Continuing Bulldawg Illustrated’s UGA football 2016 Spring Preview series on the Bulldogs, we look at the fleet footed catchers of the pig skin; the guys that can fly; the wide receivers.
If I had to name one position group where Georgia is has the most youth and perhaps the most question marks on offense going into spring practice and looking ahead to the 2016 college football season, it would be at wide receiver. Gone is one of Georgia’s top 5 receivers of all time statistically in senior Malcolm Mitchell, who looks to continue his football career in the NFL. Mitchell was also Georgia’s leading receiver with 58 receptions for 865 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2015.
But it cannot be understated how much Mitchell will be missed. Over his college career “Tampa” played in 45 games and started 35 of those. He amassed a total of 174 receptions and 2,350 receiving yards, scoring 16 receiving touchdowns. He is tied for 4th all-time with Mohamed Massaquoi for total receptions in a season at UGA and and has the 2nd most catches for a season for a senior receiver. He is 5th all-time at UGA in career, and his 2,350 career receiving yards puts him 6th all-time in school history. Mitchell is 8th all time in school history in career touchdown receptions.
What is scary is that his numbers were most likely not as high as they could have been due to injuries during his sophomore and junior year. So how will UGA go about replacing that kind of production at receiver? It won’t be easy, but the Dawgs do have some spectacular young talent at the position.
All the other receivers are back including Terry Godwin, who was Georgia’s 2nd leading receiver with 35 receptions for 379 yards and 2 touchdowns, playing in all of the Bulldog’s 13 games and starting nine of them. The rising sophomore will look to be Georgia’s primary go-to-guy for 2016 now that Mitchell is gone.
Outside of Godwin who does Georgia have that the quarterback can get the ball to?
Flanker, Reggie Davis, returns for fourth season with the Bulldogs, and it would be huge if the senior wideout could have a breakout season. Davis has the most game experience of all of Georgia’s returning receivers having played in 37 games and starting 8 of those, but he has struggled at times with drops, mistimed routes, and even on special teams returning kicks and punts. He has shown flashes though. Last year, number 81 returned a punt for 71 yards for a touchdown against Tennessee, racking up a total of 244 all purpose yards against the Vols that included 3 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Back in 2013 in his second game as a true freshman he took his first reception as a Bulldog 98 yards to the house. If Davis could have a Chris Conley or Michael Bennett type of season, it would be a boon for Georgia’s offense and whomever starts at quarterback.
The next most experienced receiver for Georgia is Isaiah McKenzie aka the “Human Joystick.” The rising junior is better known for his incredible, jaw-dropping kick and punt returns, but McKenzie is always a threat to take the ball to the house if he gets the ball in space and a seam to work with. He has 5 kick and punt return touchdowns and a couple of more rushing the ball. However, McKenzie only has 16 catches in 22 games and has yet to score a touchdown reception, believe it or not, but it always feels like the Joystick is on the verge of breaking out. Like Davis, if McKenzie can stay healthy and put it all together for his third season with the Dawgs, he could be a dangerous weapon at receiver, especially out of the slot, for wide receiver’s position Coach James Coley and Offensive Coordinator Jim Chaney.
Behind Davis, Godwin, and McKenzie, there a slew of freshmen and sophomores.
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2016 WIDE RECEIVERS ROSTER
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INCOMING WIDE RECEIVERS FOR 2016
Fifth year senior Charlie Hegedus and junior Shakenneth Williams are two guys that have some games and experience under the belt, but as of yet, either one has failed to make a major impact in the receiver rotation. Could that change under a new WR coach and a brand spanking new offensive staff? We will have to wait and see, but there are a number of sophomores and incoming freshmen that are going to push them for playing time.
Michael Chigbu and Jayson Stanley are two sophomores who started to come on towards the end of the season last year as true freshmen. Both receivers have good size and very physical. Stanley was coming off a knee injury he sustained his senior year in high school and looks to be 100% as a sophomore.
Shaquery Wilson is another sophomore receiver from the class of 2015, but he did not see the field much as a freshman. Add to that he seemed to struggle in practice. He is another WR that could use a fresh start with this new offensive coaching staff.
Of the incoming freshmen and transfers at wide receivers for 2016 for the Dawgs, the only early enrollee out of the group is freshman Cavin Riley Ridley, who is the brother of the University of Alabama’s Calvin Ridley. He has a build similar to Jayson Stanley. Being an early enrollee he will get a chance to compete through spring practice with the returning receiving corps and try to work his way into the 5 deep depth chart.
The highly touted JUCO WR out of Hinds C.C., Javon Wims, will join the team this summer along with freshmen receivers Tyler Simmons and Charlie Woerner.
Wims has a chance to make an immediate impact for Georgia if he can come in, stay healthy, and learn the offense over the summer and fall. I know. I know. Most Bulldog fans are snake bit when it comes to JUCO players and especially at WR, but Wims has the ability to break that “curse.” How good is Wims? A number of analysts and scouts compare him to A.J. Green because of his size, jumping ability and body control while in the air. I would not be surprised to see junior JUCO signee Javon Wims be in the two-deep rotation at split-end or flanker.
I also expect Charlie Woerner, the nephew of Bulldog legend and DGD Scott Woener, to be utilized out of the slot to try to create a miss match as well as “heavy” or “big” sets where OC Jim Chaney needs big bodies for short yardage or goal line situations. He is a specimen at WR with that 6 foot 5 and 228 lbs frame. He could also line up as a the #4 WR in four-wide sets. Like Wims, Woerner is another new face in the receiver corps that could see significant playing time and be in the two deep rotation. Some think he will develop into a TE because of his size, but I think he stays at WR.
Simmons was a NSD flip from Alabama, and the McEachern High School athlete is a play maker with the ball in his hands. Then there is class of 2015 athlete Mecole Hardman, Jr. Will he get a chance on offense or will he exclusively play on defense in the secondary? The graduate out of Elbert County High School can do special things with the ball in his hands and is electric, similar to Terry Godwin or Isaiah Mckenzie. Even if he ends up on defense in the secondary, I would not be surprised to see him be utilized on offense in certain packages and he will get a look at returning kicks and punts. I could very much see him used as Georgia used Brandon Boykin and Branden Smith, who both played at CB but were also used on offense and special teams. Both Simmons and Hardman are the caliber of athletes that we could also see Chaney use out of the “Wild Dawg” like we saw Brian Schottenheimer use Terry Godwin last season.
So what does the depth chart look at receiver coming out of spring camp?
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And that spring chart could change once the incoming receivers that did not enroll early step onto campus this summer, and I expect it to change some once fall practice starts.
The key for the new, incoming wide receivers to see playing time is learning the play book, getting comfortable running routes to get open and also be willing to block. Of course, showing the coaches that they are able to count on them to make the tough catches and not drop the easy ones also helps a young receiver get on the field quicker.
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