A conversation with Georgia assistant coach Todd Hartley is akin to taking a course in Tight End 101.

It’s certainly an education.

Hartley, the Bulldogs’ tight end coach since 2019, has coached some of the best players at the position, like Brock Bowers.

Not only is Bowers the unquestioned GOAT when talking about tight ends at Georgia, but he also has a good argument as one of the best players ever to wear red and black.

Teammate Darnell Washington is another recent name Bulldog fans won’t soon forget.

Long before their arrival, Georgia has a long and distinguished history when talking about tight ends, and for Hartley, that tradition is something he’s anxious to see continue, including the group he’ll have at his disposal once spring practice begins next month.

“There’s no cookie-cutter tight end,” Hartley said prior to the Sugar Bowl. “They all come in different shapes and sizes, different speeds, different abilities, different amounts of toughness and experience blocking. Every tight end is unique to themselves and you never try to make one tight end be like somebody else.”

That includes Bowers, a generational unicorn that we may not see again for years to come.

“You never say, ‘Hey, I want you to be just like Brock.’ That's unfair to them,” Hartley said. “I want them to be the best version of themselves.”

The tight ends Hartley will be working with this spring can certainly stand on their own accord.

Senior Oscar Delp has quietly fashioned a fine career for the Bulldogs with 50 career catches for 596 yards and seven touchdowns.

Hartley has overseen the continued emergence of Lawson Luckie, who is fast becoming a more adept pass catcher than perhaps many predicted he would.

Newcomers Ethan Barbour and 6-foot-8 Elyiss Williams bring their unique talents, as do second-year players Colton Heinrich and Jaden Reddell.

“It's my job as a coach to play to their strengths while I develop their weaknesses and if we do that, at the end of the day, they will be the best all-around tight end they can be,” Hartley said. “But I will say this, positional versatility is invaluable in offense. So, if you can go play Y and F, which are the positions most tight ends play, but also can show that you can go play Z and X and you can move around at any of those positions, you are probably more likely to see the field earlier than most because you have value with your versatility.”

Hartley feels each player in his group does bring something a little different to the table.

“In the recruiting process, you like to find the kids that you think can do that. I would like to say all my guys can play multiple positions and if they do, then they'll be able to field more,” he said. “The more tight ends on the field, the better they are for the tight end's coach, the better it is for the offense, the better it is for the tight ends.”

Mental toughness is just as important as physical grit.

At Georgia, brains are just as important as brawn. Perhaps, even more so.

“We want our guys to be versatile and usually it's not the physical ability that limits them. It's usually the mental ability to handle the load of knowing two, three, four different positions because our playbook is expansive and there's intricate details of playing each of those positions that you have to know to be successful,” Hartley said. “So, it's usually not the physical trait that limits them, it's knowing it mentally that prevents them from getting on the field earlier than they think they should.”