Georgia spring storylines: New weapons at wideout

Ready for some spring ball? As it relates to Georgia football, it’s almost here. The Bulldogs are currently on spring break and that always means that spring drills will begin next week.

Kirby Smart‘s crew has spent substantial time in walkthrough situations already. They’ve laid the ground word for what will take place over the course of 12 typical practices and three scrimmages (including G-Day).

DawgsHQ is gearing up for the five-week trek by sharing the storylines that intrigue us the most. We continue with a discussion centered around new faces at the receiver position.

Setting the stage…

When it came to Georgia’s wideouts in 2022, the Bulldogs were more like ducks. Everything looked great on Saturdays as the team went 15-0 but it was a struggle every week in practice. That’s because injuries and lack of quality depth at the position made it a bit of a headache to get through practice. There weren’t enough game-ready bodies.

That shouldn’t be the case now — even with a couple of guys out the door. Georgia went out and got one of the top transfer pass catchers in Dominic Lovett. He had a breakout season for Missouri in 2022 and gave Georgia fits before getting dinged up. He’s on the small side but he’s electric both before and after the catch. We’ve heard some buzz about his ability to separate and attack the football already.

Lovett should be able to help out in the slot and at the flanker position but Georgia also got Rara Thomas from Mississippi State to play split end. Thomas was the leading receiver for the Bulldogs from the SEC West. The Alabama native can separate but he can also make plays in tight coverage. An off-field issue back in January put his future at Georgia in peril but it appears, for now, that he is good to go this spring.

The Bulldogs also added three talented freshmen, all of whom are on campus already. Tyler Williams, Anthony Evans, and Yazeed Haynes have been with the team for a few months not and they’ll hit the ground running this spring.

What we think Georgia is thinking…

First and foremost, Brock Bowers is the straw that stirs the drink. That’s not going to change. It doesn’t mean he’ll be the leading receiver for the third season in a row, becoming the first Bulldog to ever accomplish that feat. But it does mean that he’s going to be the centerpiece of two game plans every Saturday — Georgia offense and opponent defense.

With that said, Lovett, Thomas, and the freshmen are going to have to earn their keep. Ladd McConkey was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2022 and is back for his fourth season. He can play all three receiver positions if needed but, like Lovett, is a better fit at flanker and slot. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Dillon Bell are talented outside receivers as well. Then there’s Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl hero Arian Smith, who, when healthy, is a big-play machine.

The Bulldogs will have a plan and part of said plan will be to roll the ball out there and let them compete. The cream should rise to the top.

Where Georgia needs to be when spring ends…

The transfers need to have a keen understanding of the offense. If Georgia can get through the spring unscathed on the injury front, it should have at least six receivers ready to play major snaps. That group includes McConkey, Rosemy-Jacksaint, Bell, Smith, Lovett, and Thomas. There are some second-year guys who could join that group as well.

The youngsters are going to need more time and that’s fine. Georgia has plenty of it. We’ve heard the most about Williams and Haynes thus far but Evans might be the only guy in the group who can take the top off a defense like Smith.

Georgia is due some good fortune on the injury front at this position. It’s going to be a very deep, very talented group if it cashes in on what’s due.