Wide receivers: No A.J. Green, but plenty of options
We’re about one month away from the start of preseason football practices in Athens, so it’s time to start taking a closer look at Georgia’s 2011 football team. This is the second in a series of articles in which I’ll be breaking down each of the Bulldogs’ position groups to give you an idea who are the projected starters and what the expectations might be for this season. Then, as always, we’ll throw it open for your commentary and analysis. There are only 63 days until Georgia’s season opener against Boise State. Let’s get busy. . . .
Tavarres King hauls in one of his three TD catches last year in a game against Mississippi State. Georgia hopes to see more of this in 2011(AP photo)
WIDE RECEIVERS
- Projected starters: SE Marlon Brown (Jr., 6-5, 222), FL Tavarres King (Jr., 6-1, 192), FL Rantavious Wooten (Jr., 5-10, 185)
- Others to watch: Israel Troupe, Michael Bennett, Chris Conley and Malcolm Mitchell will likely get a chance to show their wares early as Georgia operates in a six-receiver rotation.
- Key losses: They don’t get any more significant than A.J. Green, who was snapped up by the Cincinnati Bengals with the fourth pick of the NFL draft after his junior season and left as arguably the Bulldogs’ best receiver of all time. Green and fellow NFL draftee Kris Durham were the Bulldogs’ top two pass catchers last season with 89 between them.
- Key fact: A fairly experienced group returns. King, Brown, Wooten and Troupe have played in 103 games between them, so knowing what to do and how to do it should not be a issue. King proved to be a solid secondary option opposite Green, hauling in 47 catches the last two seasons at a hefty 20 yards per catch. Brown, a former five-star prospect and No. 1 player in Tennessee, is poised for a breakout season. He had 11 catches and his first TD in 2010 and the Bulldogs named him Most Improved Receiver.
- Key question: Are multiple good options better than one great option? With Green on the field, quarterback Aaron Murray understandably had a tendency to throw the ball his way despite what coverages might have dictated. With no clear dominant force at wideout, Murray will likely need to be more reliant on his ability to read the defense and find the open man.
- Recent developments: Expect young players to have an impact as the Bulldogs search for a big-play threat during preseason camp. Conley, an AJC Super 11 selection out of North Paulding High School, enrolled early and impressed in spring practice. And the late recruiting victory for Mitchell, who had more than 1,400 yards receiving as a senior at Valdosta, could be a real X factor. He’ll be given every opportunity to prove himself and earn playing time.
- Outlook: Fair to good. Losing a mega-talent such as Green would seem to indicate an overall downgrade. But the Bulldogs have several players who have been toiling in his shadow and are eager to prove their worth. With a first-rate group of tight ends already in the fold, Georgia needs only two or three reliable targets out of this group to be effective and it says here it will have that and then some.
- Your turn: What do you think about Georgia’s wide receiver corps?
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346 comments Add your comment
shankit
July 2nd, 2011
5:19 pm
And as far as 2012 recruiting, Malcom Mitchell was a complete unknown
to the “expert” Scouts.com. his Junior year in high school. Didn’t have any stars.
Didn’t get any until Saban, Chizik, Gators (whoever their coach was then)
and everyone else starting offering him. So, if ya’ll are concerned about all
the “Star” players getting away, there are probably a hundred kids that will
get 4 or 5 stars attached to their resume by 2011 end.
Glad Malcom and Jay, along with Drew, picked the Dawgs. Go Dosta Wildcats
rogeriter
July 2nd, 2011
5:20 pm
Oh really Mustard dog,. Make more sense than me? All I’m saying is the coaches are better qualified than they are. No comparison to me. I am as dumb about coaching as they (and you) are!
shankit
July 2nd, 2011
5:21 pm
mustard dog – Go wipe the mustard off your face, you look like —t.
Bob
July 2nd, 2011
5:23 pm
@rogeriter…not yet! Looks like we’re not the only ones who seem to know more than our current coaches. Guess you don’t have to make $3M to go 6-7. What do you think?
Varsity
July 2nd, 2011
5:27 pm
Mustard Dog, you got mustard all over your
right sleeve. We have napkins for you to
wipe your face.
rogeriter
July 2nd, 2011
5:29 pm
I think any coach or player can have a bad year or two. Bear Bryant did! Vince Dooley did! The coach at Penn State did and he’s has more wins than any coach in history. I believe you judge a coach…or player, by his overall work. And Mark Richt still has the 2nd best record in the SEC for the BCS years, which includes all of his.
mr. Johnson
July 2nd, 2011
5:30 pm
UGA needs to go after 2012 receiver Blake Tibbs of Martin Luther King. The kid caught 60 passes last year for 1,053 yards and 8tds last season.
Bob
July 2nd, 2011
5:33 pm
“…and Mark Richt still has the 2nd best record in the SEC”. How ’bout looking at our SEC record for the past three years rogeriter. And while you’re at it, look at our schdeule; we’re still paying him $3M. Are you Katherine Richt?
rogeriter
July 2nd, 2011
5:34 pm
Let me add to the list of coaches who had a bad year or two. How about Bobby Bowden? They don’t bas your pay on one year, but your body of work. Thomas Edison head a few failures too, but he changed the entire world.
mustard dog
July 2nd, 2011
5:40 pm
shankit and varsity… spoof them heads up and get them shades on. Richt and that whole bunch ought to be tarred and feathered for the crap they have allowed and been blind to. Getting a big check and prissing around is all they are fit for. Keep on taking their side and enjoy more of the same as the past few years. No, I ain’t no coach but they sure as hell ain’t either. Spoof it up boys.
Bob
July 2nd, 2011
5:41 pm
Bobby Bowden should have been gone at least three years earlier, and Penn State is in denial about Joe Pa. These schools were happy with 8 win seasons as long as their legends were still there…right. As an alum, a 40+ year season ticket holder, and a 40+ contributor to GEEF/Hartman, I don’t think we’re getting our money’s worth with Richt. Just my opinion.
mustard dog
July 2nd, 2011
5:43 pm
rogeriter…. Are you a Richt or Bobo? You probably blow dry your hair and wear them sunglasses too.
rogeriter
July 2nd, 2011
5:43 pm
Last two years were not so hot. Three years ago we were 10-3, I might add with a tough schedule. But my only point is the coaches know more than we do–regardless of what they are being paid. They may not know more than other coaches–but they dang sure know more ABOUT COACHING THAN WE DO! Surely you agree with that!
NOBODYYOUKNOW
July 2nd, 2011
5:46 pm
As long as they beat Boise St. S. Carolina, Tenn. Auburn, Missipi Kentucky, Flordia,L.S.U. “if they play them this season” can’t remember the schedule. oh and yea, the North Fulton region 3AAA yellow Jackets, and the rest of the schdule, I’ll be happy.
rogeriter
July 2nd, 2011
5:47 pm
OK Mustard dog, Share with us your life accomplishments, cause your a genius when it comes to coaching. What teams have you coached? What is your record? Mine is 0-0. All y’all want to do is insult people, including me. I am just defending a good coach who has had a couple of bad years. That’s all!
Bob
July 2nd, 2011
5:50 pm
Thanks rogeriter for your loyalty and for being a good fan. We, like you, want our Dawgs to win; however, we’re sick and tired of losing to Florida…we used to own them. We like Richt as a person, but question his desire to coach, and his ability to select SEC calibre ass’t coaches. We also respect his expert opinion, but wonder what he saw in Willie, Callaway, Searles, for so long and Bobo. He has no financial incentive to do any better, and maybe that’s the root problem. Just my opinion.
mustard dog
July 2nd, 2011
5:52 pm
rogeriter, I haven’t read anything by you I agree with. Spike your head and wear them Richt looking glasses if you want. Nobody really cares. Just look at our record for the past few years and tell me Richt and his bunch have been on top of this program. You can’t possibly have an argument there can you? Richt needs to leave and anybody that whines about “who can we get” ought to leave with him. He isn’t the only person that can do the job. Everyone of us can be replaced at whatever we do. Richt is too much of a pretty boy and that is why NONE of the other SEC coaches ever say anything good regarding him or his staff.
Bob
July 2nd, 2011
5:58 pm
mustard dog…thanks for your insight and determination. I know we all have opinions, but for the life of me, I can’t see how anyone can expect different results from Richt & Co with the same ole same ole. Maybe McGarity needs to put him on double secret probation…maybe he has.
rogeriter
July 2nd, 2011
6:00 pm
Bob, you had an intelligent reply. I don’t totally agree, but I respect you for your expression. I am not satisfied with the last two years…and I don’t like Bobo’s play calling. But it’s way to early to give Richt the boot. Like I said, take away the last two years and his record is wonderful. I saw Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Vince Dooley and many others have a bad year or two, then turn it around. And I don’t believe Mustard has the solution. His replys sound like a teenager who’s main concern is still getting drunk on Friday night.
rogeriter
July 2nd, 2011
6:05 pm
And I didn’t think i’d get any response from Mustard Dog other than calling names, etc. He has no worthwhile accomplishments. Maybe he is still very young. I hope so. Goodbye! At least for now.
Paddy
July 2nd, 2011
6:07 pm
OK, just a thought. Don’t you believe that CMR. after all the heat he took this off-season, had a come-to-meet-Jesus meeting with Bobo? I for one do think it is a good possibility that he did. Everyone from opposing coaches to our own fans knew what we were going to run on any given situation. I hope and I believe that we will be more balanced and more unpredidtable than ever before with Bobo at the play calling helm. CMR is not going to let this season and his furure at UGA be based on old patterns that have not resulted in more wins without having made major changes in our offense. If Bobo wants to be a long time fixture at UGA he MUST change his predictability. I believe it has been addressed and we will not see the ’same old same old” as in the past couple of seasons. But I thought Neville Chamberlain had good ideas also. We shall see.
Bob
July 2nd, 2011
6:10 pm
Paddy…I hope he did, and he should have as head of the team. We’ll find out against Boise State.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2011
6:12 pm
Joey, if by disagree about Bobo you mean to say that you think I am some big fan of his, you are ignoring that I was one of the few folks in here suggesting that willie wasn’t the only guy controlling the final score, and (aspects) of the offense were as much or more to blame. So don’t assume that you know what I think about the OC position.
But when you say things that I serious doubt that you believe it really works that way, it seems to diminish a fair conversation about it.
And I am positive that there are a few things we can agree on about Bobo, which I’m betting you are reluctant to admit.
Jim Donnan
July 2nd, 2011
6:22 pm
Any yall wanna loan me some money? Maybe the ath dept can help me out with all those millions they make
Baltisraul
July 2nd, 2011
6:24 pm
@ Paddy
Love the Neville Chamberlain reference. lol
One dimensional offense
July 2nd, 2011
6:31 pm
No AJ. No Kris Durham. 80% of your receiving offense gone. Good luck w that.
Bob
July 2nd, 2011
6:32 pm
Have a safe Fourth everyone…I still can’t believe who would loan Jim Donnan $10M.
shankit
July 2nd, 2011
6:53 pm
In order to compete, Georgia has to stoop to the low levels
of their competition, sign every athlete in the state of Georgia
and weed them out later; have some alumnae in the banking business
offer every recruit a ATM card under a ficticious name; plant some
trees at some corner in Athens that Tech fans can poison; open a
casino on an Indian reservation near Athens ???? that can set up
the slot machines for payouts to the recruits; pay some recruiting “consultant” hard cash to
make sure we get players from the Pac 12; make sure every 5 star
player recruited has an agent and gets an advance against his inevitable
signing bonus; give some scholarships to Pink Pony gals to aid in recruiting;
open up a ficticious tattoo parlor in Athens that is a front for carousing and cash
handouts; have a local car dealer in Athens provide cars to recruits (Is there a
Porsche dealer in Athens?); oh well, this will never happen, guess we’re just
stuck with Mark Richt.
big john 360 lbs
July 2nd, 2011
6:55 pm
I hope to see Branden Smith catch 30+ this year. He is our most explosive offensive player.
Biggest freshman impact will be Malcom Mitchell…by midseason we will see more of him than Wooten and Troupe.
Jimmy Dean
July 2nd, 2011
6:59 pm
You go, Big John.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2011
7:01 pm
Won’t there still be somebody(s) that accounts for 80% of our passing yards this year too? Did AJ own the mathamatical equation of .8x?
Hairy Dawg
July 2nd, 2011
7:05 pm
I getting tired of bad fans putting blaming on Coach Richt. He the best coach Dawgs had in years and winning in SEC. He gets Dawgs in position to win and then stinky players like Ealy blows it with the fumbles. Now he been allowed to cast out Ealy and we loaded to win East and shuts up bad fans. I not knowing why bad fans not plaing blaming on Adams like they should be. When Dawgs winning SEC few years ago Dawgs could recruit without restrictoins for academics and loading up from Hargraves and sign as many as needed to replace stinkys that we cut loose from team like Ealy. Then Adams choking recruiting best talents with enacting pointy head rules and that causes Dawgs stop winning like earlier in decade. Instead of supporting Coach Richt to fix Adams bad fans blaming on Coach Richt and not making Evans then McG stands up Adams. We gots to gets back to recruiting with no limits just like Bammers and other programs that care about football enough to run school and put pointy headers in place.
old time dog
July 2nd, 2011
7:08 pm
Bob, I agree with your posts wholeheartedly. Rogeriter, don’t get so bent out of frame just because mustard dog has a different opinion than you do. I somewhat agree with most of what he said over what you presented. I agree fan loyalty is a cherished thing but I agree with both Bob and Mustard Dog that Richt has worn thin on a whole lot of UGA fans. He has not done the program like it warranted and is being paid handsomely to do. Mustard Dog is right in that Richt is not respected nor revered by the SEC coaches. That in itself may indicate some issues that we as fans aren’t privy to. I hope he has matured and seen the shortcomings and lack of focus and respect he has garnered. You can still be a true dog fan and not like the coach.
Hairy Dawg
July 2nd, 2011
7:11 pm
placing blaming on Adams
Dirty Dawg
July 2nd, 2011
7:12 pm
Need to lay off Bobo guys…CHdawg, or somebody, said it earlier, play-calling last season had to take Aaron’s inexperience, a third of the season wtihout AJ, and the inconsistency of our RBs and the OLine into account. I’m of the opinion, and I’ve heard it again and again from those that know a lot more about it than me, there aren’t many teams, maybe even none, that can line up against a quality, SEC-caliber, defense, and run the ball when that defense knows that’s what you’re gonna try to do. Throwing on running downs and vice-versa…stretching the field with fast, able receivers, or having a QB that can ‘pull it down and take off’ (that part is questionable in a pro-style offense, but you get it), can make a difference, and Bobo having the confidence in Murray to use the entire play-book should make this season something special.
Glad to hear the support, and updates, on Scott-Wesley. If it’s true that he’s bulked-up to 225 then look out. If they don’t put the ball in his hands and see if he can hold onto it in traffic, I’ll think we’ll have missed a huge opportunity.
As was said, I think we do have a lot of weapons on this team…here’s hoping they’re used to good effect.
Adios
July 2nd, 2011
7:12 pm
Good riddance to Green – one of the lowest class hoodlums ever to play in Athens.
DG
July 2nd, 2011
7:14 pm
There is a lot of depth here, but I would really like to see Marlon Brown step up and for T. King to prove the hype AJ Green put on him.
Hairy Dawg
July 2nd, 2011
7:21 pm
AJ not a hoodlum. He won games and catching the ball as best receiver in country. Hoodlum was Ealy that fumbled to loose games and has bad attitude.
old time dog
July 2nd, 2011
7:44 pm
We should be able to play SC. They should be a good team again this year but eYe don’t feel they are a better unit necessarily. They do have a balanced attack on offense and a really strong defensive unit but this matchup has always seemed to be a tight game. If we are prepared and hungry enough we should be able to match up. eYe just don’t know enough about Boise St. except they have been ranked pretty high. eYe am admittedly guilty of downplaying opponents that don’t have to play a SEC schedule but UGA should show up for this one. eYe wonder if our running game will develop and feel that is the biggest question mark we have. Balance between the pass and run is dependant on each other but eYe feel our OL was more geared toward pass blocking than clearing holes for the rb’s. The defense could be the real key but eYe will feel more confident there when eYe see it. Those first couple of games set the stage for sure and we need to take advantage of this year’s schedule.
Etaoin Shrdlu
July 2nd, 2011
7:48 pm
Boise State 49, Georgia 24
Hardtruth Soldier
July 2nd, 2011
7:50 pm
Justin Wesley- Scott and Conley will be beast, this whole blog section forgot about Figgins out the backfield. Every now and then pull the tailback and stick Charles in a slot position with White at tight end, Brown at flanker, and King at split end and with the speed at tight end will give LB’s nightmare’s, Nobody is looking at Murray’s mobility (funny if if was black it would be “the ” talk.) Trust me this white kid got brother mobility. This is an offense that will be built to score big. Oh and by the way Ken Malcome will be a beast up the middle. People don’t sleep on the Dawgs, this is a team like Auburn last year built to win.
Hardtruth Soldier
July 2nd, 2011
7:57 pm
Boise State, this ain’t the Pac 1O. Bring your A game, because there a little ticked with something to prove from day one.
old time dog
July 2nd, 2011
8:04 pm
Hardtruth, Sounds good and hope that is the way it goes. Don’t think everyone on this blog has forgotten about Figgins but how does any of us know how it will turn out. eYe think most of us understand potentially what Figgins offers but there are alot of question marks heading into that first couple of games.
No Mas
July 2nd, 2011
8:12 pm
The athletic history of UGA is full of so many sordid, sleazy incidents – dating back to Vince Dooley and continuing through Mark Richt – that it’s impossible to overlook. The school has come to stand for drunkenness and lawlessness, coddling of illiterate athletes who should never have been admitted to college, and rampant cheating by coaches.
Really sickening, isn’t it.
Paddy
July 2nd, 2011
8:25 pm
Boise St will lose by 2 touchdowns
Wonderful Ohio on the Gulf 'Dog
July 2nd, 2011
9:11 pm
No Mas?
Digame que tu es hablaring about!
No Mas, comment de usted es muy estupido!
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2011
9:12 pm
Our wins last year were average margins of over 30 points. (Not sure if anyone else noticed but we did blow out the team were supposed to blow out, which hasn’t exactly always been the case in the past.) Our average margins of losing was 8. It’s not like we were just squeeking by the lesser teams and getting embarrased by the others.
And actually in the losses that defined the season the margin was 3. That’s a play or a series of plays.
Bobo can call exactly the same plays as he did last year and if the defense is even marginally better, UGA wins 9-10 games. And I am positive with a second year QB, he is not going to do that.
The question of: is he the best UGA can hire or should Richt be the willing to absorb the learning curve to (hope/maybe) upgrade next year is really NOT the issue right now.
al.com
July 2nd, 2011
9:14 pm
Why doesn’t the Dawgs oversign like bama does. Bama has to cut 7 players to be down to 85. They never have to worry about players each year. I guess they changed the rule one year to late, Didn’t the national champions just get a commitment from GA.’s best WR?
DG
July 2nd, 2011
9:14 pm
It’s obvious that Richt is on a short leash, but I think it’s laughable that people drone on about how awful Bobo is when they were putting record amount of points on the board. Ealey only fumbled, what, 3 times all season? It was the defense folks that was horrible. It cost us the Ark game on the last play. Couldn’t stop a hapless Colorado/Fla team. We shouldn’t be losing games when we put up 30+ points.
Should the running game have been better? Of course, but I am not going to blame Bobo when a couple of all world backs just didn’t get it. Part of their jobs as coaches is make men out of these kids and if that means they have sit them so be it. If that costs UGA the game then I think the player should feel guilty not the coach. I think there may have been a little of that going on last year.
Richt is an extreemly good coach. The constant calls for his firing is rather tiresome. He has been great for the program and the university, and in an age of second chances he deserves it more than most. He didn’t give up like Fulmer, quit like Meyer, or let his ego get the better of him bolt for the NFL only to come back like Spurrier and Saban.
He had the guts to change the whole defense while under fire, has not had one player arrested this year, and recruited a top class for 2011. Give him at least one more season. If he doesn’t turn it around I will the first voicing to let him go. But be carefull what you wish for because in 2-3 years after he’s gone you could be wishing he’d never left.
PowerDawg
July 2nd, 2011
9:18 pm
Wideouts will be a strength as the season progresses. King and Conley will be the starters initially. Mitchell will be a star eventually and Bennett will prove to be a diamond in the rough and surprise a BUNCH of people this year.
Brown’s explosive season may turn into a fizzle I’m afraid, if he doesn’t start using his incredible size and speed to his advantage and become more aggressive when running routes and fighting for the ball. The time for using his lack of knowledge of the playbook is over.
It should have been over last season and he should have been a force when combined with AJ, but he wound up being totally insignificant.
No more excuses. He should be putting up Calvin Johnson-like numbers because he has a future superstar throwing to him, not Reggie Ball.
When Scott-Wesley learns more about how to play reciever, we will have the fastest one in the league, maybe even all of D-1.
We will be just fine at reciever.