Thursday News and Notes: receiver tidbits, roster observations
Ladd McConkey is entering his fourth season as a member of Georgia’s wide receiver room. He says the depth he’s seeing on this year’s team is something to behold.
“We’ve got three guys at every spot (X, Y, and slot) who can go in, and we won’t skip a beat,” McConkey said. “We all have different ways of playing, different styles of playing, but there are so many guys who can go in and contribute and stay fresh the whole time.”
On paper, this year’s group of receivers could be special–assuming, of course, they stay healthy.
Despite the loss of AD Mitchell to Texas, this could be the deepest group of receivers to line up for Kirby Smart in his seven previous seasons as head coach.
McConkey stands out after catching 56 passes for 762 yards and seven touchdowns, but it’s the additions of transfers RaRa Thomas and Dominic Lovett–who has impressed from the first day he stepped foot on campus–that leads to even more optimism.
Returnees Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Dillon Bell figure to be part of the two-deep, along with speedster Arian Smith, who enters camp 100 percent healthy.
The question is, can Smith stay that way?
As he showed in the semifinals against Ohio State when he caught a 78-yard bomb to help beat the Buckeyes, Smith has the potential to be as explosive as any wideout in the SEC.
Fellow speedsters C.J. Smith and true freshman Anthony Evans III give the Bulldogs two more home run threats, to go with Arian Smith and McConkey. Jackson Meeks, freshman Tyler Williams, and freshman Zeed Haynes are hoping to make impacts of their own.
Walkon Mekhi Mews is another player to watch.
“We’ve got enough guys where I think we can fresh the whole time,” McConkey said. “I don’t think DBs can rotate like that. If we can keep guys rotating, I think we can be special.”
…Speaking of speed, Arian Smith has been a member of the Georgia football program for four years now, and every season the questions are the same.
Is he the fastest man on the Bulldog football team?
“We haven’t lined up to see but we’ve got some guys who can probably compete with me now,” Smith smiled. “C.J. Smith, Anthony Evans, Ladd. It’s a lot of competition out there.”
McConkey smiled that’s a race he’d like to see.
“I can run a little bit, but some of those guys have different speeds,” McConkey said. “I’d love to see that race. It would be a good one, I’m sure. They might get me a little bit, but yeah, like I said before, you’ve got so many guys with so many different skill sets and (Lovett) coming will be a huge factor for us.”
…One more note on McConkey. The junior said he’s 100 percent after a myriad of injuries – including one to his knee - hampered his sophomore campaign.
No surgery was ever required.
“I really just rested, got in the training room, and stayed consistent with it. I feel really good right now. I’m not having any issues with anything,” McConkey said. “When the season comes, bumps and bruises happen, especially in the SEC, but I feel good now and hopefully it stays that way.”
…Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson was asked how the Bulldogs planned to not get complacent after winning back-to-back national titles. He began his response with a shrug.
“We’ve just got to keep the same energy and do what we did last year,” he said. “People, we like to say, are still doubting us, so we’ve just got to keep that chip on our shoulder.”
…Some roster observations of interest include: Freshman running back Roderick Robinson is listed at 6-foot and 240 pounds.
Others include:
Freshman linebacker Troy Bowles (6-0, 220)
Sophomore linebacker Jalon Walker (6-2, 245)
Transfer running back Len’Neth Whitehead (6-2, 220)
Freshman defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett (6-5, 350)
Freshman offensive lineman Bo Hughley (6-7, 280)
Sophomore outside linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. (6-5, 250)
Junior right tackle Amarius Mims (6-7, 340)
Redshirt running back Andrew Paul (5-11, 218)
Sophomore outside linebacker Darris Smith (6-5, 240)
Redshirt freshman wide receiver C.J. Smith (6-3, 190)
