It’s old news by now: earlier this month, the SEC cancelled all remaining spring competitions amid COVID-19 concerns. Outlined in an official announcement, the plans to halt play include abandoning spring football scrimmages, events that are open to the public and free to attend at most schools.
Spring football practices have been postponed indefinitely.
In the college football world, it’s hard to imagine that any individual or team benefits from a delayed practice schedule. Maybe a starter with a minor injury has enough extra time to be cleared for full participation, but that’s the only hypothetical that comes to mind.
Of all players, graduate transfers are the most negatively impacted. Finding themselves on new college campuses less than four months after the conclusion of the previous season, these players with only one remaining year of immediate eligibility have less time on the field to gel with their new teammates.
On the Georgia’s Bulldogs’ offense, this includes quarterback Jamie Newman and tight end Tre’ McKitty, grad transfers from Wake Forest and Florida State, respectively.
Pro Football Focus rates Newman as the top returning quarterback among all SEC teams. Though he’s already studying the Silver Britches’ playbook, the lack of face time with his new offensive line, tailbacks, receivers, and tight ends like McKitty prevents Jamie Newman from having the start he and the Bulldog Nation would prefer.
For the lauded dual-threat presupposed to be the Dawgs’ starting quarterback come September, practice limbo couldn’t have come at a worse time in his college career.
Tre’ McKitty has the opportunity to be the second tight end in as many years to lead the position group in receptions after having transferred. Eli Wolf did so last season and hauled in more passes than in his three years at Tennessee combined.
Following the departures of tight ends Wolf and Charlie Woerner, a proven commodity like McKitty can still pull it off, but it’ll be a great deal more difficult without the “head start” of starting on time.
They will practice under newly appointed offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Without witnessing drills firsthand, the postponement gives Monken (and all other coaches in their first seasons at a new program) significantly less time to develop game plans with their available personnel.
This is exceptionally more challenging when scheming with players who have no game film playing for Georgia.
Right now, any coordinator might have a pretty good idea of how a freshman, transfer, or graduate transfer fits into their team based upon film from their previous team (collegiate or high school), but that idea isn’t as good as it’d be if these players were on the field getting in some reps together.