk-on Jaylen Johnson, who actually saw decent reps over the past two years.
Of course, the one that stings and the one that everybody was talking about is Jermaine Burton’s decision to transfer, ultimately to Alabama.
From what we understand, and from Nick Saban’s own lips, Burton wanted to go somewhere that puts more of an emphasis on the passing game. With Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young coming back, that was enough to convince Burton to hang his shingle in the SEC West.
While this no doubt qualifies as a loss for the Bulldogs not having Burton in the fold, next year’s receiving corps has some quality pieces back.
They’ll just need to stay healthy.
As we start taking a deeper look into who Georgia does have returning, let’s start with the two receivers who made the biggest impact last fall – Ladd McConkey and Adonai Mitchell.
A betting man would have won himself a lot of money last fall had he predicted the pair would top Georgia’s wide receivers in catches.
That’s exactly what happened. McConkey caught 31 passes for 447 yards and tied Burton among the wide receivers with five touchdown catches. Mitchell, meanwhile, caught 29 passes for 446 yards and four scores, the biggest obviously coming on a 40-yard pass from Stetson Bennett to put Georgia ahead 19-18 in the national championship game.
Both McConkey and Mitchell proved their dependability throughout the season and the confidence they gained should have them both in line for even better performances this fall.
Senior Kearis Jackson will play a key role. Jackson lost some of his opportunities last year as he recovered from injury with the emergence of McConkey, but the former Peach County star (16-194) has plenty of experience and could enjoy a bit of bounce back.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Arian Smith and Dominick Blaylock just need to stay healthy.
Blaylock never could quite shake a hamstring injury that occurred once he started ramping up his rehab from a second torn ACL. If Blaylock can finally get back to a semblance of his old self, he can still become a valuable contributor.
And that’s certainly the case for Smith, who has been beset with injuries seemingly from the first time he arrived on campus.
From a bum hamstring to a fractured wrist and last year’s November leg injury that cost him the rest of the season, Smith just hasn’t been able to stay on the field.
That’s been a shame because when Smith plays, he makes things happen. Smith has five catches for 188 yards, with three of those receptions going for touchdowns. If Smith can ever find a way to stay healthy, watch out. But that’s something he still has to prove.
Rosemy-Jacksaint did play in 13 of 15 games for Georgia last fall, but dealt with various nagging injuries, which helped limit him to just seven catches for 94 yards. He’s capable of much more than that.
Arik Gilbert is back.
Gilbert was supposed to play a huge role for Georgia last fall but left the program early in fall camp to deal with personal problems. To Kirby Smart’s credit, he stuck with the Marietta native, who rejoined the program back in January.
Georgia lists Gilbert as a wide receiver, although we understand he’s going to need to get his weight down lower than what it is. This spring will be huge from the standpoint of getting back in the shape he’ll need to be this fall.
If he can, Gilbert can help make up for the loss of Burton and give Todd Monken potentially another huge offensive piece.
Sophomore Jackson Meeks is ready to take a step forward.
There are a couple of early enrollees to keep an eye on.
Former North Cobb standout De’Nylon Morrissette (6-1, 200) and speedster C.J. Smith (6-3, 175) will each have ample opportunity to make a quick impression. They’ll be joined later this spring by fellow freshmen Dillon Bell and Cole Speer