Tag: georgia receivers

PFF expects Georgia Bulldogs WR to breakout

Pro Football Focus projects Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith to breakout during the 2021 college football season

Pro Football Focus projects Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith to breakout during the 2021 college football season. Smith is one of the fastest college athletes in the country.

The Lakeland High School speedster arrived in Athens as a four-star recruit, who was a member of the class of 2020, but Smith experienced a few injuries that setback his initial development.

Smith ran a 10.18 in the 100-meters event for Georgia’s track team this spring. Smith has burning speed and is well situated to have a big season following the emergence of Georgia quarterback JT Daniels.

Daniels flashed the ability to throw accurate deep balls in his four starts last season. He connected with Arian Smith a few times near the end of the year.

Smith will be a more critical target for the Bulldogs in 2021 because starting wide receiver George Pickens tore his ACL and Demetris Robertson is considering transferring. There should be plenty of opportunity for Arian Smith.

Smith was banged up last offseason. He underwent wrist surgery in May and had meniscus surgery in July. Smith did not play until Georgia’s final four games. He made an impact against South Carolina and Cincinnati and ended the season with 86 receiving yards on only two catches.

Here was Smith’s only career touchdown against South Carolina:

PFF additionally projects Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, TCU’s Quentin Johnston, LSU’s Kayshon Boutte, Maryland’s Rakim Jarrett, and Clemson’s Joe Ngata to be the other breakout wide receivers for the 2021 college football season.

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Georgia football player card: WR Arian Smith

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith is one of the fastest college football players in the country.

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Arian Smith, Wide Receiver (No. 11):

Class: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6-0

Weight: 185 pounds

Hometown: Bradley, Florida

High School: Lakeland High School

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith is one of the fastest college football players in the country. The Lakeland High School speedster came to Athens as a four-star recruit in the class of 2020.

Smith runs for Georgia’s track team in addition to playing wide receiver. Smith ran an impressive 100-meters time of 10.18 during track season. He helped Matthew Boling and Georgia set a school record of 38.54 in the 4×100-meter relay event.

Smith will be an important deep threat for the Bulldogs and quarterback J.T. Daniels. Georgia is missing starting wide receive George Pickens, who tore his ACL, and Demetris Robertson entered the NCAA transfer portal. There will be plenty of opportunity for Arian Smith.

Smith was banged up last offseason. He underwent wrist surgery in May and had meniscus surgery in July. Smith did not play until Georgia’s final four games. He made an impact against South Carolina and Cincinnati, but ended up taking a redshirt year. He will look to build off his solid ending to the season.

Kirby Smart and Todd Monken signed Smith, Justin Robinson, Marcus Rosemy, Jermaine Burton and Ladd McConkey as wide receivers in the class of 2020.

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Jan. 1, 2021; Atlanta; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith (11) celebrates after a victory against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia star WR George Pickens has torn ACL, will require surgery

Georgia football star receiver George Pickens suffered a torn ACL in practice on Tuesday. Details here.

Georgia football has confirmed that star junior receiver George Pickens has suffered a torn ACL and will require surgery.

The injury occurred in a non-contact drill during Tuesday’s spring practice.

Coach Kirby Smart on Pickens’ injury:

“The good news is that the MRI showed it to be an isolated injury with no other structures involved.”

Pickens was set to be one of the top returning receivers in the country. As a sophomore n 2020, the Hoover, Ala., native caught 36 passes for 513 yards and six touchdowns in just eight games played. That’s after a great freshman season in 2019, where Pickens caught 49 passes for 727 yards and eight touchdowns, good enough to rank second all-time in freshman receptions behind UGA legend A.J. Green.

Pickens definitely benefited from the emergence of J.T. Daniels at quarterback. When the USC transfer stepped in against Mississippi State, he and Pickens seemed to connect immediately. In the Bulldogs final two games of the season versus Missouri and then Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl, Pickens totaled a combined 261 yards on 12 receptions with three touchdowns.

Fortunately for Georgia, the Bulldogs’ receiver room is as deep as it is talented in 2021. UGA returns last year’s receiving leader Kearis Jackson and talented sophomore Jermaine Burton. Redshirt sophomore Dominick Blaylock will be back from an ACL tear in 2020 along with speedy redshirt freshman Arian Smith and senior Demetrius Robertson is back too.

Pair that group with 2021 signee Adonai Mitchell and Georgia should still be explosive at receiver with Pickens out indefinitely.

 

Check out a new episode of “UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton” here! This will get you caught up on Georgia’s pro day.

Former Georgia football WR picks transfer destination

Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Matt Landers entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2020 season. Now, he’s headed to Toledo.

Former Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Matt Landers entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2020 season. Now, the St. Petersburg High School product is transferring to the Toledo Rockets football program.

Matt Landers will join Toledo as a member of the junior class. He will be immediately eligible for the Rockets. We wish him luck as he looks for a larger role with his new team.

Landers came to Athens, Georgia, as a three-star recruit. He is an excellent blocker. Improved consistency would go a long way for Landers. He played in nine regular season games during the 2020 season, but ultimately he fell belowGeorge Pickens, Kearis Jackson, Arian Smith, Jermaine Burton, and Demetris Robertson on the wide receiver depth chart at Georgia.

Matt Landers will be a mid-year enrollee for the Toledo Rockets. Toledo announced the move via their official Twitter account:

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Georgia football WR enters NCAA transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Matt Landers has entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2020 season.

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Matt Landers has entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2020 season. The St. Petersburg High School product had an up and down season in 2019.

Matt Landers enters the portal as a junior. He will be immediately eligible if he chooses to transfer. We wish him luck at his new school, should he prefer to transfer.

Landers came to Athens as a three-star recruit and is an excellent blocker. Improved consistency would go a long way for Landers. He played in nine regular season games during the 2020 season. He fell behind George Pickens, Kearis Jackson, Arian Smith, Jermaine Burton, and Demetris Robertson on the wide receiver depth chart at Georgia.

He played his best game in 2019 against the Baylor Bears in the Sugar Bowl. Landers caught three passes for 25 yards and scored a touchdown:

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Another UGA football WR enters the transfer portal: Makiya Tongue

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Makiya Tongue has entered into the NCAA’s transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Makiya Tongue has entered into the NCAA’s transfer portal. Tongue redshirted in 2019. Last year, he played against Arkansas State, Georgia Tech, and Murray State, but this season he didn’t see the field. It was harder to work in as many depth players this season because of Georgia’s conference-only schedule.

Tongue joins Georgia wide receiver Trey Blount in the NCAA transfer portal. The duo will be looking for new homes, but can still comeback to Athens. The NCAA is allowing the 2020 season to not count against eligibility, so there will be a ton of roster management this offseason. Seniors can come back to school and create a squeeze on roster spots for incoming freshman or transfers.

Tongue played both receiver and defense (safety/outside linebacker) in high school for University Lab. Tongue came to the University of Georgia as a four-star recruit. We wish him the best moving forward and will provide updates on his transfer destination.

Tongue’s dad, Reggie, played in the NFL for several seasons, playing primarily for the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks. Before the NFL, Reggie Tongue played for the Oregon State Beavers.

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Georgia football WR dealing with upper body injury

A report is out that a certain Georgia football WR has been dealing with an upper body injury, limiting him in practice.

Georgia star sophomore wide receiver George Pickens has apparently been limited in practice this week, dealing with an upper body injury.

This news was first reported by 247Sports’ Jake Rowe on Tuesday.  Pickens was seen in a black, non-contact jersey during the teams’ practice and has been limited in his reps.

Pickens currently leads the team in touchdown receptions (2) and only trails fellow wide out Kearis Jackson in receiving yards.  Pickens had a sensational freshman year with the Bulldogs, catching 49 passes for 727 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Rowe added that should Pickens be unable to go against Kentucky this week, freshman wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint will see more time. Rosemy-Jacksaint is ninth on the team in receiving yards with 3 catches going for 30 yards.  He was rated as the No. 8 wide receiver in the class of 2020 by the 247Sports Composite.

Pickens or no Pickens, Georgia is set to kickoff against Kentucky in Lexington this Saturday at 12:00 P.M. ET on SEC Network.

Georgia football player card: WR Arian Smith

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith may be the fastest player on Georgia’s roster

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Arian Smith, Wide Receiver (No. 11):

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-0

Weight: 185 pounds

Hometown: Bradley, Florida

High School: Lakeland High School

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith may be the fastest player on Georgia’s roster. Smith comes to Athens as a four-star recruit and a member of the class of 2020.

There’s anticipated to be competition at every wide receiver spot outside of the place occupied by George Pickens. Smith will be a deep threat for the Bulldogs. The speedster runs 100 meters in a mere 10.6 seconds.

Unfortunately for Smith, he’s been banged up this offseason. The four-star underwent wrist surgery in May and then had meniscus surgery in July. Smith is expected to be ready for the season opener against Arkansas. He may need some extra reps in practice before he’ll be ready to be a contributor. Smith has missed much of the offseason, but has the talent to play immediately.

Kirby Smart and Todd Monken signed Smith, Justin Robinson, Marcus Rosemy, Jermaine Burton (LSU flip), and Ladd McConkey in the class of 2020 at the wide receiver position. It will be fascinating to see which players emerge from this talented group as freshmen.

In addition to playing football, Arian Smith also participated in track at a high level in high school. He competed against the likes of Matthew Boling.

Jun 22, 2019; Miramar, FL, USA; Matthew Boling (center) wins the 100m in a wind-aided 10.15 during the USATF U20 Championships at Ansin Sports Complex. (From left ) Dante Brown Jr., and Arian Smith and Boling and Justin Ofotan. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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UGA football player card: WR Justin Robinson

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Justin Robinson signed with the University of Georgia as a member of the class of 2020

Justin Robinson, Wide Receiver (#17):

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-4

Weight: 200 pounds

Hometown: McDonough, Georgia

High School: Eagles Landing

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Justin Robinson signed with the University of Georgia as a member of the class of 2020. Robinson has great size and came to Athens as a four-star recruit. Robinson won multiple state championships during his time at Eagles Landing Christian Academy.

Robinson will have an opportunity to compete this seasonespecially with Dominick Blaylock’s torn ACL. He’s expected to battle with other talented recruits for playing time at wide receiver opposite George Pickens.

Kirby Smart and Todd Monken signed Robinson, Arian Smith, Marcus Rosemy, Jermaine Burton (LSU flip), and Ladd McConkey in the class of 2020 at the wide receiver position. It will be interesting to see which ones emerge from this talented group as freshmen.

Here’s a look at Robinson following won of his state championship victories:

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UGA football player card: WR Kaustov Chakrabarti

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Kaustov Chakrabarti comes to Athens as an unheralded recruit. He’s a member of the class of 2020.

Kaustov Chakrabarti, Wide Receiver (#33):

Class: Freshman

Height: 5-7

Weight: 160 pounds

Hometown: Lilburn, Georgia

High School: Parkview High School

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Kaustov Chakrabarti comes to Athens as an unheralded recruit. He’s a member of the class of 2020 and is a preferred walk-on player.

Chakrabarti will have to fight for his spot in order to earn playing time. He’ll face stout competition from players like George Pickens, Dominick Blaylock, and more. Georgia’s lack of depth at the wide receiver position was addressed this past offseason.

UGA has incoming class of 2020 scholarship wide receivers in Jermaine Burton, Arian Smith, Marcus Rosemy, Justin Robinson, and Ladd McConkey.

Sep 8, 2007; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (1) catches a long pass in front of South Carolina Gamecocks safety Chris Hampton (33) in the second half at Sanford Stadium. The Gamecocks defeated the Bulldogs 16-12. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine USA TODAY Sports

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