Darnell Washington in best shape, feels Georgia tight ends are a 'mismatch'
Georgia’s tight ends are the talk of the town headed into the 2022 football season, including Darnell Washington. While he wasn’t the star pass catcher of the group last season and isn’t the new toy for Todd Monken to work with in the Bulldogs’ offense, Washington – towering over defenders at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds – Washington is certainly a weapon that Kirby Smart wants to see used this year.
“I give Darnell a lot of credit. He’s worked tremendously hard putting himself in the best health possible,” Smart said. “When he got injured, which I think was over spring break, going into spring practice, we thought he was in the best shape he had been in since being here; both body fat composition, body weight, conditioning level. I mean, he was really running well in our offseason conditioning program and we were looking forward to spring. He reinjured his foot. And from there, he couldn’t train the same and he couldn’t do the same things.”
“He’s really in a good spot,” Smart added. “You know, he’s a guy that I came in on Sunday, and he’s out there running on his own on a day that was off. He’s got a purpose. He’s practicing to be driven. And excited to see, you know, what he can do. It’s going to be important that we get him in good, physical conditioning shape to be good to go in this training camp.”
Washington agrees with his coach. He’s in better shape now than he has been before and feels he can be a big part of a tight end room that he described best: a mismatch.
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“I feel good, but I could always feel better. I’ve been trying to work on my weight and get out there and play better,” Washington said of himself. “It’s just part of the game of football. People get hurt all the time. I feel like I’m close to it. Still working to get back in shape. Even though I run smoothly every day, I can run better if I keep working… Running every play full speed, confident, conditioned. Just giving it everything I’ve got.”
“I expect a lot from us. Most of the guys are returning in the tight end room besides one. The guys that have been here, I feel like we all can step it up,” he added on the room as whole. “We all have our different abilities. If we keep working on our strengths, that will affect the game … We’re all unique. If you put a speedster like Brock (Bowers) and he does his work, and you put a big guy like me who there’s no linebacker I feel like can jump with me, and you’ve got Arik (Gilbert) who’s a hybrid who can do everything, can do it all, and you keep rotating them, you can break down a defense.”
Over the course of 21 games in his career, Washington has 17 catches for 320 yards and one touchdown. He – like Bowers and Gilbert – was named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award for the nation’s top tight end.
