Smart pleased with receiver additions; may not be done
Adding more talent at wide receiver with the potential to stretch the field was one of Kirby Smart’s bigger priorities for Early Signing Day.
With Wednesday’s additions of Tyler Williams, Yazeed Haynes, and Anthony Evans III, Smart feels like he accomplished those goals.
“We’re excited about those guys. Speed, athleticism. Been here practicing with us. Each one is different. They all are going to have to hit the weight room and get stronger to be able to really do the things we want them to do,” Smart said. “But you want to take a guy that has natural speed, the pass-catching ability, make-you-miss ability, run after the catch, vertical threats. We think we get that in those three guys.”
Evans’ speed puts him in the same category as returning receivers Arian Smith and C.J. Smith as far as pure speed is concerned.
During the brief opportunities he’d received in Bowl practice, Evans has already impressed.
With a verified 10.2 100-meter time and true 4.3 40-yard dash speed, Evans (6-1, 165) can get down the field as quickly as anyone. Originally a commit to the Oklahoma Sooners, Evans decided to flip his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs after a long pursuit from Bryan McClendon and Todd Monken.
Haynes is not exactly a slowpoke himself.
The former Penn State commit (6-1, 170) has been clocked at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash. As a senior, he caught 55 passes for 1,212 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Williams, meanwhile, is a former quarterback who transferred to wide receiver his junior year. At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Williams caught 28 passes for 399 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing nine times for 115 yards and a touchdown. For good measure, he went 5-for-5 on PATs as a placekicker.
Williams might be the most well-rounded of Georgia’s receiver commits.
Along with Evans, Williams and Haynes are currently with the Bulldogs as early enrollees and per our sources have all impressed with their speed and route running.
“I definitely think the practice helped them. It made them more comfortable in the spring. A lot of these guys that came midyear early last year and practiced with us were guys like Mykel (Williams), Jalon Walker,” Smart said. “I can't remember the rest of them, but there were two guys that helped almost immediately. I feel like some of the guys that are here now will be the same way.”
Georgia is still waiting to receive the paperwork from Milton, Fla. wide receiver Raymond Cottrell.
Although it’s unclear why that’s yet to happen, even if some snag develops, the Bulldogs also dipped into the transfer portal to augment their depth at the position for next year.
Mississippi State transfer Rara Thomas and Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett have both visited Georgia and are expected to make their decisions soon. Georgia is believed to be a finalist for both players.
Last season, Thomas caught 44 of the 69 passes on which he was targeted (according to PFF). Seven of those receptions resulted in touchdowns.
Lovett, meanwhile, caught 56 passes for 846 yards last year for the Tigers. His 56 receptions placed him sixth in the conference, while his 846 receiving yards were third in the SEC behind Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt (67 for 1,267) and South Carolina’s Antwane Wells Jr. (63-898).
This year against the Bulldogs, Lovett led Missouri with six catches for 84 yards, with a long reception of 34 yards.
NOTE: Both Lovett and Thomas announced Thursday afternoon they were transferring to Georgia.
