Georgia remodels WR room with 'speed, athleticism' in 2023 class

ATHENS, Ga. — Wide receivers are what everybody’s looking for in this day and age of College Football. The ability to pass the ball is more important than ever before, and the Georgia Bulldogs should have no problem doing that in years to come. While they didn’t land a quarterback in the Class of 2023, no shortage of receiver talent is headed to Athens following the signing of three wide receivers on Wednesday: Tyler Williams, Anthony Evans and Yazeed Haynes. The trio is Bryan McClendon’s first class and continues an overall remodel of what the room looks like under a Todd Monken offense.

“Excited about those guys. Speed, athleticism. Been here practicing with us. Each one is different,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said during his Signing Day press conference. “They all probably need — they’re going to have to hit the weight room and get stronger to be able to really do the things we want them to do, but you want to take a guy that has natural speed, the pass-catching ability, make you miss ability, run after the catch, vertical threats. We think we get that in those three guys.”

Williams came in as the highest ranked of the group, No. 13 among all wide receivers according to the On3 Consensus. Then there was Evans at No. 28 and Haynes at No. 41. However, in the case of both Williams and Haynes, On3 was highest among anybody in the industry on them, ranking them at No. 7 and No. 20 for players at their position.

The man spearheading the higher ranking for the future Dawg: On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power. He shared his evaluations of each in their scouting summaries.

Former basketball-first athlete who blossomed as a wide receiver after transferring to powerhouse Lakeland High as a junior. Has a natural, well-rounded skill set at receiver. A big, fluid mover at around 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. Has plus length for the position with 33.5-inch arms. Draws on his basketball background to win at the catch point. High-points and attacks the ball in contested situations. Shows good lateral agility and spatial awareness as a runner after the catch. Continues to be a top basketball player, averaging over 15 points per game as a junior. Will need to continue progressing in the technical aspects of his game given his lack of football focus to this point.

Charles Power on Tyler Williams

Twitchy receiver with the athleticism and skills to develop into one of the top deep threats in the 2023 cycle. Has a slender build, checking in at over 6-foot-1, 165 pounds in the off-season prior to his senior year. Turned in strong performances on the college camp circuit, running sub 4.4 second marks in the 40-yard dash. Transferred that athleticism over to the field as a senior with a very productive final campaign. Hauled in 55 catches for 1,212 yards and 13 scores as a senior. Shows an easy, long stride with a high level burst. Consistently separates downfield on vertical routes. A smooth, fluid mover. Has made progress both as a route-runner and pass catcher. Makes some high-difficulty catches in traffic and shows the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Also rips off long chunk gains after the catch. Did not face terribly stiff competition and will need to continue honing his technical skills at the position, but shows noteworthy athletic upside.

Charles Power on Yazeed Haynes

All three of the signed receivers are already on campus and practicing with the Bulldogs, and early returns seem to be positive. Smart, and a few of his players, spoke about what they can bring to the table without being able to play and the overwhelming theme was a great look for the defense. That’ll certainly be important with Georgia taking on the talented Ohio State wide receivers on December 31st in the College Football Playoffs.

“They jump in and get them going,” Smart said. “They certainly help us in terms of at this time of year you have injuries, you have guys out. We’ve had multiple guys that have been in and out of practice. It gives you depth. It gives you the ability to go two-spot.”

“It gives you the ability to get a better look,” he continued. “Let’s be honest, some of these guys are really high athletes that are fast, that have twitch. They jump in. There’s parts they can’t do, and there’s parts they’re learning on, but they will be so much further and better when the spring comes because of getting comfortable at practice, going out there and knowing where I go to after flex, what do I do next? I’ve been really excited for those guys that have practiced with us.”