Preseason hype over freshmen is nothing new in college football. It happens every year.

Quite often, it’s driven by the media, and fans hungry to learn who the next hero for their beloved team will be.

At Georgia, that mantle seems to have fallen to wide receiver George Pickens, although this time, it’s not just the media who’ve been busy pumping up the hype machine; teammates are doing so well.

Take safety Richard LeCounte, for example:

“George is a great guy, man. He plays fast. He’s got big, strong hands,” LeCounte said. “He reminds you of A. J. Green with his skill set and being able to adjust to the ball in the air. He’s a great guy. He’s got a lot to learn, but you see flashes that I’m very excited to see at Georgia.”

Whoa . . . back up a second. A.J. Green?

“Yeah, I’m not saying . . .” said LeCounte with hesitation. He wanted to be careful not to tag Pickens as the next Green; it's just that parts of his game remind him of the former Bulldog and current Cincinnati Bengal great.

Pickens certainly comes to Georgia with an impressive resume.

A former five-star prospect and No. 2 receiver nationally according to Rivals, Pickens posted video game-type numbers as a senior, using his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame to catch 69 passes for 1,368 yards and 16 touchdowns for Hoover High.

LeCounte isn’t the only one who has been impressed.

Cornerback Eric Stokes was also extremely complimentary, despite bearing the brunt of a bloodied shin after apparently coming into contact with Pickens going for a ball earlier in practice.

“George is a one-of-a-kind player. I’m not lying. If you’re talking about how this happened (pointing to his shin), it’s because of George. He’s one heck of a wide receiver,” said Stokes. “He’s a very good talent, so I’m falling more in love with George day by day.”

Stokes was asked for specifics.

“Just the knowledge,” he said. “I know what he wants to do and he’s going for it. I love him. I love everything about him.”

So does LeCounte.

“Will he play early? I hope so. That’s on his side of the ball, but what I see is a young guy who is like all the other receivers, somebody who is making plays,” LeCounte said. “That whole corps of receivers that we brought in, those young guys, those guys that we’ve got now, they can make some plays. I see a lot of those guys, and I see George a lot too.”