Opinion: Post-spring position analysis - wide receiver

Today, we’ll begin our post-spring position analysis for Georgia, breaking down what we saw over the course of the spring, what players stood out, what players surprised and which ones need to up their game.

First up, the wide receivers.

This is a position not without its share of question marks, because with the exception possibly of Terry Godwin, much of what the Bulldogs will trot onto the field for the opener against Appalachian State is largely unproven.

Sure, there’s game experience. It’s not like Georgia doesn’t have wide receivers who haven’t enjoyed playing time. We’re talking consistency here.

That’s not all.

Kirby Smart demands physicality from his receivers, especially in regards to being effective blockers on the perimeter. While Smart began to see improvement in that area toward the latter part of the season, the Bulldog head coach made that the focal part of the spring for his wideout corps.

Time will tell if those lessons were ultimately learned.

G-Day certainly showed some positive signs.

Terry Godwin (5 catches for 130 yards) and Tyler Simmons (5-114) both had over 100 yards in receiving yards, while Javon Wims (4-96) and Jeremiah Holloman (3-77) made big-time plays.

The question remains whether the Bulldogs have that home-run target for Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm, but at least it appears there enough talented bodies to give the Bulldogs plenty of options.

Spring surprises

There’s a couple of names to note here.

No, Smart still hasn’t deemed Mecole Hardman a full-time wide receiver, but it certainly appears that way. The former Elbert County star didn’t disappoint, catching three passes for 62 yards on G-Day. There’s still plenty of work he needs to do on running routes, getting off the ball and footwork, but Hardman is a scary talent with the ball in his hands and only figures to get better the more he plays.

Holloman didn’t disappoint, either. The freshman drew praise from Smart before G-Day and his performance proved why that was the case.

Ditto for Simmons.

We saw Simmons make some great catches during the media’s brief time at practice and he backed that up with a strong G-Day. A former track standout, Simmons has a chance to be that deep threat I mentioned earlier.

Projected starting lineup

Based on what we saw, and how they lined up at G-Day, Godwin and Wims appear to have the leg up there.

Godwin didn’t have the best of sophomore seasons, catching 38 passes for 397 yard and zero touchdowns. But since moving to slot, the former Callaway standout has received nothing but praise from Smart and his showing at G-Day showed lessons have been learned.

Wims, meanwhile, has learned how to use his 6-foot-4 frame to get separation between himself and opposing defensive backs.

The third starter would seem to be a battle between Riley Ridley (who faces a suspension for the first game following his misdemeanor arrest for marijuana possession), Simmons, along with Holloman and possibly Michael Chigbu.

Need to step up

We just mentioned Chigbu, so we’ll start there.

Chigbu has experience but has struggled with drops his first two seasons with the Bulldogs. And he will need to get a better handle on that (no pun intended) to become the well-rounded receiver Smart still thinks he can be.

The same can be said of Jayson Stanley.

Stanley will tell you that drops have been a problem, although the fact he was hurt for much of last year did not help his cause.

One of the more affable players on the Georgia squad, the easy-going Stanley is an easy player to root for. So, hopefully his big touchdown catch at G-Day, a 33-yard reception from Jacob Eason, will help his confidence.

However, if they don’t, there appears to be enough depth that could significantly impact their playing time if improvements aren’t made.

Freshman impact

Later this month the Bulldogs will welcome Matthew Landers, Mark Webb Jr. and Trey Blount into the fray, and each one of the youngsters will get their chance to prove they’re ready to make a quick contribution.

The 6-foot-5 Landers is an intriguing possibility due to his size, while the 6-foot-2 Blount has good size and averaged 19.2 yards per catch his senior year at Pace Academy.

But for the sake of picking one of the three, we’ll go with Webb, the nation’s 101st-ranked player according to Rivals, who recorded 703 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns as a senior.