Wide receivers: Green’s final season? Brown’s breakout season?
(Note: I’m on vacation, so the UGA blog is on quasi-hiatus. But rather than shutting down entirely, I thought we could use this lull for a leisurely look at the 2010 football team. I put together synopses of the various position groups, and one will post each weekday. This is the second in the series.)
WIDE RECEIVERS
- Returning starters: FLK A.J. Green, SE Tavarres King.
- Others to watch: Fifth-year senior Kris Durham returns for a final season after being redshirted last year because of a shoulder injury/surgery, and sophomores Rantavious Wooten and Marlon Brown are expected to have impacts.
- Key loss: Michael Moore graduated (and signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent).
- Key fact: Green, a junior, is widely projected as a top-five pick in the 2011 NFL draft, a clue this will be his final year in Athens. So enjoy the show.
- Key questions: Can Green have his first injury-free year at Georgia (strained groin throughout ‘08, bruised lung and separated shoulder in ‘09) and achieve his goal of an All-America season? And can Brown live up to his high-school accolades?
- Recent developments: Logan Gray will work extensively at wide receiver, although it remains unclear exactly how he’ll juggle that role with preparing as the No. 2 quarterback. . . . Nagging injuries to Brown and Israel Troupe during spring practice reduced the number of scholarship WR’s on the field to four at times.
- Outlook: Green is, as you know, an electrifying talent, and his supporting cast is promising, if not proven. King started nine games last year, had a good spring and has added strength and weight (he’s at 192 pounds). Durham’s experience and sure hands should help. Wooten showed flashes last season, and coaches seem convinced Brown will come into his own after struggling to get onto the field as a freshman. (Mark Richt said recently that Brown wasn’t physically challenged in his high school league and “I really felt it was going to take him a little time to get up to speed with SEC play.”) Also, it should be noted that Georgia expects the tight ends (tomorrow’s topic) to be big pass-catching weapons.
- Your turn: What say you about the wide receivers?
Earlier in this series:
The offensive line: 155 starts and counting.
Tomorrow: Tight ends.
And please follow @ajcuga on Twitter for the latest on the Bulldogs and related matters.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
169 comments Add your comment
Bill W.
June 15th, 2010
1:32 pm
@Tim,
Wisen up- Slang for “act more wisely”.
Mistake on my part it was 17 points in the half the posession time.
And congrats on your accomplishment. Guess your self righteousness fills that void to make you happier, ha. I get it.
47-39-2
Yep
June 15th, 2010
1:33 pm
Yes and No.
tim
June 15th, 2010
1:50 pm
In case you are wondering, yes I am an angry old man who is going to die soon and is made at the world.
Luke M
June 15th, 2010
2:03 pm
Eisendawg-
Even without the penalty, Trindon Holliday advanced the kickoff to the 50 yard line, and Charles Scott broke 3 arm tackles to run free. Maybe I should just thank the crappy special teams/defense the Dogs had on the field that day?
You do remember also that LSU was hit with the same penalty, and after being assessed on the kickoff, we still got down there and tackled the returner at the 30 or so. So blame your special teams and defense, not the officials.
Eisendawg
June 15th, 2010
2:14 pm
I’m blaming all of them.
Adonisdaking
June 15th, 2010
2:19 pm
GO DAWGS! We MUST BEAT FLORIDA and TENNESSEE…THE RIVALRY GAMES ARE SO IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY ARE ALSO DIVISIONAL GAMES..IF WE HAVE TO STORM THE FIELD AGAIN CMR STORM THE D#MN FIELD A WIN IS A WIN GO DAWGS!…BUT FOR THE RECORD THE 3-4 DEFENSE WAS BROUGHT IN AND DEVELOPED TO BEAT AND DEFEND THE SPREAD…LOOK AT Alabama’s DEFENSE AGAINST UF…It Took SOME TIME BUT IT WORKED! UGA WILL BE THERE WITH GRANTHAM”S SYSTEM…
DawginLex
June 15th, 2010
2:21 pm
What is your description of a midget?
I have stood next to both Greene and Murray and there is not an inch difference in their height.
Mettenberger was 3 inches taller than either one of them so in comparison to him, I guess they are both midgets.
What a first rate idiot you truly are.
chazzo.crw@gmail.com
June 15th, 2010
2:33 pm
Excellent point DawginLex. There is certainly an arbitrary idea about height and QBs. Is 6′1″ better than 6′0″. Certainly a guy like Mallet (sp?) at Arky has an advantage, but certainly an inch or two either way just really isn’t that significant. Insert, that’s what she said joke, here:
tim
June 15th, 2010
2:34 pm
I’m sorry………i’m just gay and wanna vent at somebody. Please forgive me UGA fans. You guys are really cool and your men are manly.
Wooten
June 15th, 2010
2:35 pm
Snap……
Wooten da ball carrier
He may go, He may go
Touchdown Wooten
chazzo.crw@gmail.com
June 15th, 2010
2:40 pm
Luke M is right. the Dawgs special team and D blew the end of the LSU game. They didn’t finish the drill. They thought they had it won. That given, the call was a huge momentum swing and the penalty at kick off set up the big return. Certainly starting at the 20 after a touchback would have been more diffcult. Of course, it is neither here nor there. An L is an L. There is no getting it back. The only significance is that a couple of those Ls hinged on one or two plays or one or two calls. The Dawgs could have very easily been a 10 win team last season. The reason why that is significant is that they just be better than a lot of folks are giving them credit for. I like that! I hope they have a big chip on their shoulder about it, too.
tiny tim
June 15th, 2010
2:41 pm
tiptoe through the tulips, with me-e-e
Saint Simons
June 15th, 2010
2:42 pm
Can anybody tell me where I can find this tim guy, he sounds scrumptious
Saint Simons
June 15th, 2010
2:45 pm
tim. if you’re out there right now, what kind of jorts do you have on?
Gatorbait 17-3
June 15th, 2010
2:53 pm
Now I see why the dogs can’t beat the Gators, if the dogs are half as dumb as their fans
on this site they will be lucky to win 1 game every 10 years.
No Dog
June 15th, 2010
3:00 pm
The problem is not the receivers; it’s the quarterback! Can the unproven quarterback(s) get the ball to the receivers as well as lead the team effectively? What happens if the starting quarterback gets hurt and/or sidelined?
DawginLex
June 15th, 2010
3:10 pm
a gator talking about UGA fans being dumb?
That’s rich.
Who is hanging out on the rivals’ blog?
Who is trashing the rivals’ fan base?
Why don’t you try showing a little class for a change.
Richt is 2-7 against UF. We get it.
You don’t see me over on the Tech blog bashing away.
It’s called class.
Try it sometime. You might actually end up with a date with a female.
The General Feeling
June 15th, 2010
3:20 pm
Will thinks “UGA has a chance to be really good.”
No kidding Will. UGA should be really good every year but somehow they find a way to lose to teams ranked below them. It will happen again this year.
One, two, free, fo, fi, them der Gator don't take no jive!
June 15th, 2010
3:23 pm
I have to admit, I don’t know too much about UGA’s receivers other than AJ Green. That being said, if UGA can establish a running game, it shouldn’t matter too much. With some play action and the tight ends over the middle and AJ downfield, UGA should have a pretty potent offense this year. Anything they get from the rest of the receivers will just be gravy.
Have fun, folks!
Bruce Mac
June 15th, 2010
3:28 pm
General, and your team never loses to teams ranked below them? If so your team is never ranked and therefore they suck, so I dont’ understand your point. What an idiot.
joe
June 15th, 2010
3:30 pm
AJ is gone to the NFL after this year. He won’t be able to take another 7-5 season…
"Home of Mediocrity"
June 15th, 2010
3:37 pm
What’s there to know, this is a Georgia webstite. The WR corps is young, deep and extremely talented like the rest of Georigas team, and then the season starts. 8-5 here we come.
Eisendawg
June 15th, 2010
3:45 pm
Chazzo, you bring up some solid points, including that maybe having a down season might not be so bad, if it caused positive changes. Time will tell if a pressure, gambling defense pays off over a soft, read and react one. I firmly believe these changes were necessary and will pay off. They seem to be already, with recruiting, and the overall attitude.
Preston
June 15th, 2010
3:54 pm
We better enjoy watching Green in red and black this season because the millions are in his near future. Too bad he’ll have to go to a sorry NFL team for being such a high draft choice. But at least he’ll get paid well for it. Hope he stays healthy all year and breaks some records with a freshman QB because the running game is going to open up some passing opportunities for sure!
jasont13
June 15th, 2010
4:13 pm
I can only laugh at the people who call Aaron Murray a midget. He is the same height as Josh Nesbit, same height as Kyle Parker (Clemson QB) same height as Heisman Trophy Winner Colt McCoy. I just wonder the people who call him a midget are probably shorter than he is.
skeered
June 15th, 2010
4:19 pm
Hearing all the same things we heard before last season. OL was going to be overpowering. Great skill position players. QB didn’t have to do anything other than manage the game.
We saw how that turned out.
Bulldog59
June 15th, 2010
4:19 pm
Lots of good points guys…. my 7 cents……
1. We are thin but we are also talented at WR.
2. AJ is the best. A home run threat on every play. Defenses can scheme all they want, he’s still going to get his yards.
3. Wooten and King will probably do better than many people expect. Wooten is particularly elusive once he gets into space.
4. Durham will prove invaluable on third-and-long, providing another big target while AJ draws the bulk of the coverage. KD will help us move the chains.
5. Orson Charles helps spread the defense coverage even more, no LB is going to cover him. He is a TE and WR all rolled into one.
6. We will have a solid ground game in 2010 which will make our passing game much more effective.
7. We were poised to transition to a new superstar, but Rogers had a change of heart, and that one loss left us thinner than we’d like. CMR is fixing that quickly, we are loading up on talented WRs in the 2011 class.
DawginLex
June 15th, 2010
4:25 pm
skeered,
You need to improve your listening skills.
2009 before the season started-who were our running backs going to be?
2010-same question
Absolutely no comparison.
CrackDaddy
June 15th, 2010
4:54 pm
The AJ Green question is a moot point. If he has a great season and projects as a high NFL draft at the end of the season, he will not be back at UGa. If he has a mediocre or less season, he will be back to regain his previous stature. Those are the variables. No further conjecture required.
"Home of Mediocrity"
June 15th, 2010
5:18 pm
Jasont13, if seeing is believing, which may not be the case on a Georgia board, view the picture below from the G-Day game. Zach Mettenberger is a legit 6:4 and a half even using a Georgia Bulldog ruler. Grey is a little over 6 feet and there is Murray standing next to them. If the proportions are correct, which they would be if Zach and Logan are standing next to each other, that would put Murray around 5:11, which he is not quite. Argue all you want, those proportions are correct. That does not mean he can’t and won’t be an effective QB, he’s just a little short.
http://www.redandblack.com/media/2010/04/qbs.jpg
DawginLex
June 15th, 2010
5:47 pm
Murray has his head bent. Straight up Mett is 6′5″, Greg is 6′1″ and Murray is 6′0″.
Drew Brees is 5′11″
Colt McCoy is 6′0″
Murray will be fine.
The other poster called him a “midget”. At least you had enough brains to post a picture and not agree with the idiot.
DawginLex
June 15th, 2010
5:47 pm
Grey, not Greg
chazzo
June 15th, 2010
6:21 pm
Gatorbait 17-3,
You wrote: “Now I see why the dogs can’t beat the Gators, if the dogs are half as dumb as their fans on this site they will be lucky to win 1 game every 10 years.”
That is a comma splice with a misplaced prepositional phrase.
I think you meant to say was: “The DAWGS frickin’ rock, and they are going to win the East. Urban better grab a handful of Prilosec and Xanex at the Jacksonville Rite Aid.”
chazzo
June 15th, 2010
6:21 pm
what you meant to say was:
was what I meant to say.
dawg farts
June 15th, 2010
6:30 pm
uga never a threat in sports.
Tampadawg
June 15th, 2010
7:40 pm
has anybody seen how jacked washaun has gotten!! he was baby fat last yr the kid is huge now all muscle . gah cant wait to shut these haters up!
Tampadawg
June 15th, 2010
7:44 pm
http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/dynamic/00479/ugatailbacks_0323_b_479043c.jpg
AltamahaDawg
June 15th, 2010
7:47 pm
Rx nailed it. While we do not have a lot of number at WR, it seems like any one of them could start if need be.
AltamahaDawg
June 15th, 2010
7:57 pm
Actually Luke without the penalty, he could have simply dribbled the ball out of bounds and guaranteed no worse that the 40. Of cource there is no reason to beleive that the SEC leading touchback kicker could have done far better than that.
Blame is a funny thing. The real blame could have just as easily been a failed 3rd down attempt in the first 5 minutes of the game. Or any blown assignment, or somebody tripping the guy next to him. All equally as important as the missed tackle (which obvious to everybody LSU would NOT be running the ball like that from thier 30 or 40, but that’s beside the point). All plays, all series are fair game.
However the ref changed the game with a bad call, that is a fact.
AltamahaDawg
June 15th, 2010
8:00 pm
I meant …couldn’t have
AltamahaDawg
June 15th, 2010
8:14 pm
I always get a kick from folks who dispute the idea that things would have turned out differently in the LSU game without that bad call, as if we are just being hypothetical.
Then to back up thier point they make hypothetical assumption that comparitive chains of events happen identically no matter what preceds them.
Chuy Dawg
June 15th, 2010
8:57 pm
Fellows,
The O-line will be the key to everything. This offense on paper has a chance to be one of the best in the country. The O-line will have to hit the ground running from day 1.
-This will establish the run, our run game was one of the best towards the end of the year, our O-line was running on all cylinders towards the end of the season.
-First year starter Murray will need to get all the protection possible. The last thing we need is an unexperienced QB running for his life every other play.
-Brown, Wooten, Durham, T. King and Charles could have a HUGE year. Think about it, if you have an effective running game, and AJ is getting double teamed for the most part. I would imagine Charles would get alot of attention from the linebackers as well. That means the other receivers would not get alot of attention. And don’t forget about throwing B. Smith in there every once in a while.
Some teams win NC with this type of an offense and experience on the O-line. People think CMR is on the hot seat, but what people fail to mention is what could happen to Bobo if this offense does not take off from game 1. Again, there is no reason as to why this offense does not end up as one of the best in the country. Call me delusional but next year needs to be a BIG year.
The Troof
June 15th, 2010
9:14 pm
Kris Durham doesn’t stand out to me as having good hands. I’ve seen him drop a few, just like most everybody else on the team. His talent is that he’s a great big target, and his hands and speed are not bad. That makes for a pretty good third WR. But if you’re a white WR in the SEC, it’s presumed that you have good hands, and that’s the main reason you’re on the field at all. That is not Durham’s outstanding feature, IMO.
FLA DAWG
June 15th, 2010
9:16 pm
FLA DAWG INSIDE;
Look for Gray to have a surprisingly productive season while Green has an average (injury free – injury prevent) season. But by season-end my bet is they’re both competing for receptions which will bode well for a much-needed passing game to compliment what I believe will be a very strong running offense.
UGA 1ST mascot was a goat
June 15th, 2010
9:42 pm
Go UGA Goats!
AltamahaDawg
June 15th, 2010
10:03 pm
I don’t see how Gray can even get on the field over the other guys we have. Why would we have a converted QB getting reps over Wooten, King, Troup, or Brown? Solid, mature, experienced, highly regarded guys all. Or even guys like Sailors or McGowen are going to be more experienced at this point.I don’t care what the play is. he is not faster than them, he can’t catch the ball better, and I’d be willing to bet he doesnt know a fraction of what any of them do about downfield blocking.
FLA DAWG
June 15th, 2010
10:17 pm
AltamahaDawg,
Gray has the second best (maybe the best) hands on the squad – that’s why.
And that’s why Richt will play him. Richt knows the O – especially receivers.
Gray didn’t prove himself as a starting QB but his hands have made him invaluable – check kickoff receptions. No current Dawg has been more secure than this guy.
Midget Qbs and um, ah, Boston College
June 15th, 2010
10:52 pm
Yes, Aaron Murray is not 6′3″ nor is he 6′1″. Fine. Frankly, I have not a clue. The WORLD CHAMPION N.O. Saints QB is about Murray’s height and he did well vs Indy Colts/UT’s Manning, all 6′3″ or 6′4″ now didn’t he?
Um, ah ………..how about the kid that played in the pros for about 10 years from Boston College? What was he? he was around 5′8″. Danny something or other. He was a little man with BIG ARM,BIG HEART AND BIG WINNER.
Who ever is calling QB Aaron Murray “the midget” never played in any competitive sports ………I’ll gurantee that. He is a punk. Bank on it.
Go Dogs.
Barack Dawg
June 15th, 2010
11:01 pm
Just taking a little time out of the oil spill meetings to let tim know he should get it straight. You kicked UGA’s ass 2 years but the game before that they kicked your ass. If you remember it was quite the run down your throat kind of game. Note how the offense stacks up this year from UGA and that your defensive coordinator is gone, your stud linebacker gone, your secondary gone…I predict we run the ball down your throat. My advice — start sucking and swallowing now to be prepared….
Forget using B Smith at UGA
June 15th, 2010
11:02 pm
B Smith has fabulous speed. That is nice and end of story. If he is to have any career in the SEC at UGA, then he had better get heavier, stronger and tougher as a Defensive Back and he had better learn to read the eyes of the QB and to go for the ball. That is his future.
Now …………there is far and away enough ball skills talent and fabulous speed at UGA on O to win plenty of games without putting kids in there that can not protect the ball on some quadruple end around the end around the end around. When B Smith is in there, every body in the western hemisphere knows that it will be an end around play. geeeeeeeeeeez, give that up Bobo.
Go Dogs.