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Published Feb 19, 2025
Two Georgia wideouts - one quick as a cat, the other is a natural
Anthony Dasher  •  UGASports
Editor

In recent years, finding a freshman receiver who could make an instant impact hasn’t been easy for Georgia.

The Bulldogs may have found two in CJ Wiley and Talyn Taylor.

Both are different in their own way.

Wiley – who Georgia flipped from Florida State – stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 210 pounds. He ran track in high school and glides through his routes. Taylor is 6-1 and 180 pounds. He shows the kind of quickness that suggests he’ll have the opportunity to create some needed explosive plays this fall.

So far, position coach James Coley is excited with what he sees.

“C.J.'s a big wideout, you know, which gives you a big catch radius that can run,” Coley said. “He's natural out there. He’s been practicing with us for a few practices, and you see what you saw in recruiting. There’s a willingness to sit there and learn, sit in meeting rooms, take notes, and pick up some of the information. There’s a lot we’re throwing at him right now.”

There’s a reason Wiley’s flip from the Seminoles was such a huge deal.

The nation’s seventh-best receiver, Wiley had back-to-back years in which he caught a combined 121 passes for 2,372 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Wiley’s size and athleticism should make him a prime red zone target for quarterbacks Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi.

Taylor, meanwhile, brings an element wide receiver coaches like Coley can never have enough of - quickness and speed.

The Illinois native has plenty to spare.

Considered the No. 2 prospect in Illinois, Taylor posted some amazing numbers as a senior, catching 84 passes for 1,617 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also returned kicked for 574 yards.

“He’s quick as a cat, he runs effortlessly,” Coley said. “You like that he can change directions. He can make guys miss, and he’s passionate about the game. Both those guys (Taylor and Wiley) spend a lot of extra time catching footballs, doing the little things on the outside, which is impressive.”

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