Tag: ladd mcconkey

Georgia Bulldogs Ladd McConkey, Christopher Smith talk SEC Championship

‘A lot of guys have not won one.’

No. 1 Georgia (12-0) preparing to face No. 14 LSU (9-3) in the SEC Championship on Saturday in Atlanta

Despite the Bulldogs recent string of dominant play and big wins, Georgia is 1-3 in SEC Championship apperances under Kirby Smart, including a 41-24 loss to Alabama a year ago.

Senior safety Christopher Smith noted the losses and the opportunity for redemption this weekend.

“It’s definitely one of our team goals to be able to win the SEC. I’ve played in this game three times and haven’t been able to win, so hopefully fourth time’s a charm,” Smith said. “We’re going to put in the work and execute the game plan as best as possible to go out there and get the win.”

The majority of UGA’s roster hasn’t experienced a conference championship win as Georgia’s last win came in 2017 in a 28-7 win over Auburn.

Sophomore receiver Ladd McConkey is also one of those players.

“SEC championships are hard to come by like we said. I haven’t won one since we’ve been here. A lot of guys have not won one. They’ve been in it before but haven’t won it. We know how much of a challenge it is to get to this point and how much of a challenge it’s going to be for the rest of the year. But yeah, we just want to go out, take it one game at a time, just put our best foot forward and do what we need to do to get the win.”

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET and will televised on CBS.

 

Know the Opponent: Georgia’s offense doesn’t want to be overlooked anymore

Georgia’s defense tends to garner the headlines, but Stetson Bennett and the Bulldog’s offense has something to prove in 2022.

Under Chip Kelly, the Oregon offense garnered most of the headlines with its innovations. That offense sent the Ducks to a couple of national title games. But Oregon had a pretty good defense too.

For the current Georgia Bulldogs, it’s just the opposite.

The offense in Athens was severely overshadowed by a historically great defense last season. They did average nearly 40 points a game. But with most of that defensive talent moving on to the NFL, it’s time for quarterback Stetson Bennett and the rest of the UGA offense to receive a share of the attention it so richly deserves.

Bennett, a senior, might have also moved on to the NFL after last season. He certainly has the talent and he already has a championship ring. Now as an upperclassman, Bennett hopes his familiarity with the offense and overall experience will guide him through the 2022 season.

“Just the reps with the guys, getting to know when they’re going to break, what they’re thinking on specific plays and on specific routes (has helped),” he said on SEC media day back in July.

While there are some minor areas for improvement, it’s hard to imagine Bennett can get markedly better after the numbers he put up last season. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes, 29 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.

Bennett’s favorite target turned out to be a true freshman in tight end Brock Bowers. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder from Napa, Calif. caught 56 passes, 13 of those receptions went for touchdowns. Bowers was a First-Team All-American and Georgia is hoping for more of the same.

They did lose running backs Zamir White and James Cook off of last year’s squad, but Kenny McIntosh (eight career touchdowns) and Kendell Milton (three career touchdowns) look to be UGA’s next 1-2 punch in the backfield.

UGA’s offensive line lost a few starters as well, but center Sedrick Van Pran (6-4, 310) is back and he’s one of the best centers in the country. Brodrick Jones (6-4, 310) and Tate Ratledge (6-6, 315) will help anchor a young line.

The one weakness the Bulldogs may have on offense could be the receivers. Their leading receiver in terms of yards, Jermaine Burton, transferred to Alabama of all places. But they will have Ladd McConkey (31 receptions, 447 yards and five scores) and Adonai Mitchell (29 receptions, 426 yards, four touchdowns) back from last season.

The fact of the matter is, when you have a team as talented as Georgia, even an unheralded offense will stand above much of the nation when it comes to production and ability. With blue-chip recruits flowing into Athens each and every year, you can rest assured — or lose sleep at night as an Oregon fan — knowing that the Bulldogs’ offense is going to present a major test for the Ducks. The Georgia defense tends to get a majority of the headlines, but after winning a ring on the back of a historic unit, Bennett and the offense have something to prove this season.

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Georgia returns the top-2 receivers in the SEC, per PFF

PFF tabs 2 Georgia receivers as top in SEC…

The college football champion Georgia Bulldogs had three receivers announce their intention to transfer after the national title game.

That is on top of losing star receiver George Pickens to the NFL draft

Former Bulldog Jermaine Burton elected to transfer to Alabama, while other Georgia receiver reserves Justin Robinson (Mississippi State) and Jaylen Johnson (ECU) transferred out of Athens as well.

DawgNation shouldn’t be worried quite yet.

On Tuesday, junior receiver Kearis Jackson announced his return to the Bulldogs.

Jackson, Georgia’s leading receiver in 2020, will rejoin two other Dawgs, who according to Pro Football Focus, are the top receivers returning in the SEC.

Freshman tight end Brock Bowers (92.1) and redshirt freshman Ladd McConkey (79.1) are the two highest-graded returning pass catchers in the SEC.

Freshman tight end Brock Bowers won a slew of awards for his explosive first season, which set a UGA record for a tight end.

Bowers racked up 882 yards on 56 catches, a whopping 14-yard average, with 14 total touchdowns. That’s 30 more catches than Georgia’s second-leading receiver, Ladd McConkey.

McConkey caught 31 passes for 447 yards (14.4 avg.) with five touchdowns on the year.

With Jackson, Bowers and McConkey back with tight end Darnell Washington and a healthy Arian Smith out wide, the Bulldogs should have plenty of talented options to choose from in the fall.

4 Georgia Bulldogs named to All-SEC freshman team

Four Georgia Bulldogs football players including Brock Bowers, the SEC’s Freshman of the Year, have made the 2021 All-SEC freshman team.

Four Georgia Bulldogs football players have made the 2021 All-SEC freshman team. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers has been named the SEC’s Freshman of the Year.

Texas A&M is the only schools with more players (five) on the All-SEC freshman team. It should be noted that the All-SEC freshman team includes redshirt freshman.

What Georgia players made the 2021 All-SEC freshman team?

Georgia WR Ladd McConkey wins SEC Freshman of the Week

Ladd wins SEC Freshman of the Week.

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Ladd McConkey has won SEC Freshman of the Week after his big performance against the Auburn Tigers.

McConkey caught five passes from Stetson Bennett for 135 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 34-10 win.

The former North Murray High School (Chatsworth, Ga.) standout was Bennett’s favorite target on Saturday and sealed the game with his 60 yard score midway through the third quarter.

McConkey is Georgia’s second leaving receiver this season with 285 yards, trailing Brock Bowers. His biggest game prior to last weekend’s came against Vanderbilt when he scored two touchdowns (1 receiving, 1 rushing) and had 86 total yards.

Georgia takes 24-3 lead thanks to 60 yard Ladd McConkey TD

Ladd McConkey has 124 yards now.

Georgia needed a score. It felt like the Bulldogs were leaving Auburn in this game a little too long.

And in the third quarter, leading 17-3, that’s exactly what they got.

After forcing a turnover on downs from the Georgia 40 yard line, the Bulldogs took over and it only took them one play to find the end zone.

Stetson Bennett hit Ladd McConkey for a 60 yard touchdown, giving McConkey his fourth catch. He has 124 yards on the day.

Ladd McConkey gets second score of the day

Ladd McConkey scores from 24 yards out.

12 minutes into the first quarter Georgia has scored 5 touchdowns ands leads Vanderbilt 35-0.

Four touchdowns have been distributed between two players.

True freshman tight end Brock Bowers has a pair and a redshirt freshman receiver Ladd McConkey has a pair of his own.

McConkey’s first score came on a 12 yard touchdown pass.

His second came on a 24 yard run play. That’s the longest run of the season so far for Georgia.

UGA football player card: WR Ladd McConkey

Georgia Bulldogs WR Ladd McConkey will compete with freshman receivers like Marcus Rosemy, Jermaine Burton, and speedster Arian Smith.

Ladd McConkey, Wide Receiver (#84):

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-0

Weight: 175 pounds

Hometown: Chatsworth, Georgia

High School: North Murray High School

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Ladd McConkey arrived in Athens this offseason as a three-star recruit. At North Murray, McConkey was a versatile athlete, who recorded over 3,000 total yards as a senior.

McConkey runs a 4.5 second forty yard dash and additionally ran some track in high school. Here’s how the true freshman committed to the University of Georgia this past offseason:

McConkey will compete with receivers like Marcus Rosemy, Jermaine Burton, and speedster Arian Smith for the rest of his career. Kirby Smart focused heavily on receivers in the class of 2020. They’ll look to sure up UGA’s receiver issues that plagued them throughout last season.

He wore a lot of hats in high school and managed to excel at almost every position on the field.

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Georgia football picks up commitment from in-state WR

The Georgia Bulldogs’ reloading offense has secured the commitment of a new weapon.

Following a small regime change, the Georgia Bulldogs’ reloading offense has secured the commitment of a new weapon.

Three-star wide receiver Ladd McConkey announced his pledge to suit up in red and black three days in advance of Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

The speedster out of Chatsworth’s North Murray High School projects as a potential return specialist in addition to being a sure-handed slot receiver. He runs a forty-yard dash in 4.56 seconds and exhibits footwork so impressive that he breaks opposing defenders’ ankles using his own.

Despite offers from Army, Vanderbilt, and multiple in-state programs playing outside Power Five conferences, McConkey pledged to become a Georgia Bulldog after an official visit to Athens this weekend.