Tag: uga wide receivers

UGA 2024 wide receiver position preview

Previewing Georgia football’s wide receiver depth chart. The Bulldogs have lost four of their five leading receivers from last season

Third-team All-SEC wide receiver Dominic Lovett leads the Georgia Bulldogs’ talented wide receivers room in 2024.

Lovett is Georgia’s only (top-five) leading receiver that is returning. Three of the five other leading receivers from 2023 were selected in the 2024 NFL draft. Additionally, Georgia’s fifth-leading receiver in 2023, Rara Thomas, was recently dismissed from the team after being arrested.

Versatile wide receiver Dillon Bell is Georgia’s No. 2 receiver and made the All-SEC team as an all-purpose player. Bell is Georgia’s best receiver after the catch and has previously played running back.

The No. 3 wide receiver on our depth chart is Miami transfer Colbie Young. Young is Georgia’s best red zone threat at wide receiver and is relatively interchangeable on the depth chart with Arian Smith. The two players just have very different roles depending on the situation. Smith is Georgia’s fastest receiver. Smith provides a deep threat and made several explosive plays in spring practice.

After Smith is explosive sophomore Anthony Evans, who is primed to have a larger role this season. Vanderbilt transfer London Humphreys and USC transfer Michael Jackson III both figure to see their respective roles increase as the year goes on. Jackson III is especially adept in the screen game and after the catch.

Cole Speer recently made a big play in Georgia’s scrimmage. He should not be counted out and is a big special teams player for UGA.

Georgia football’s depth chart at wide receiver

The Georgia Bulldogs need a big season out of wide receiver Dillon Bell. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
  1. Dominic Lovett (Senior)
  2. Dillon Bell (Junior)
  3. Colbie Young (Junior)
  4. Arian Smith (Senior)
  5. Anthony Evans (Sophomore)
  6. Michael Jackson III (Senior)
  7. London Humphreys (Sophomore)
  8. Cole Speer (Junior)
  9. Sacovie White (Freshman)
  10. Nitro Tuggle (Freshman)

It is unclear who Georgia’s five best playmakers will be on offense. Running back Trevor Etienne, tight end Oscar Delp, wide receivers Dominic Lovett and Dillon Bell are probably Georgia’s four best playmakers, but the fifth-best player is up for debate.

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Georgia football begins the 2024 college football season against the Clemson Tigers in Atlanta on Aug. 31 at noon ET.

Georgia football WR Jaylen Johnson enters transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Jaylen Johnson, a former walk-on, has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

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Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Jaylen Johnson has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Johnson fought and clawed his way to playing time after walking-on to the football team. Johnson was an unheralded recruit coming out of Peachtree High School.

Kirby Smart and Georgia put Johnson on scholarship after the 2020 college football season. Johnson will have two years of eligibility at his new home.

Jaylen Johnson is likely seeking more playing time. The junior wide receiver finished the 2021 season with four touches for 35 yards. Johnson had Georgia’s longest play (21 yards) against Clemson and forced a fumble against Vanderbilt. Johnson’s playing time on offense decreased as the season went on.

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Jaylen Johnson scored a touchdown during the Georgia spring game. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson played in all 10 games in 2020 as a reserve receiver and special teams player. He recorded no statistics.

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound receiver walked on as a freshman and was a fixture on the scout team in 2018. In 2019, Johnson played in three games and ended the year with two catches for 20 yards.

Jaylen Johnson previously wore No. 81 before changing to No. 23. Johnson joins defensive back Ameer Speed in the transfer portal.

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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

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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UGA WR George Pickens ruled out versus Kentucky

The Georgia Bulldogs will be without talented wide receiver George Pickens today at Kentucky.

The Georgia Bulldogs will be without talented wide receiver George Pickens today at Kentucky. Pickens is Georgia’s No. 1 wide receiver and is a key piece in Georgia’s passing offense.

Pickens is injured and did not make the trip to Lexington, Kentucky. He’ll be missed, especially in the red zone. Kirby Smart and Georgia will look for players like Jermaine Burton, Demetris Robertson, and Kearis Jackson to step up in his place.

The Kentucky Wildcats have a good secondary, so this game could be closer than some of the experts think. Stetson Bennett and the Georgia Bulldog offense will have to look elsewhere for explosive plays in the passing game.

ATHENS, GA – OCTOBER 03: George Pickens #1 of the Georgia Bulldogs beats Roger McCreary #23 of the Auburn Tigers for a touchdown during the second quarter of a game against the Auburn Tigers at Sanford Stadium on October 3, 2020 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Pickens is out with an upper body injury. He’ll hope to play next week against the Florida Gators.

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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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