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.
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169 comments Add your comment
OtisforUGA
June 16th, 2010
12:08 am
We all keep talking about Green & Ealey (thats great-cause they are) But the weapon in the red zone will be #7 an all SEC by years end and an all american the start of the 2011 season. DOGS win the East in 2010 and win the National Championship in 2011
DoubleDownDawgFan
June 16th, 2010
12:36 am
AJ Green wasn’t even the best receiver in the state of GA last year….no way he’s a top 5 pick! I hope he goes in the 1st round though. I like me some AJ Green and Aaron Murray….let’s get this parrrrtay started! Bark! Bark! Bark! Go Dogs!
Dawg in Iraq
June 16th, 2010
12:56 am
I hope that the Dawgs will use Charles s ome as a reciever like CMR and Bo Bo hyped us about last year. This will hopefully get Lynch on the field more, I think he could be a surprise alot of folk as a reciever, we already know what a great blocker he is. Also, with the speed of our defence, I do not think it will take our team to excell in Grantham’s 3-4. Anyway, I think the recruits sense that the defence in Ga. is gonna be special with this new defensive staff, hopefully, the Offensive coaches will wise up and run the ball first, unlike what they have done in the past. If Rict use the weapons he has it will fun in Athens this season. By the way, its hot here in Iraq 120+, man I can hardly wait till kick off.
Dawg in Iraq
June 16th, 2010
1:01 am
Sorry about my many typo’s in the above blog, its been a long day here in Iraq. God Dawgs!!!
Greensboro, Georgia
June 16th, 2010
3:23 am
————————————–
……Nesbitt for Heisman……
————————————–
chazzo
June 16th, 2010
6:36 am
There are a handful of great receivers in the NCAA right now, and AJ is definitely one of them. When I look at Heisman watch lists, though, all I see are QBs and RBs. I would still love to see a defensive player take it, but why is there at least not a couple of receivers on these lists.
Columbus Dawg
June 16th, 2010
8:27 am
If I were an LSU fan I don’t think I would come on here running my mouth about Georgia football, period. UGA has made LSU look like crap more times than not this decade, and would have won last year with the sorry team they had if it were not for the new SEC rule that states that highly ranked conference teams will benefit from bogus officiating. You can keep thinking that the bought and paid for “Escalade Jones” at Inbred U is better than A.J., but the numbers say otherwise. Moron
AltamahaDawg
June 16th, 2010
8:29 am
So fielding punts makes him a better WR than all the career WR, highly recruited guys? Route crispness (which seems to be a big deal and often takes a couple of years to master), blocking (which coach Richt has been on record many times saying that is one of his main criteria to get PT in that position), speed (take your pick of who is a lot faster), are secondary….he caught punts so his hands are better? What makes you think Wooten for example just to pick one does NOT have good hands as well, (plus obvious other WR skills that you have never once seen Gray exhibit)? And if fielding punts required the good hands that would equate to being a good WR, why then are so few WR actually ever in that role?
In fact its usually a DBs. So now he is going up against guys who have just as good of hands (by that standard) who is faster, stronger, more experienced, more physical, And Gray doesn’t really know the position all that well. It’s all a truly great WR like Green can do to shake those guys. His hand are never going to come into play because we arent ever going to throw the ball his way. He has to get open first and unless its some kind of trick play, that ain’t happening. And you better hope it’s a perfect pass or he is going to have his pocket picked every time.
My take is that it was his decision making, when to fair catch and when to let it bounce, not because he was so much better than a dozen other guys that could stand and fair catch a ball unmollested and not making any kind of an athletic move after catching it. I think he was good at that. I defended the move to let him continue doing that when some folks were against it. But only on the pure safety catches. If there is any chance the ball can be advanced I think we have capable guys with good hands and ball carrying skills too.
However, as I have stated before that his cross training as a WR will perhaps give him some options as a Punt Returner if he does have an open field. He certainly helps in the depth for practice purposes, brings additional maturity to that squad, gets him involved.
Columbus Dawg
June 16th, 2010
8:36 am
By the way, has anyone heard when the NCAA is going to start focusing on Alabama’s recruiting violations?
Coach D
June 16th, 2010
10:43 am
There is NO WAY AJ sticks around after this season! He’s easily a 1st round pick, and would be a fool to turn down that kind of money. He’s as good or better than Matt Stafford or Knowshon Moreno when they left. AJ, as a WR is capable on putting an offense on his back, and that is extremely rare. Plus he has played for 3 different QB’s which shows he isn’t a product of the system, and NFL scouts look for that. Besides its not like UGA will be competing for National Titles anytime soon, so why stay?
Luke M
June 16th, 2010
11:37 am
“If I were an LSU fan I don’t think I would come on here running my mouth about Georgia football, period. UGA has made LSU look like crap more times than not this decade,”
LSU and Georgia are 3-3 vs. each other in the last 6 meetings, how is that more often than not? Oh yeah, and LSU has 2 National Titles during that time. Does that sting a little bit?
Paul
June 16th, 2010
2:34 pm
UGA is loaded this year at all of the offensive skill positions and the O-line. I really don’t think depth at WR is an issue especially with two stud tight ends. Season is totaly dependent on defensive performance and the quaterback making good decisions. Murray may never has as many weapons around him as he has this year.
MountainDawg
June 16th, 2010
3:56 pm
Kris Durham has solid hands, size & speed. He’s been grossly under-utilized IMO. AJ’s the #1, but I think Durham’s better than Greene, Brown, Troupe, inc. IF he stays healthy, Bobo needs to get ALOT more passes thrown his way. BTW, at 6′5, 205+ he’s is NOT just a possession/downs receiver!
MountainDawg
June 16th, 2010
3:58 pm
**Correction on my last post…”Bobo needs to get (Durham) ALOT more passes (this season).
Adonisdaking
June 16th, 2010
7:25 pm
Bobo Needs To Improve His System or I Assure U He Will Be Demoted…
doug
June 21st, 2010
10:36 pm
The offence will be good. However Richt is still there and what ever problems crop up………….he simply wont be able to fix them. He is not a problem solver. We need luck and lots of it. We can still win 9 or 10 games with some luck but an SEC title is a total impossibility. Alabama will trash our 3-4. Big game MOJO is gone for good. The talent pool is drying up. We are being out recruited and High school coaches know players develop slowly at UGA.
Inside linebackers: Sorting out the ‘Mike’ and the ‘Mo’ | UGA sports blog
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[...] Wide receivers. [...]
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July 9th, 2010
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[...] Wide receivers: Is this Green’s final season? Brown’s breakout season? [...]
Look Alive
July 10th, 2010
9:03 pm
Are football players just stupid or just don’t care about their team? You have the AD lose his job and possibly his family due partially to alcohol, you have UT players arrested for assault due partially to an alcohol environment and so many others ruining their lives and careers due to alcohol related activities so don’t these players watch the news and aren’t they being told everynight before dark not to be out anywhere after midnight if not then why not. this has got to be the stupidest group of athletes in history. it is just sickening to see our players being arrested for alcohol related offenses and them being underage and out all night. we need bed checks for all athletes staying on campus at midnight. three am. six am. don’t say you shouldn’t have to watch them all the time because it is obvious that you do. either control them or disband the football team and start all over with a different breed of player. another thing, since the majority of these athletes are underage where are the arrests and jail time for those furnishing the alcohol to minors. make it a 3 year sentence without parole for persons selling or furnishing alcohol to minors. the minors should spend at leas 30 days in jail and be caned or flogged at the end of their sentence. if this sounds harsh then think of the way they treat the fans that invest their money, time and heart in supporting the athletes. I just can’t understand iduits that follow in the footsteps of other idiots. I am absolutely at my wits end trying to see the reasoning of these morons.