Here is the April 16 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.
‘Weapons all over the field’
Throughout the history of its football program, Georgia has produced some great running backs.
That stated, there’s a belief that this year’s roster, even without receiver George Pickens (ACL) for a prolonged period of time, is built a bit differently.
Running back Kendall Milton believes this could be a wide-open offense this year.
“Georgia is always going to be RBU, but we’re an offense that has weapons all over the field. With all those weapons, everybody wants to get the ball, so you’ve got to fit the scheme where it benefits everybody,” Milton said. “I expect we’re going to run the ball, but I also expect we’re going to pass the ball because of our weapons and everything that we have on the team.”
With Pickens down, the Bulldogs still have a bevy of top tier wideouts on the roster, including Jermaine Burton (knee), Dominick Blaylock (ACL) and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (ankle). However, those three are dealing with rehabs of their own. They all are expected to be back before the start of the 2021 season. In addition, Kearis Jackson, Arian Smith and Justin Robinson are all expected to have roles.
With all those receivers available at his disposal, quarterback JT Daniels said it will be on him to make sure he’s able to get them the ball repeatedly.
“I'd say the biggest thing: the game is definitely slowing down to a certain extent. I’ve gotten better at eliminating unnecessary things to look at pre-play,” Daniels said. “Something else I’ve been working on is decision-making and not making bad plays worse. Which is something that has always been a constant improvement for me that I always need to emphasize—guys are going to slip, someone’s going to run the wrong route every now and then, someone’s going to miss protection every now and then.
“When that happens, it’s on me not to make it worse and compound the mistake and give a turnover. Incompletions aren’t bad. Throwaways aren’t bad. That’s probably the biggest thing I’m working on, the biggest thing I’ve noticed with the game slowing down a little bit and understanding where to go with the ball faster.”
The not-so-good when blitzing
Recently, Brent Rollins broke down the good defensive plays Georgia produced when blitzing the quarterback. Rollins also noted the mishaps the defense had when blitzing.
“When a defense blitzes, it likely leaves fewer coverage players available unless a down lineman or edge defender drops back into coverage,” Rollins wrote. “Thus, Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning have a choice with each blitz they run: whether to play a man or zone based concept behind the blitz. Do the Bulldogs have a tendency and favor one over the other? Looking at the overall distribution of coverages when they blitz, no. This past season, the split was almost equal, regardless of the down. Overall, the Bulldogs played man-dominant concepts on 49 percent of their blitzes and zone on 45 percent (red zone is a separate category and makes up the remaining).
“However, when examining individual coverages, they do have a preference—and it's what you see in the first two clips. Cover One (man everywhere with a single safety deep) was played on 34 percent of the Bulldogs’ blitzes (39 percent on third down), by far their most preferred individual blitz coverage. As you can see, it gives the offense one-on-one opportunities, especially for the outside receivers, as the safety is often playing the middle of the field. It shows the importance of coverage if you don’t get to the quarterback quick enough, as each touchdown play above is just a ball thrown to a spot to give the outside receiver a chance to make a play.”
Kite has love for UGA
Georgia is among the 15 programs that have offered four-star defensive back Antonio Kite (Anniston/Anniston, Ala.). Kite said the Georgia coaches have done a great job in establishing a relationship with him.
“I hear from Coach BGA (assistant defensive backs coach Bryant Gross-Armiento) a lot. We have a good relationship, and it’s with the whole staff," Kite said. "I love everything about Georgia. They play fast, they play grimy, and they get in the dirt. I mostly hear from them every day or every other day.”
The staff has explained how they see him fitting with the program.
“They’ve told me I can come in and be a great player. They think I can help up their program," Kite said. "I think they see me playing a little safety or corner. I’m comfortable at either position, so it doesn’t really matter."
Baseball: Stricklin extended
Georgia head coach Scott Stricklin received a contract extension through the 2026 season. Stricklin, whose previous contract was going to come up in 2023, explained why such an extension is significant to the program.
“It’s recruiting,” Stricklin said. “We’ve got commitments from the 2023 and 2024 class, so it’s about recruiting, it’s about a commitment to a plan, it’s about staying consistent and moving forward and continuing to build.”
Being able to tell baseball recruits he has plans to be at Georgia for the long haul, with the university’s backing, is key.
“Obviously, with our recent success, that hasn’t been a concern. But it’s certainly something to be able to talk about now once you get that on the books,” Stricklin said. “You can sit there and say, 'Hey, this is the direction we’re going.' It makes things a lot easier when you can talk about it and not wait for someone to ask you.”
Baseball: Keeping the momentum
Coming off a series win over Vanderbilt and a one-game victory over Georgia State, the Bulldogs are hoping to keep their good fortune rolling this weekend against Kentucky.
“We’ve got to capitalize on (the momentum),” Stricklin said. “We played really well last week and Tuesday, even though the ninth (Tuesday against Georgia State) did not go the way we wanted it to. But I thought we’ve played well the last four games, and you’ve got to capitalize on it .We talked about raising expectations, and the fact we haven’t been playing up to our potential until we got to Vanderbilt. We played really, really well, but that’s what we’ve always expected, to go out and play our best baseball.
“Our expectations have risen a little bit, and I think that’s a good thing.”
Basketball: Bridges fills a need
Braelen Bridges, who joined Georgia’s program after transferring from Illinois-Chicago, believes he will fill a need inside as a big man. The 6-foot-10 and 245-pound forward certainly has some size that the Bulldogs didn’t have a year ago.
“I know there’s a need for a big (guy), somebody my size to play in the paint,” Bridges said.
With his size down low, perhaps Bridges, who averaged 9.9 points per game last season, will offer the Bulldogs a different kind of interior presence on both ends of the floor.
“Coach (Tom) Crean said there were a couple of games where I would have made a difference,” Bridges said.
Dawgs for Pups update
The elements
Outside the Vent
Oconee County TE Jake Johnson will join his brother at LSU.
Three official visits are locked in for a four-star running back.
Is Malachi Nelson guaranteed to commit to Oklahoma?
Miami’s Gregory Rousseau is a boom or bust prospect in the NFL.
A California defensive lineman broke his hip in a car accident.
About JFQ Lending
JFQ Lending, INC is a residential mortgage company licensed in nearly 40 states across the United States. They already have nearly 3,000 five-star reviews in less than three years, including nearly 1800 on the Better Business Bureau (where they carry an A+ rating, see here: BBB LINK).
Right now, interest rates on a 30 year fixed are under 3%, with 15 year fixed rates in the 1’s. As an exclusive offer, JFQ will cover any appraisal costs AND add an additional $500 credit for all Rivals members.
Here’s how you can reach them:
Website: JFQlending.com
Contact Info: Mcaldwell@jfqlending.com
Phone number: 480-447-6852
